Celgene’s psoriasis drug Otezla gains FDA approval

The US Food and Drug Administration has approved biotech major Celgene’s (Nasdaq: CELG) Otezla (apremilast), an oral, selective inhibitor of phosphodiesterase 4 (PDE4), for the treatment of patients with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis for whom phototherapy or systemic therapy is appropriate.

Otezla is the first and only PDE4 inhibitor approved for the treatment of plaque psoriasis. Psoriasis, a chronic inflammatory disease of the skin resulting from an uncontrolled immune response, affects more than 125 million people worldwide.

Over $1 billion sales in 2017 forecast for Otezla