Acitretin

Summary

Acitretin (CHEMBL1131) is an approved small-molecule keratolytic drug (ATC D05BB02); indicated across 6 conditions including psoriasis and melanoma.

At a glance

• Status: Approved (max clinical phase 4)
• Modality: Small molecule
• ATC class: D05BB02
• Indications: 6 conditions
• Clinical trials: 27
• Chemistry: 326.4 Da · C21H26O3

Identifiers

Drug identity and classification

Field	Value
ChEMBL ID	CHEMBL1131
Name	Acitretin
Type	Small molecule
Max phase	4
FDA approved	yes
PubChem CID	5284513
ChEBI	CHEBI:50173
ATC	D05BB02
Molecular formula	C21H26O3
Molecular weight	326.4
InChIKey	IHUNBGSDBOWDMA-AQFIFDHZSA-N

SMILES: CC1=CC(=C(C(=C1/C=C/C(=C/C=C/C(=C/C(=O)O)/C)/C)C)C)OC

IUPAC name: (2E,4E,6E,8E)-9-(4-methoxy-2,3,6-trimethylphenyl)-3,7-dimethylnona-2,4,6,8-tetraenoic acid

Pharmacological roles (ChEBI): keratolytic drug.

Also known as: Acitretin, Acitretina, Acitretine, Etretin, Neotigason, RO-101670000, Soriatane, acitretin, SID26756475, SID49640651, ACITRETIN, SID29216416

Patent coverage: 3,478 distinct patent families (13,259 SureChEMBL compound mentions), from 2 matched compound structure(s). One matched structure accounts for 13,239 (100%) of the total. Mentions count patents naming the compound (not distinct inventions), so promiscuous / reference molecules inflate the mention figure — families are the dedup metric.

Targets

Targets

Broader ChEMBL bioactivity targets: 9 (assay-derived). Sample: Microtubule-associated protein tau, Survival motor neuron protein, ATP-binding cassette sub-family C member 4, Bile salt export pump, Androgen receptor, Nuclear receptor subfamily 1 group I member 2, Aldehyde dehydrogenase 1A1, Prostaglandin G/H synthase 1, Bile salt export pump.

Bioactivity

ChEMBL activities: 4 potent at pChembl ≥ 5 of 11 total. Top 30 by potency (10 = 0.1 nM, 6 = 1 µM):

Target	pChembl	Type	Value	Unit	Activity ID
Q63921	6.29	AC50	517	nM	CHEMBL_ACT_25174783
SMN1	5.5	Potency	3162	nM	CHEMBL_ACT_3879387
P15207	5.34	AC50	4600	nM	CHEMBL_ACT_25187660
NR1I2	5.01	AC50	9700	nM	CHEMBL_ACT_25188462

Target pathways

No target-pathway data for this drug (no mapped target genes).

Indications & clinical

Indications

6 indications (2 at ChEMBL trial phase 4). Phase below is the highest clinical-trial phase recorded for this drug against each disease — not the molecule’s overall approval status (that is in the Summary).

Indication	Trial phase	MONDO	EFO
psoriasis	4	MONDO:0005083	EFO:0000676
melanoma	2	MONDO:0005105	EFO:0000756
dermatitis	2	MONDO:0002406	MONDO:0002406
Alzheimer disease	2	MONDO:0004975	MONDO:0004975
HIV infectious disease	1	MONDO:0005109	EFO:0000764

1 further indication record had no mapped disease name (EFO/MeSH-only) or were duplicates, and are omitted.

Clinical trials

Total trials: 27.

