INN monograph
Tretinoin, topical
Retinoid [EPC] · POM
Source-linked · Updated 03 Aug 2026 · Source: Local active-ingredient clinical extract; FDA drug label via OpenFDA/DailyMed; Professional class pharmacology (Therapeutic agent (verify pharmacological class))
Kenya market
Wholesale / list prices where loaded
Risk first
Contraindications
- 4 CONTRAINDICATIONS Tretinoin capsules are contraindicated in patients with a known hypersensitivity to tretinoin capsules, any of its components, or other retinoids.
- Reactions have included rash, pruritus, face edema, and dyspnea [see Adverse Reactions ( 6.1 )].
- Hypersensitivity to tretinoin capsules, any of its components, or other retinoids
Precautions
- WARNINGS Orally and parenterally administered clindamycin has been associated with severe colitis which may result in patient death.
- Use of the topical formulation of clindamycin results in absorption of the antibiotic from the skin surface.
- Diarrhea, bloody diarrhea, and colitis (including pseudomembranous colitis) have been reported with the use of topical and systemic clindamycin.
- Studies indicate a toxin(s) produced by clostridia is one primary cause of antibiotic-associated colitis.
- The colitis is usually characterized by severe persistent diarrhea and severe abdominal cramps and may be associated with the passage of blood and mucus.
- Endoscopic examination may reveal pseudomembranous colitis.
- Stool culture for Clostridium difficile and stool assay for C. difficile toxin may be helpful diagnostically.
- When significant diarrhea occurs, the drug should be discontinued.
- Large bowel endoscopy should be considered to establish a definitive diagnosis in cases of severe diarrhea.
- Antiperistaltic agents such as opiates and diphenoxylate with atropine may prolong and/or worsen the condition.
- Vancomycin has been found to be effective in the treatment of antibiotic-associated pseudomembranous colitis produced by Clostridium difficile .
- The usual adult dosage is 500 milligrams to 2 grams of vancomycin orally per day in three to four divided doses administered for 7 to 10 days.
Point of care
Dosing
Adult
2 DOSAGE AND ADMINISTRATION • The recommended dosage of tretinoin capsules is 22.5 mg/m 2 orally twice daily until complete remission. ( 2.2 ) • Discontinue 30 days after achievement of complete remission or after 90 days of treatment, whichever occurs first. ( 2.2 ) 2.1 Important Safety Information Verify pregnancy status in females of reproductive potential prior to initiating tretinoin capsules. Females of reproductive potential must have a negative pregnancy test before initiating tretinoin capsules [see Use in Specific Populations (8.3)] . 2.2 Recommended Dosage The recommended dosage of tretinoin capsules is 22.5 mg/m 2 orally twice daily until complete remission is documented. Discontinue tretinoin capsules 30 days after achievement of complete remission or after 90 days of treatment, whichever occurs first. Discontinue tretinoin capsules if the t(15;17) translocation or PML/RARα fusion has not been identified [see Warnings and Precautions (5.3)] . Take tretinoin capsules with a meal. Swallow tretinoin capsules whole with water. Do not chew, dissolve, or open capsule. Do not take a missed dose of tretinoin capsules unless it is more than 10 hours until the next scheduled dose. If vomiting occurs after tretinoin capsules administration, do not take an additional dose, but continue with the next scheduled dose. 2.1 Important Safety Information Verify pregnancy status in females of reproductive potential prior to initiating tretinoin capsules. Females of reproductive potential must have a negative pregnancy test before initiating tretinoin capsules [see Use in Specific Populations (8.3)] . 2.2 Recommended Dosage The recommended dosage of tretinoin capsules is 22.5 mg/m 2 orally twice daily until complete remission is documented. Discontinue tretinoin capsules 30 days after achievement of complete remission or after 90 days of treatment, whichever occurs first. Discontinue tretinoin capsules if the t(15;17) translocation or PML/RARα fusion has not been identified [see Warnings and Precautions (5.3)] . Take tretinoin capsules with a meal. Swallow tretinoin capsules whole with water. Do not chew, dissolve, or open capsule. Do not take a missed dose of tretinoin capsules unless it is more than 10 hours until the next scheduled dose. If vomiting occurs after tretinoin capsules administration, do not take an additional dose, but continue with the next scheduled dose.
Paediatric
8.4 Pediatric Use Safety and effectiveness of tretinoin capsules have been established in pediatric patients 1 year of age and older and the information on this use is discussed throughout the labeling. The maximum tolerated dose is lower in pediatric patients compared to adults. Some pediatric patients experience severe headache and intracranial hypertension, which required management with an analgesic and a lumbar puncture. Dose reduction may be considered for pediatric patients experiencing serious and/or intolerable adverse reactions. Safety and effectiveness in pediatric patients less than 1 year of age have not been established.
