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Zematane has been approved to be prescribed in New Zealand to patients who suffer from severe, chronic hand eczema. The active substance in Zematane capsules is alitretinoin.
Dr Andrew McLeod from Douglas Pharmaceuticals says the product took 2 years to achieve registration and is delighted that New Zealand patients can now benefit from it.
Douglas Pharmaceuticals is the sole distributor of Zematane.
“Research shows that those with severe hand eczema have a 50 percent chance of being ‘clear’ or ‘almost clear’ after 12-24 weeks taking Zematane1” says Dr McLeod.
Zematane comes in softgel capsule form (10 mg and 30 mg). It is prescribed to patients who have been unresponsive to treatment with potent topical corticosteroids.
Zematane has been available in the EU and Canada since 2008. It gained approval for use from Medsafe in New Zealand in June 2022.
Alitretinoin is a naturally occurring retinoid, that has immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory properties. Zematane is an unfunded medicine which means patients will have to pay for the medicine and any associated pharmacy and doctor fees.
Zematane is available only with a doctor's prescription.
For more information www.zematane.com
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