Sotyktu
Sotyktu (deucravacitinib) is a tyrosine kinase 2 (TYK2) inhibitor that's used to treat moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis in adults. It's a tablet that's taken by mouth once per day. Side effects include a higher risk of infections, such as upper respiratory infections and herpes simplex infections. Sotyktu (deucravacitinib) is a brand-name medication and available by prescription only.
What is Sotyktu (deucravacitinib)?
What is Sotyktu (deucravacitinib) used for?
Moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis
How Sotyktu (deucravacitinib) works
Sotyktu (deucravacitinib) is a tyrosine kinase 2 (TYK2) inhibitor. It targets an enzyme (protein) in the Janus kinase (JAK) family called tyrosine kinase 2. This protein normally causes inflammation in the body.
Although it's not completely clear how Sotyktu (deucravacitinib) works to help treat plaque psoriasis, it's thought to lower inflammation by blocking TYK2.
Drug Facts
What are the side effects of Sotyktu (deucravacitinib)?
Common Side Effects
Other Side Effects
- Herpes simplex infection (e.g., cold sores, genital herpes)
- Mouth ulcers
- Swollen hair follicles
- Acne
Serious Side Effects
- Severe allergic reaction: rash, trouble breathing, feeling faint, swelling of the face or throat
- Serious infection: fever, weakness, chills, trouble breathing, cough, diarrhea, stomach pain, burning when you urinate, urinating more or less often
- Severe muscle damage (rhabdomyolysis): dark brown urine, severe muscle weakness or pain, fever, tiredness
- Liver damage: nausea, stomach pain, yellowing of the skin or whites of the eyes
- Cancer
Source: DailyMed
The following side effects have also been reported
Side effects that you should report to your care team as soon as possible:
- Allergic reactions or angioedema—skin rash, itching or hives, swelling of the face, eyes, lips, tongue, arms, or legs, trouble swallowing or breathing
- Infection—fever, chills, cough, sore throat, wounds that don't heal, pain or trouble when passing urine, general feeling of discomfort or being unwell
- Muscle injury—unusual weakness or fatigue, muscle pain, dark yellow or brown urine, decrease in amount of urine
Side effects that usually do not require medical attention (report these to your care team if they continue or are bothersome):
- Acne
- Pain, redness, or swelling with sores inside the mouth or throat
- Runny or stuffy nose
- Sinus pain or pressure around the face or forehead
- Small, red, pus-filled bumps on skin around hair follicles
Pros and cons of Sotyktu (deucravacitinib)
Pros
Taken by mouth once a day
Can take with or without food
Safe to take if you have kidney problems or mild-to-moderate liver problems
Cons
Can raise the risk for new or worsening infections
Have to get blood work periodically done during treatment to check for side effects
Hasn't been studied in children
Pharmacist tips for Sotyktu (deucravacitinib)
Swallow Sotyktu (deucravacitinib) tablets whole. Don't crush, cut, or chew them because damaging the tablets can affect how the medication works.
Take Sotyktu (deucravacitinib) with or without food. If it's hurting your stomach, taking it with food might help.
Sotyktu (deucravacitinib) can raise your risk of getting a serious infection. Get medical help right away if you have symptoms of an infection like fever, cough, trouble breathing, weakness, sweating, or chills. You might have to stop taking the medication until your infection gets treated or until it goes away.
You should be up-to-date on all your vaccinations before you start Sotyktu (deucravacitinib). This will help lessen your risk for serious infections during treatment.
Before you get any vaccines, let your primary care provider or pharmacist know that you're taking Sotyktu (deucravacitinib) to make sure it's safe for you. In general, you can still get most vaccines, including the flu shot. But you shouldn't get live vaccines, such as the live nasal flu vaccine. It's not known how your body will react to vaccines during treatment with Sotyktu (deucravacitinib).
Tell your psoriasis specialist if you become pregnant or are planning to become pregnant while you're taking Sotyktu (deucravacitinib). It's not known whether this medication can harm an unborn baby. You should also report your pregnancy to the Bristol-Myers Squibb Company’s adverse event reporting line at 1-800-721-5072.