Phase distribution

Phase	Trials
PHASE4	10
Not specified	7
PHASE2	6
PHASE1	2
PHASE3	1
PHASE2/PHASE3	1

Top trials by phase / activity

NCT	Phase	Status	Title
NCT04239859	PHASE4	NOT_YET_RECRUITING	Outcomes With Treatment and Withdraw of Secukinumab in Patients With Plaque Psoriasis
NCT04537689	PHASE4	RECRUITING	Outcomes With Treatment and Withdraw of Ixekizumab in Patients With Plaque Psoriasis
NCT00723437	PHASE4	COMPLETED	Evaluation of the Efficacy of Acitretin Therapy for Nail Psoriasis
NCT00936065	PHASE4	COMPLETED	Study Evaluating the Efficacy and Safety of Etanercept and Acitretin in Korean Patient With Moderate to Severe Psoriasis
NCT01039142	PHASE4	COMPLETED	Dose Ranging Study to Assess the Efficacy and Safety of Acitretin in Severe Plaque Type Psoriasis
NCT01228409	PHASE4	UNKNOWN	Low-Dose (17.5 mg/Day) Acitretin: Comparable Efficacy Without the Side Effects?
NCT01299220	PHASE4	WITHDRAWN	Study of Acitretin to Treat Skin Rash Caused by Erlotinib (a Chemotherapy Drug)
NCT01443338	PHASE4	UNKNOWN	Study Evaluating the Efficacy and Safety of Triptergium Wilfordii and Acitretin in Psoriasis Vulgaris - CHINA201002016-2
NCT02181790	PHASE4	TERMINATED	Addition of Excimer Laser to Treatment With Acitretin Tablets for Psoriasis of the Palms and Soles
NCT05203354	PHASE4	COMPLETED	Omentin-1 Level in Psoriatic Patients Treated With Narrowband Ultraviolet B Phototherapy Versus Acitretin
NCT00002143	PHASE3	COMPLETED	Treatment of Psoriasis Using Acitretin in HIV-Positive Patients
NCT01545284	PHASE2/PHASE3	COMPLETED	Pilot Study on the Use of Acitretin for the Treatment of Severe Chronic Hand Dermatitis
NCT06739551	PHASE2	NOT_YET_RECRUITING	Systemic Treatment Options for Generalized Lichen Planus
NCT00156247	PHASE2	COMPLETED	Acitretin and Etanercept in Psoriasis
NCT00395941	PHASE2	COMPLETED	Efficacy and Safety of Acitretin Plus Pioglitazone in Patients With Psoriasis
NCT01078168	PHASE2	COMPLETED	Alzheimer’s Disease Acitretin Medication
NCT02050321	PHASE2	TERMINATED	A Phase II Study of Vemurafenib Combined With Acitretin in Patients With Advanced Melanoma
NCT02715960	PHASE2	UNKNOWN	Pharmacogenomics Study on Treatment of Psoriasis Vulgaris by Acitretin Capsules
NCT03753867	PHASE1	WITHDRAWN	RA Effect on Cell Surface Molecules in Vivo
NCT05184348	PHASE1	COMPLETED	Plexin B2 Gene Expression and Polymorphisms in Psoriasis
NCT00003611	Not specified	COMPLETED	Acitretin in Preventing Skin Cancers in Patients With Previously Treated Skin Cancers Who Have Undergone Organ Transplantation
NCT00644384	Not specified	COMPLETED	Acitretin in Preventing Skin Cancer in Patients at High Risk for Skin Cancer
NCT01233583	Not specified	COMPLETED	Regulatory T-cells in Psoriasis Patients as Targets for Therapy
NCT01812954	Not specified	COMPLETED	Economic Evaluation of Systemic Treatments for Moderate-to-severe Psoriasis
NCT02191020	Not specified	COMPLETED	Efficacy and Safety Study of Total Glucosides of Paeony Combined With Acitretin to Treat Psoriasis
NCT02330380	Not specified	COMPLETED	Comparative Effectiveness of Psoriasis Treatments on Systemic Inflammation
NCT04245319	Not specified	UNKNOWN	Combined Effect of Acitretin and Narrow Band Ultraviolet B on Vitiligo Repigmentation

Clinical evidence (CIViC)

No CIViC predictive evidence (expected for non-precision-medicine drugs).

Pharmacology

Pharmacogenomics

No PharmGKB pharmacogenomic data curated for this drug.

Related molecules

Related molecules

No competitor molecules sharing a primary target (ChEMBL phase ≥2 or PubChem drug-class).