Renal
Review renal impairment dosing; many agents need CrCl/eGFR adjustment.
- CrCl 0–120: Confirm renal dosing in product SmPC / primary label.
Hepatic
Review hepatic impairment dosing; monitor LFTs if agent is hepatically cleared or hepatotoxic.
Safety
Drug interactions
- Professional use: confirm indication, dose, duration, monitoring and patient counselling points against current Kenya STG / EML and the product SmPC.
- Document allergy status and key interactions.
Safety
Adverse effects
- ADVERSE REACTIONS In 18 clinical studies of various formulations of clindamycin phosphate using placebo vehicle and/or active comparator drugs as controls, patients experienced a number of treatment emergent adverse dermatologic events [see table below].
- Number of Patients Reporting Events Treatment Emergent Adverse Event Solution n=553(%) Gel n=148(%) Lotion n=160(%) Burning 62 (11) 15 (10) 17 (11) Itching 36 ( 7) 15 (10) 17 (11) Burning/Itching 60 (11) # ( – ) # ( – ) Dryness 105 (19) 34 (23) 29 (18) Erythema 86 (16) 10 ( 7) 22 (14) Oiliness/Oily Skin 8 ( 1) 26 (18) 12* (10) Peeling 61 (11) # ( – ) 11 ( 7) # not recorded * of 126 subjects Orally and parenterally administered clindamycin has been associated with severe colitis which may end fatally.
- Cases of diarrhea, bloody diarrhea and colitis (including pseudomembranous colitis) have been reported as adverse reactions in patients treated with oral and parenteral formulations of clindamycin and rarely with topical clindamycin (see WARNINGS ).
- Abdominal pain, gastrointestinal disturbances, gram-negative folliculitis, eye pain and contact dermatitis have also been reported in association with the use of topical formulations of clindamycin.
- To report SUSPECTED ADVERSE REACTIONS, contact Perrigo at 1-866-634-9120 or FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088 or www.fda.gov/medwatch .
Use
Indications
- 1 INDICATIONS AND USAGE Tretinoin capsules are indicated for the induction of remission in adults and pediatric patients 1 year of age and older with acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) characterized by the presence of the t(15;17) translocation or PML/RARα gene expression, and who are refractory to or who have relapsed from anthracycline chemotherapy or for whom anthracycline-based chemotherapy is contraindicated.
- Tretinoin capsules are a retinoid indicated for induction of remission in adults and pediatric patients 1 year of age and older with acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL), characterized by presence of t(15;17) translocation or presence of PML/RARα gene expression, and who are refractory to or who have relapsed from anthracycline chemotherapy or for whom anthracycline-based chemotherapy is contraindicated.
Pharmacology
Mode of action
12.
Full mechanism text
12.1 Mechanism of Action Tretinoin induces cytodifferentiation and decreased proliferation of APL cells in culture and in vivo . In APL patients, tretinoin treatment produces an initial maturation of the primitive promyelocytes derived from the leukemic clone, followed by a repopulation of the bone marrow and peripheral blood by normal, polyclonal hematopoietic cells in patients achieving complete remission (CR). The exact mechanism of action of tretinoin in APL is unknown.
