All About Sotyktu

If you have plaque psoriasis, your doctor may suggest treatment with Sotyktu. It’s a prescription medication used to treat moderate or severe plaque psoriasis in certain adults. To learn more, see the “Is Sotyktu used for plaque psoriasis?” section below.

Note: Sotyktu is an immunosuppressant (a drug that weakens your immune system). It’s important to note that Sotyktu is not recommended for use with other strong immunosuppressants. See the “Is Sotyktu used for plaque psoriasis?” section below to learn more.

Sotyktu basics

Sotyktu contains the active ingredient deucravacitinib. (An active ingredient is what makes a drug work.) It comes as a tablet that you swallow.

Sotyktu belongs to a group of drugs called tyrosine kinase 2 blockers. Sotyktu is a biologic drug. A biologic drug is made from living cells. Sotyktu is available only as a brand-name drug. There isn’t a biosimilar for Sotyktu. (Biosimilars are like generic drugs. But unlike generics, which are made for nonbiologic drugs, biosimilars are made for biologic drugs.)

Keep reading to learn more about Sotyktu, including the drug’s side effects, cost, uses, and more.

Like most drugs, Sotyktu may cause mild or serious side effects. The lists below describe some of the more common side effects that Sotyktu may cause. These lists don’t include all possible side effects.

Keep in mind that side effects of a drug can depend on:

your age
other health conditions you have
other medications you take

Your doctor or pharmacist can tell you more about the potential side effects of Sotyktu. They can also suggest ways to help reduce side effects.

Mild side effects

Here’s a list of some of the mild side effects that Sotyktu can cause. To learn about other mild side effects, talk with your doctor or pharmacist, or read Sotyktu’s prescribing information.

Mild side effects of Sotyktu that have been reported include:

mild upper respiratory infection, such as a sinus infection
reactivation of herpes (if you’ve contracted this virus in the past)
mouth sores
folliculitis (inflammation of the hair follicles)
acne
high level of triglycerides (a kind of fat in the blood)
high levels of liver enzymes*
mild allergic reaction†

Mild side effects of many drugs may go away within a few days to a couple of weeks. But if they become bothersome, talk with your doctor or pharmacist.

* High levels of liver enzymes can be a sign of liver problems or damage. But liver damage wasn’t reported in Sotyktu’s studies.
† To learn more about this side effect, see the “Allergic reaction” section below.

Serious side effects

Serious side effects from Sotyktu can occur, but they aren’t common. If you have serious side effects from Sotyktu, call your doctor right away. But if you think you’re having a medical emergency, you should call 911 or your local emergency number.

Serious side effects of Sotyktu that have been reported include:

increased risk of serious infection, such as pneumonia and COVID-19
cancer, including lymphoma
a kind of muscle damage called rhabdomyolysis
severe allergic reaction*

* To learn more about this side effect, see the “Allergic reaction” section below.

skin rash
itchiness
flushing (temporary warmth, redness, or deepening of skin color)

Costs of prescription drugs can vary depending on many factors. These factors include what your insurance plan covers and which pharmacy you use.

If you have questions about how to pay for your prescription, talk with your doctor or pharmacist. A program called Sotyktu 360 Support may also be available.

You can also check out this article to learn more about saving money on prescriptions.

Sotyktu treats moderate to severe plaque psoriasis in adults. Specifically, the drug is prescribed to adults who are considered for treatment with phototherapy (light therapy) or systemic therapy (treatment that affects the whole body).

Sotyktu treats plaque psoriasis by targeting an enzyme (protein) in the body that’s thought to increase inflammation (swelling or damage). Reducing inflammation helps treat plaque psoriasis symptoms.

Note: Sotyktu is an immunosuppressant (a drug that weakens your immune system). It’s important to note that Sotyktu is not recommended for use with other immunosuppressants.

Taking Sotyktu with other immunosuppressants may weaken your immune system too much and raise your risk of infection. This may include serious infections such as COVID-19 or tuberculosis.

About plaque psoriasis

Plaque psoriasis is the most common kind of psoriasis. Psoriasis is a chronic (long-term) autoimmune condition. With autoimmune conditions, symptoms are caused by cells in your immune system attacking other cells in your body by mistake.

