Deucravacitinib is used to treat moderate to severe plaque psoriasis in individuals 18 years of age and older whose psoriasis is too severe to be managed by topical drugs alone (a skin condition in which red, scaly patches develop on various portions of the body). It’s not advisable to combine deucravacitinib with other immune-suppressing drugs. The drug deucravacitinib belongs to the group of drugs known as kinase inhibitors. It functions by preventing the aberrant protein from signalling cells to multiply.

Deucravacitinib is available as an oral tablet. It is typically taken once day, with or without food. Deucravacitinib should be taken every day at roughly the same time. Ask your doctor or chemist to explain any instructions on your prescription label that you are unsure about following. Follow the deucravacitinib directions exactly. Never take it in larger or less amounts or more frequently than directed by your doctor.

Do not chew, break, or crush the tablets; instead, swallow them whole.

Psoriasis is not cured by deucravacitinib, however it can be controlled. Deucravacitinib should still be taken even if you feel well. Without consulting your doctor, do not discontinue taking deucravacitinib.

Ask your doctor or chemist for more details if you believe this drug should be used for something else.

Before taking deucravacitinib,

• If you have any allergies, including to deucravacitinib, other drugs, or any of the substances in deucravacitinib tablets, notify your doctor right away. For a list of the ingredients, consult the Medication Guide or speak with your chemist.
• While using deucravacitinib, be sure to let your doctor and chemist know what prescription and over-the-counter drugs, vitamins, herbal items, and nutritional supplements you are currently taking or intend to use. Your physician might need to adjust the dosage of your drugs or keep a close eye on you for side effects.
• Inform your doctor if you have or have ever had cancer, high triglycerides, or liver problems.
• Inform your doctor if you are expecting, intend to get pregnant, or are nursing a baby. Call your doctor if you become pregnant while taking deucravacitinib.
• Find out from your doctor if you require any vaccines. Before starting your deucravacitinib treatment, it’s crucial to have had all the vaccinations recommended for your age. Moreover, let your doctor know if you recently had any vaccines. Without consulting your doctor, avoid getting any immunisations while you are receiving therapy.
• You should be aware that deucravacitinib may lower your resistance to bacterial, viral, and fungal infections and raise your chance of developing an infection. Inform your doctor if you frequently contract any kind of infection, currently possess one, or suspect one. This includes transient infections (like herpes or cold sores), chronic illnesses that persist over time, and mild infections (like open cuts or sores). During or soon after receiving deucravacitinib treatment, if you develop any of the following symptoms, notify your doctor right away. Fever, sweats, or chills; muscle aches; shortness of breath; cough; warm, red, or painful skin; sores on your body; diarrhoea; stomach pain; frequent, urgent, or painful urination; or other indications of infection.
• You should be aware that using deucravacitinib increases your risk of contracting tuberculosis (TB; a dangerous lung infection), particularly if you have the disease but are asymptomatic. If you have TB now or formerly had it, have lived in a nation where TB is widespread, or have been near someone with TB, let your doctor know. To determine whether you have a dormant TB infection, your doctor will conduct a skin test. Before you begin using deucravacitnib, your doctor may prescribe medication to treat this infection if necessary. Call your doctor right once if you experience any of the following TB symptoms, or if any of them appear while you are receiving treatment: a cough, coughing up blood or mucus, weakness or exhaustion, weight loss, appetite loss, chills, fever, or night sweats.

Keep eating normally unless your doctor instructs you otherwise.

If you miss a dosage, take it as soon as you recall. If the next dose is soon due, skip the missed one and carry on with your regular dosing plan. To make up for a missing dose, do not take a second one.

Side effects with deucravacitinib are possible. If any of these symptoms are severe or do not go away, let your doctor know right once:

• Congestion, a runny nose, or a painful throat
• Sore on the tongue, lips, gums, or roof of the mouth
• Acne
• Bumps surrounding hair follicles that are red, swollen, unpleasant, or itching

Some adverse effects may be severe. You should stop taking deucravacitinib and contact your doctor right away if you develop any of these symptoms, or seek emergency medical attention:

• Feeling faint; swelling of the cheeks, eyes, lips, mouth, tongue, or throat; difficulty breathing; pressure in the neck or chest
• Itching or hives
• Dark urine, inexplicable aches, pains, or lethargy in the muscles, fever, or acute exhaustion
• Stomach ache; skin or eye yellowing;

Further negative effects of deucravacitinib are possible. If you experience any strange issues while taking this medicine, contact your doctor right away.

You or your doctor can submit a report to the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) MedWatch Adverse Event Reporting programme online or by phone if you have a serious side event (1-800-332-1088).

Keep this medication tightly closed in the original container and out of the reach of children. Keep it away from excessive heat and moisture at room temperature (not in the bathroom).

Although many containers (such as weekly pill minders and those for eye drops, creams, patches, and inhalers) are not child-resistant and are simple for young children to open, it is crucial to keep all medications out of sight and out of reach of children. Always lock safety caps and promptly stash medication up and away from young children where it is out of their sight and reach to prevent poisoning. http://www.upandaway.org

Unused prescriptions must be disposed of carefully to prevent pets, kids, and other people from ingesting them. You should not, however, dispose of this medication in the toilet. Instead, utilising a medicine take-back programme is the easiest approach to get rid of your medication. To find out about take-back programmes in your area, speak with your chemist or the garbage/recycling agency in your city. If you do not have access to a take-back programme, see the FDA’s Safe Disposal of Medications website at http://goo.gl/c4Rm4p for additional information.

Call the poison control hotline at 1-800-222-1222 in the event of an overdose. Moreover, information can be found online at https://www.poisonhelp.org/help. Call 911 right once if the person has collapsed, experienced a seizure, is having difficulty breathing, or cannot be roused.

Keep all of your appointments with your physician and the lab. To monitor your body’s reaction to deucravacitinib, your doctor may request specific lab tests.

No one else should take your medication. Any queries you may have regarding prescription refills should be directed to your chemist.

You should keep a written record of every medication you take, including any over-the-counter (OTC) items, prescription drugs, and dietary supplements like vitamins and minerals. This list should be brought with you whenever you see a doctor or are admitted to the hospital. You should always have this information with you in case of emergencies.