ADME
Pharmacokinetics & PD
| Onset | Product-specific |
|---|---|
| Duration | Product-specific |
| Route | See product SmPC |
| Absorption | Time to reach peak concentration was between 1 and 2 hours. The absolute bioavailability of tretinoin capsules was approximately 50%. Effect of Food The effect of food on the absorption of tretinoin capsules has not been characterized. Food increases the absorption of retinoids,... |
| Distribution | The apparent volume of distribution of tretinoin has not been determined. Protein binding is greater than 95%, predominately to albumin. Plasma protein binding remains constant over the concentration range of 10 to 500 ng/mL. |
| Metabolism | Tretinoin induced its own metabolism with plasma concentrations after 1 week of continuous therapy decreased to one-third of their day 1 values. Tretinoin is metabolized by cytochrome P450 enzymes, CYP3A4, 2C8, and 2E and undergoes glucuronidation by UGT2B7. Metabolites include 9... |
| Elimination | The terminal elimination |
| Half-life | of tretinoin following initial dosing is 0.5 to 2 hours in patients with APL. |
Full PK/PD text
12 CLINICAL PHARMACOLOGY 12.1 Mechanism of Action Tretinoin induces cytodifferentiation and decreased proliferation of APL cells in culture and in vivo . In APL patients, tretinoin treatment produces an initial maturation of the primitive promyelocytes derived from the leukemic clone, followed by a repopulation of the bone marrow and peripheral blood by normal, polyclonal hematopoietic cells in patients achieving complete remission (CR). The exact mechanism of action of tretinoin in APL is unknown. 12.2 Pharmacodynamics The exposure-response relationship and time course of pharmacodynamic response for the safety and effectiveness of tretinoin capsules have not been characterized. 12.3 Pharmacokinetics Following the administration of tretinoin capsules 22.5 mg/m 2 orally twice daily, the mean ± SD peak tretinoin concentrations after the first dose was 394 ± 89 and after 1 week of continuous treatment was 138 ± 139 ng/mL, while area under the curve (AUC) after the first dose was 537 ± 191 ng·h/mL and after 1 week of continuous treatment was 249 ± 185 ng·h/mL. Absorption Time to reach peak concentration was between 1 and 2 hours. The absolute bioavailability of tretinoin capsules was approximately 50%. Effect of Food The effect of food on the absorption of tretinoin capsules has not been characterized. Food increases the absorption of retinoids, as a class. Distribution The apparent volume of distribution of tretinoin has not been determined. Protein binding is greater than 95%, predominately to albumin. Plasma protein binding remains constant over the concentration range of 10 to 500 ng/mL. Elimination The terminal elimination half-life of tretinoin following initial dosing is 0.5 to 2 hours in patients with APL. Metabolism Tretinoin induced its own metabolism with plasma concentrations after 1 week of continuous therapy decreased to one-third of their day 1 values. Tretinoin is metabolized by cytochrome P450 enzymes, CYP3A4, 2C8, and 2E and undergoes glucuronidation by UGT2B7. Metabolites include 9- cis retinoic acid, 13- cis retinoic acid, 4-oxo trans retinoic acid, 4-oxo cis retinoic acid, and 4-oxo trans retinoic acid glucuronide. The metabolites 4-oxo retinoic acid and 4-oxo trans retinoic acid glucuronide have one-third of the pharmacological activity of the parent compound. Excretion Following administration of radiolabeled tretinoin 2.75 mg and 50 mg (0.53 to 9.6 times the approved recommended dosage based on 1.7 m 2 ), approximately 63% of radioactivity was recovered in the urine within 72 hours and 31% appeared in the feces within 6 days. Specific Populations The effect of age, sex, race, renal impairment, and hepatic impairment on the pharmacokinetics of tretinoin is unknown. Drug Interaction Studies Clinical Studies and Post Marketing Experience Strong CYP3A inhibitors: Tretinoin AUC increased by 72% following concomitant use with ketoconazole (strong CYP3A inhibitor). Increased tretinoin toxicity has also been reported post-marketing with strong CYP3A inhibitors including certain antimycotics. Moderate CYP3A Inhibitors: Increased tretinoin toxicity following concomitant use of tretinoin capsules with certain antimycotics that are moderate CYP3A4 inhibitors has been reported post-marketing. In Vitro Studies Effect of Tretinoin on Transporters: Tretinoin does not inhibit P-gp and BCRP in vitro .
Kenya
Brands & prices
| Brand | Company | Pack | KES |
|---|---|---|---|
| No brands linked yet. | |||
Special populations
Pregnancy & lactation
Pregnancy
8.1 Pregnancy Risk Summary Based on findings in animals and its mechanism of action [see Clinical Pharmacology ( 12.1 )], tretinoin capsules can cause embryo-fetal loss and malformations when administered to a pregnant woman. Tretinoin capsules are a retinoid and there is an increased risk of major congenital malformations, spontaneous abortions and premature births following exposure to retinoids during pregnancy in humans. Tretinoin was teratogenic and embryotoxic in mice, rats, hamsters, rabbits and pigtail monkeys at doses less than the human dose on a mg/m 2 basis (see Data) . Advise pregnant women of the potential risk to a fetus. The estimated background risk of major birth defects and miscarriage for the indicated population(s) is unknown. All pregnancies have a background risk of birth defect, loss, or other adverse outcomes. In the U.S. general population, the estimated background risk of major birth defects and miscarriage in clinically recognized pregnancies is 2% to 4% and 15% to 20%, respectively. Data Human Data Tretinoin capsules are a retinoid and increased spontaneous abortions and major fetal abnormalities related to the use of retinoids have been documented in humans. Reported malformations include abnormalities of the central nervous system, musculoskeletal system, external ear, eye, thymus and great vessels; and facial dysmorphia, cleft palate, and parathyroid hormone deficiency. Some of these abnormalities were fatal. IQ scores less than 85, with or without obvious CNS abnormalities, have been reported in pediatrics exposed to retinoids in utero . Animal Data Tretinoin causes fetal resorptions and a decrease in live fetuses in all animals studied. Gross external, soft tissue and skeletal alterations occurred at doses higher than 0.7 mg/kg/day in mice, 2 mg/kg/day in rats, 7 mg/kg/day in hamsters, and at a dose of 10 mg/kg/day, the only dose tested, in pigtail monkeys (about 1/20, 1/4, and 1/2 and 4 times the human dose, respectively, on a mg/m 2 basis).