Plaque psoriasis occurs when your immune cells attack healthy skin cells, causing new skin cells to replace damaged or dead skin cells more quickly than usual. This leads to raised, scaly, thick patches of skin called plaques. Psoriasis plaques may appear anywhere on your body, but they most commonly show up on your:

Usually, psoriasis plaques look:

purple or brown with gray scales on darker skin
pink or red with white scales on lighter skin

Find answers to some commonly asked questions about Sotyktu.

How does Sotyktu compare with Otezla?

Sotyktu and Otezla are both used to treat plaque psoriasis. But Otezla also treats psoriatic arthritis and ulcers (mouth sores) in people with a condition called Behçet’s disease.

Sotyktu and Otezla belong to different drug groups. Sotyktu is an immunosuppressant (a drug that weakens the immune system). Otezla belongs to a group of drugs called disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs.

Can Sotyktu be used for psoriatic arthritis?

Sotyktu is not approved to treat psoriatic arthritis. But doctors may prescribe the drug off-label for this use. (With off-label use, doctors prescribe a drug for a purpose other than what it’s approved for.)

If you have questions about possible off-label uses of Sotyktu, including for psoriatic arthritis, talk with your doctor.

Is Sotyktu a biologic?

Yes, Sotyktu is a biologic drug. A biologic is a drug that is made from living cells. Nonbiologic drugs, on the other hand, are made from chemicals.

Biologic drugs are designed to act on a specific target in the body (such as a gene or protein), which helps it be more effective. They may also cause fewer side effects than nonbiologic drugs.

Sotyktu works to treat plaque psoriasis by targeting a specific enzyme (protein) in the body. This reduces inflammation (swelling or damage) and helps relieve plaque psoriasis symptoms.

Biologic drugs are usually more expensive than nonbiologic drugs. It often costs more to research, develop, and manufacture a biologic drug.

To learn more about biologic drugs and how they compare with nonbiologic drugs, talk with your doctor or pharmacist.

Your doctor will recommend the dosage of Sotyktu that’s right for you. Below are commonly used dosages, but always take the dosage your doctor prescribes.

Form and strength

Sotyktu comes as a tablet that you swallow. It comes in one strength of 6 milligrams (mg).

Recommended dosage

For treating plaque psoriasis, the recommended Sotyktu dosage is 6 mg taken once per day.

Questions about Sotyktu’s dosing

Below are some common questions about Sotyktu’s dosing.

What if I miss a dose of Sotyktu? If you miss a dose of Sotyktu, try and take it as soon as you remember. But if you miss a day, take your next dose as scheduled. You should not take more than one dose of Sotyktu per day.
Will I need to take Sotyktu long term? Yes. If you and your doctor agree that Sotyktu is safe and working well for you, you’ll likely take the drug long term.
How long does Sotyktu take to work? Sotyktu begins working with your first dose. But it may take 16 to 24 weeks for the drug to achieve maximum effect and relief of your plaque psoriasis symptoms.

Interactions

Taking a medication with certain vaccines, foods, and other things can affect how the medication works. These effects are called interactions.

Before taking Sotyktu, be sure to tell your doctor about all medications you take, including prescription and over-the-counter kinds. Also describe any vitamins, herbs, or supplements you use. Your doctor or pharmacist can tell you about any interactions these items may cause with Sotyktu.

For information about drug-condition interactions, see the “Warnings” section below.

Interactions with drugs or supplements

There currently aren’t any medications or supplements known to interact with Sotyktu. But this doesn’t mean drug interactions with Sotyktu won’t be recognized in the future. For example, new medications may be approved that interact with Sotyktu.

For this reason, you should still tell your doctor and pharmacist about any medications you take besides Sotyktu. This way, they can check for any new interactions during your treatment.

Note: Sotyktu is an immunosuppressant (a drug that weakens your immune system). It’s important to note that Sotyktu is not recommended for use with other strong immunosuppressants such as cyclosporine (Gengraf, Neoral, Sandimmune) and mycophenolate mofetil (CellCept). Sotyktu’s use with these other drugs has not been studied.

Other interactions

You should not receive a live vaccine while you’re taking Sotyktu. (Live vaccines contain a weakened form of the virus or bacterium they protect against.)

Receiving a live vaccine while taking Sotyktu could cause you to become sick from the virus contained in the vaccine.

Examples of live vaccines include:

yellow fever vaccine
chickenpox vaccine
measles, mumps, rubella ( MMR ) vaccine
nasal (nose) spray flu vaccine (FluMist)

Before taking Sotyktu, ask your doctor if you’re due for any vaccinations. Your doctor may recommend that you get them before starting Sotyktu treatment.

