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← ACTIVESRECORD A-02FAMILY RETINOID — RECEPTOR-SELECTIVE PRODRUG

Tazarotene

Tazarotene

The largest retinoid effect size in this register, attached to the worst price and the only outright pregnancy contraindication in the class.

A REFERENCE STRENGTH IN THE RANGE RECORDED0.045% ——— 0.1%
0.045%

The marker is a representative concentration from the cited records. The bar includes approved and compounded preparations recorded here. It is not a recommended dose, a minimum effective strength or a claim that other concentrations are untested. Evidence depends on the vehicle, indication and trial population.

IDENTITY & RATINGSA
INCITazarotene
FAMILYRetinoid — receptor-selective prodrug
MOL. WEIGHT351.46 g/mol
REFERENCE CONC.0.045%
RANGE SEEN0.045 – 0.1%
STATUSPRESCRIPTION ONLY
ACTS ATEPIDERMIS
ONSET12 WK
STABILITYSTABLE IN A POLYMERIC EMULSION LOTION
TRIALS ON FILE1
IRRITATION INDEX7 / 10
STRATUM CORNEUM▸ EPIDERMISDERMIS

The shaded band is the depth this molecule is understood to reach. Anything below it is out of scope, whatever the label says.

01

Mechanism

EVIDENCE GRADE A

A prodrug hydrolysed in skin to tazarotenic acid, which binds RARβ and RARγ selectively. More potent at the receptor than tretinoin and correspondingly less forgiving.

HOUSE NOTES

  • Contraindicated in pregnancy, not merely cautioned. The label requires a negative pregnancy test within two weeks of starting and effective contraception throughout.
  • 2.4% of trial subjects discontinued because of local skin reactions, and 1.3% had reactions graded severe.
  • Its registration trials compared it with vehicle, never with tretinoin — so the question a prescriber actually faces has no answer in the dossier.
  • The legacy cream at 0.05% and 0.1% is the same molecule at up to twice the strength for roughly a tenth of the price, and reports irritation in 10 to 30% of acne subjects against the lotion's 4 to 5%. All of that difference is the vehicle.
  • The cream carries the only post-treatment measurement in this register: psoriasis clinical success twelve weeks after the last application, at 33% against 22% on vehicle.

MEASURED ENDPOINTS

EGSS success, acne — lotion+12.5%
12 WKREF-15
Total lesion reduction, acne — cream+20%
12 WKREF-26
Psoriasis success, 12 weeks after stopping+11%
24 WKREF-25

SUPPORTING RECORDS

  • REF-15A

    Multicentre randomised, vehicle-controlled; treatment difference 12.5% (95% CI 7.1–17.9)

    N=813 · 12 WK · DOUBLE-BLIND

  • REF-26A

    Randomised, vehicle-controlled, facial acne suitable for topical monotherapy

    N=436 · 12 WK · DOUBLE-BLIND

  • REF-25A

    Randomised, vehicle-controlled, with a twelve-week post-treatment observation period

    N=447 · 24 WK · DOUBLE-BLIND

02

Layering

CONFLICTS & PAIRINGS
DO NOT LAYER
  • Pregnancy — contraindicated
  • Other retinoids
  • Waxing and depilatories
PAIRS WITH
  • Moisturiser, applied first
  • Daily sunscreen
03

Reviewed in

2 REVIEWS
EVERY FIGURE HERE RESOLVES TO A RECORD IN THE EVIDENCE REGISTER. NOT MEDICAL ADVICE.
PREVIOUS — A-01TretinoinNEXT — A-03Trifarotene
THE DRAW · NO. 01

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PRIZE
12 MONTHS OF COREAGE RX
VALUE
$780 — $64.99/MO × 12
ENTRY
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THE DRAW · ONE READER

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One reader gets a 12 months CoreAge Rx derm subscription — compounded, physician-reviewed, delivered. See the product records in our review register.

VALUE$780
TERM12 MONTHS$64.99/MO × 12

VALUE IS THE PUBLISHED $64.99/MONTH SUBSCRIPTION PRICE OVER TWELVE MONTHS, AS RECORDED IN R-10. NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. WE REVIEW COREAGE RX — WE DO NOT SELL IT.