It was approved for medical use in the European Union in 2010,[7] in the United States in 2011,[4] and in Canada in 2017.[1] It is available as a generic medication.[13]
Medical uses
Roflumilast is indicated for the treatment of severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD),[4] plaque psoriasis,[5][14] seborrheic dermatitis,[6] and atopic dermatitis,[5][15]
It is used in the prevention of exacerbations (lung attacks) in severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).[3][4][7][8][9]
Adverse effects
Common (1–10% incidence) adverse effects include diarrhea, weight loss, nausea, headache, insomnia, decreased appetite, abdominal pain, rhinitis, sinusitis, urinary tract infection, and depression.[4][3][8][9][16]
Society and culture
Legal status
In June 2010, it was approved in the European Union for severe COPD associated with chronic bronchitis.[7][17] In February 2011, it gained FDA approval in the United States for reducing COPD exacerbations.[18][19]
^Herbert C, Hettiaratchi A, Webb DC, Thomas PS, Foster PS, Kumar RK (May 2008). "Suppression of cytokine expression by roflumilast and dexamethasone in a model of chronic asthma". Clinical and Experimental Allergy. 38 (5): 847–56. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2222.2008.02950.x. PMID18307529. S2CID19050454.
^Field SK (May 2008). "Roflumilast: an oral, once-daily selective PDE-4 inhibitor for the management of COPD and asthma". Expert Opinion on Investigational Drugs. 17 (5): 811–8. doi:10.1517/13543784.17.5.811. PMID18447606. S2CID73241684.