Let your psoriasis specialist know if you're breastfeeding or planning to breastfeed. It's not known whether Sotyktu (deucravacitinib) can pass into your breast milk and harm your baby. Don't breastfeed while you're taking this medication unless your care team says it's safe to do so. Your psoriasis specialist might suggest other options.
Frequently asked questions about Sotyktu (deucravacitinib)
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What are the risks and warnings for Sotyktu (deucravacitinib)?
Sotyktu (deucravacitinib) can cause some serious health issues. This risk may be even higher for certain groups. If this worries you, talk to your doctor or pharmacist about other options.
Severe allergic reactions
Sotyktu (deucravacitinib) can rarely cause serious allergic reactions. Get medical help right away if you have symptoms of an allergic reaction such as swelling in your face or throat, trouble breathing, or rash.
Serious infections
Risk factors: Current infection | Past infections that keep coming back | Other health conditions that raise your risk of infection | Living in or traveling to places with high rates of TB infections | Taking medications that weaken your immune system
Sotyktu (deucravacitinib) can affect your body's ability to fight off infections. This can raise your risk for serious bacterial, viral, or fungal infections. These infections can include tuberculosis (TB), shingles, and hepatitis.
Before you start Sotyktu (deucravacitinib), tell your care team about your medical history, including any ongoing infections you have or serious infections you've had in the past. Your psoriasis specialist will examine you for infections at the beginning of treatment and at your follow-up visits.
Let your care team know right away if you notice any signs of infection like fever, chills, cough, body aches, night sweats, trouble breathing, or pain when urinating. You might need to stop taking the medication until your infection gets treated and goes away.
Muscle damage
Sotyktu (deucravacitinib) can raise your blood creatine phosphokinase (CPK) levels, which is used as a measurement of muscle damage. Though rare, high CPK levels can be a sign of serious muscle injury called rhabdomyolysis. Your psoriasis specialist might stop your treatment if you have very high CPK levels or if you have signs of severe muscle damage. Let your care team know right away if you have any unexplained muscle pain, muscle tenderness or weakness, dark-colored urine, tiredness, or fever.
Liver damage
Sotyktu (deucravacitinib) can raise the level of liver enzymes in your blood, which can be a sign of liver damage. Your psoriasis specialist will regularly order blood tests (called liver function tests) while you're taking Sotyktu (deucravacitinib). These blood tests check your liver health. Tell your care team if you have symptoms of liver problems, like nausea, stomach pain, or yellowing of your skin or eyes.
Possible risk of cancer
Risk factors: History of cancer
Although very rare, there were reported cases of certain types of cancer, such as lymphoma, liver cancer, and breast cancer, during clinical studies with Sotyktu (deucravacitinib). Talk to your psoriasis specialist to see whether this medication is right for you if you've had cancer in the past or are concerned about this risk.
Sotyktu (deucravacitinib) dosage forms
Typical dosing for Sotyktu (deucravacitinib)
The typical dose is 6 mg by mouth once daily.
What are alternatives to Sotyktu (deucravacitinib)?
Active psoriatic arthritis
Plaque psoriasis
Mouth sores from Behçet’s disease
What is the latest news about Sotyktu (deucravacitinib)?
Sotyktu (deucravacitinib) images
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References
Best studies we foundAmerican Cancer Society. (n.d.). Lymphoma.
Bousoik, E., et al. (2018). “Do we know jack” about JAK? A closer look at JAK/STAT signaling pathway. Frontiers in Oncology.
Bristol Myers Squibb. (2021). Tyrosine kinase 2 (TYK2) immune pathway.
Bristol Myers Squibb. (2022). U.S. Food and Drug Administration approves Sotyktu™ (deucravacitinib), oral treatment for adults with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis. Business Wire.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2024). About fungal diseases.
E.R. Squibb & Sons, L.L.C. (2022). Sotyktu- deucravacitinib tablet, film coated [package insert]. DailyMed.
MedlinePlus. (2017). Behçet disease.
MedlinePlus. (2023). Creatine kinase.
Qiu, J., et al. (2023). The efficacy and safety of tyrosine kinase 2 inhibitor deucravacitinib in the treatment of plaque psoriasis: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Frontiers in Medicine.
Rusiñol, L., et al. (2023). Tyk2 targeting in immune-mediated inflammatory diseases. International Journal of Molecular Sciences.
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