Warnings

Sotyktu can sometimes cause harmful effects in people who have certain conditions. This is known as a drug-condition interaction. Other factors may also affect whether Sotyktu is a good treatment option for you.

Talk with your doctor about your health history before you take Sotyktu. Factors to consider include those described below.

Active* infection. If you currently have an infection (or have symptoms of an infection such as rash or fever), let your doctor know before taking Sotyktu. This drug works by weakening your immune system, which makes it harder to treat infections. Your doctor will likely want to treat any infection before you start taking Sotyktu.

Hepatitis B or hepatitis C. Before starting Sotyktu treatment, let your doctor know if you’ve ever had hepatitis B or hepatitis C. If you have an active hepatitis B or C infection, your doctor will consider an alternative medication rather than prescribe Sotyktu.

Sotyktu and alcohol

There’s no known interaction between Sotyktu and alcohol.

But Sotyktu weakens your immune system, and alcohol may weaken it as well. Having a weakened immune system raises your risk of infection. So drinking alcohol while taking Sotyktu can raise your risk of infection even more.

Some people also experience worse psoriasis symptoms after drinking alcohol.

If you drink alcohol and have questions about consuming alcohol while taking Sotyktu, talk with your doctor.

Pregnancy and breastfeeding

It’s not known whether it’s safe to take Sotyktu while pregnant. If you’re pregnant or planning to become pregnant, talk with your doctor about whether Sotyktu is right for you.

It’s also unknown whether it’s safe to take Sotyktu while breastfeeding. If you’re breastfeeding or planning to breastfeed, talk with your doctor before taking Sotyktu.

Your doctor will explain how you should take Sotyktu. They’ll also explain how much to take and how often. Be sure to follow your doctor’s instructions.

Taking Sotyktu

Sotyktu comes as a tablet that you swallow.

Accessible medication containers and labels

If it’s hard for you to read the label on your prescription, tell your doctor or pharmacist. Certain pharmacies may provide medication labels that:

have large print
use braille
contain a code you can scan with a smartphone to change the text into audio

Your doctor or pharmacist may be able to recommend a pharmacy that offers these options if your current pharmacy doesn’t.

Also, if you’re having trouble opening your medication bottles, let your pharmacist know. They may be able to put Sotyktu in an easy-open container. Your pharmacist may also recommend tools to help make it simpler to open the drug’s container.

Questions about taking Sotyktu

Below are some common questions about taking Sotyktu.

Can Sotyktu be chewed, crushed, or split? No, you should not chew, crush, or split Sotyktu tablets. If you’re having trouble swallowing pills, check out these tips or talk with your pharmacist or doctor.
Should I take Sotyktu with food? You may take Sotyktu with or without food.
Is there a best time of day to take Sotyktu? No, there isn’t a best time of day to take Sotyktu. Take your dose once per day according to your doctor’s instructions.

Do not take more Sotyktu than your doctor prescribes. For some medications, doing so can lead to serious side effects.

What to do in case you take too much Sotyktu

Call your doctor if you think you’ve taken too much Sotyktu. You can also call 800-222-1222 to reach America’s Poison Centers or use its online resource. But if you have severe symptoms, immediately call 911 or your local emergency number. Or go to the nearest emergency room.

Sotyktu is prescribed to treat moderate to severe plaque psoriasis in certain adults.

If you have questions about taking Sotyktu, talk with your doctor or pharmacist. Questions you may want to ask include:

How well does Sotyktu work compared with other treatments for moderate or severe plaque psoriasis?
If I have side effects from Sotyktu, is there a lower dose I can try?
Do I need to take special precautions to help prevent infection while taking Sotyktu, such as wearing a mask in public areas?

To get information on different conditions and tips for improving your health, subscribe to any of Austra Health’s newsletters. You may also want to check out the online communities at Bezzy. It’s a place where people with certain conditions can find support and connect with others.

Disclaimer: Austra Health has made every effort to make certain that all information is factually correct, comprehensive, and up to date. However, this article should not be used as a substitute for the knowledge and expertise of a licensed healthcare professional. You should always consult your doctor or another healthcare professional before taking any medication. The drug information contained herein is subject to change and is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. The absence of warnings or other information for a given drug does not indicate that the drug or drug combination is safe, effective, or appropriate for all patients or all specific uses.