Lactation
Nursing Mothers It is not known whether clindamycin is excreted in breast milk following use of clindamycin phosphate. However, orally and parenterally administered clindamycin has been reported to appear in breast milk. Clindamycin has the potential to cause adverse effects on the breast-fed infant's gastrointestinal flora. Monitor the breast-fed infant for possible adverse effects on the gastrointestinal flora, such as diarrhea, candidiasis (thrush, diaper rash) or rarely, blood in the stool indicating possible antibiotic-associated colitis. The developmental and health benefits of breastfeeding should be considered along with the mother's clinical need for clindamycin and any potential adverse effects on the breast-fed child from clindamycin or from the underlying maternal condition. Clinical Considerations If used during lactation and clindamycin phosphate topical lotion is applied to the chest, care should be taken to avoid accidental ingestion by the infant.
Diet
Food & alcohol
- Drug & food interactions (label) 7 DRUG INTERACTIONS • Strong CYP3A Inhibitors and Inducers: Avoid coadministration with strong CYP3A inhibitors and inducers. ( 7.1 ) • Concomitant Use of Products Known to Cause Intracranial Hypertension : Avoid concomitant use with other products that can cause intracranial hypertension. ( 7.2 ) • Vitamin A : Avoid concomitant use with vitamin A. ( 7.3 ) • Anti-fibrinolytic Agents : Avoid concomitant use with anti-fibrinolytic agents. ( 7.4 ) 7.1 Effects of Other Drugs on Tretinoin Capsules Strong or moderate CYP3A Inhibitors Avoid concomitant use of tretinoin capsules with strong CYP3A inhibitors if possible and monitor more frequently if concomitant use is unavoidable. Monitor patients taking moderate CYP3A inhibitors concomitantly with tretinoin capsules more frequently for adverse reactions. Tretinoin is a CYP3A substrate. Concomitant use with a strong CYP3A4 inhibitor increases tretinoin plasma concentrations, which may increase the risk of adverse reactions [see Clinical Pharmacology ( 12.3 )]. Strong CYP3A Inducers Concomitant use of tretinoin capsules with strong CYP3A4 inducers may decrease tretinoin plasma concentrations, which may reduce its efficacy. Avoid concomitant use with strong CYP3A inducers if possible. 7.2 Concomitant Use of Products Known to Cause Intracranial Hypertension Intracranial hypertension has been reported in patients who received tretinoin capsules and concomitant use of other products that can cause intracranial hypertension, such as tetracyclines, may increase the risk. Avoid concomitant use of tretinoin capsules with other products agents that can cause intracranial hypertension [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.5 )] . 7.3 Vitamin A The concomitant use of vitamin A with tretinoin capsules may lead to vitamin A related adverse reactions. Avoid concomitant use of tretinoin capsules with vitamin A. 7.4 Anti-fibrinolytic Agents Fatal thrombotic complications have been reported in patients who have received tretinoin capsules and concomitant use of anti-fibrinolytic agents may increase the risk. Avoid concomitant use of tretinoin capsules with anti-fibrinolytic agents [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.8 )]. 7.1 Effects of Other Drugs on Tretinoin Capsules Strong or moderate CYP3A Inhibitors Avoid concomitant use of tretinoin capsules with strong CYP3A inhibitors if possible and monitor more frequently if concomitant use is unavoidable. Monitor patients taking moderate CYP3A inhibitors concomitantly with tretinoin capsules more frequently for adverse reactions. Tretinoin is a CYP3A substrate. Concomitant use with a strong CYP3A4 inhibitor increases tretinoin plasma concentrations, which may increase the risk of adverse reactions [see Clinical Pharmacology ( 12.3 )]. Strong CYP3A Inducers Concomitant use of tretinoin capsules with strong CYP3A4 inducers may decrease tretinoin plasma concentrations, which may reduce its efficacy. Avoid concomitant use with strong CYP3A inducers if possible. 7.2 Concomitant Use of P
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Sources & disclaimer
Source: Local active-ingredient clinical extract; FDA drug label via OpenFDA/DailyMed; Professional class pharmacology (Therapeutic agent (verify pharmacological class))
Clinical review date not recorded.
Decision support only — not a substitute for clinical judgment, product SmPC, or Kenya STG/EML.