Soolantra Cream (1% ivermectin, 10mg/g)

Soolantra Cream (1% ivermectin, 10mg/g ) to treat mild inflammation in rosacea.

About Soolantra

• Soolantra is a prescription-only once daily cream used on the face to treat pimples and spots found with rosacea.

• The active ingredient in Soolantra is ‘ivermectin’ that belongs to a group of medicines called avermectins.

• You may notice an improvement after 2-4 weeks of treatment.

• Read the patient leaflet for a full list of side effects, cautions, and interactions with other drugs.

Once daily Soolantra cream

Doctors prescribe Soolantra cream to treat mild to moderate papules, pimples, and pustules (spots) in rosacea. Rosacea is a skin condition which affects the face, causing redness, as well as papules, pimples, and pustules. The skin is hot and red due to increased blood flow – flushing and redness can be reduced by Mirvaso which can be used at the same time as Soolantra.

Up to 8 in 10 people find significant benefit after 4 months of use, with many patients noticing improvement as early as 2 weeks into the course.

If the papules and pustules are more severe, then adding Efracea to Soolantra treatment can be beneficial.

Its active ingredient, ivermectin, reduces inflammation and targets Demodex mites.

Adults aged 18 years and over should use it only on the face.

Soolantra has been available in the UK since 2015 and is still under patent with Galderma so there is currently no cheaper generic version available.

How to apply Soolantra

 

• Apply Soolantra cream once a day to clean, dry skin.
• Continue treatment for 8–12 weeks before assessing the results.
• Stop using the cream if you see no improvement after 12 weeks.
• If your rosacea improves, continue treatment for up to 16 weeks or as advised by your healthcare professional.
• Rosacea often returns, so you may need future treatment courses.

Apply a pea-sized amount to your forehead, chin, nose, and each cheek: forehead, chin, nose, and both cheeks. Spread the cream in a thin layer across your face, avoiding the eyes, lips, and mouth.

Wash your hands after applying the cream.

Once it has dried, make-up and other preparations can be applied.

If using with Mirvaso: apply the Mirvaso first and allow that to dry, then apply Soolantra. Alternatively, use Mirvaso in the morning and Soolantra at bedtime.

Starting Soolantra

Soolantra may cause a worsening of rosacea for up to a week when initially starting. This may be due to reaction to dying demodex mites in the skin. Any worsening should settle after the first week – if it doesn’t settle, or is very severe, stop using Soolantra.

 

Do not use Soolantra if you:

• are under 18 years old
• are pregnant or breastfeeding
• have severe liver disease
• are allergic to ivermectin or any ingredient in the cream

Other medications and Soolantra cream

Do not use Soolantra if taking:

• Warfarin or other coumarin type blood thinning tablets (anticoagulants where you need regular blood tests).
• Levamisole (rarely used to treat roundworm infection).

Possible side effects of Soolantra cream

Very little Soolantra cream is absorbed into the body through the skin so any side effects are usually restricted to the skin. Most people have no problems using it. The most common (up to 1 in 10 people) adverse reaction is only a slight burning sensation on application. This tends to settle with continued use.

Full details of possible side effects are listed in the patient information leaflet.

Patient Information Leaflet

Illustration of patient leaflet from medicine packet

The Patient Information Leaflet (PIL) is the leaflet included in the pack with a medicine and must be read before taking the medicine. It is written for patients and gives information about taking or using a medicine.

Soolantra patient leaflet