Avage Topical and Saxagliptin Hydrochloride

• Generic Name: tazarotene topical
• Dosage Forms: cream
• Other Brand Names: Avage, Fabior, Tazorac

Tazarotene topical foam and gel are used to treat acne. This medicine works to help clear acne on the face partly by keeping the skin pores clear (tiny openings on the skin).

Tazarotene topical 0.1% cream is used to help reduce fine facial wrinkles and certain types of dark and light spots on the face in patients who use a total skin care program and avoid sunlight.

Tazarotene topical cream and gel are used to treat psoriasis. Tazorac® gel is used to treat plaque psoriasis in up to 20% of the skin area involved. This medicine works by making the skin less red and reducing the number and size of lesions of the skin.

This medicine is available only with your doctor's prescription.

• Generic Name: saxagliptin
• Dosage Forms: n.a.
• Other Brand Names: Onglyza

Used as monotherapy as an adjunct to diet and exercise for management of type 2 diabetes mellitus in patients whose hyperglycemia cannot be controlled by diet and exercise alone.

Used in combination with metformin (separately or as fixed combination of saxagliptin and extended-release metformin), a sulfonylurea, a thiazolidinedione (e.g., a peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ [PPAR-γ] agonist) or insulin for management of type 2 diabetes mellitus in patients who do not achieve adequate glycemic control with diet, exercise, and metformin, sulfonylurea, thiazolidinedione monotherapy, and/or insulin. Patients initially receiving an oral antidiabetic agent will eventually require multiple oral antidiabetic agents of different therapeutic classes and/or insulin for adequate glycemic control because of declining β2-cell function with disease progression.

The fixed combination of saxagliptin and dapagliflozin is used as an adjunct to diet and exercise to improve glycemic control in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists/American College of Endocrinology (AACE/ACE) suggests a DPP-4 inhibitor as one of several alternatives for initial monotherapy in patients with metformin contraindications (e.g., renal disease, hepatic disease, GI intolerance, risk of lactic acidosis). DPP-4 inhibitors also recommended as part of combination therapy, particularly with both postprandial and fasting plasma glucose elevations.

Not indicated for type 1 diabetes mellitus or diabetic ketoacidosis; insulin is required in these conditions.