Watch out for an itchy, blistering rash with use of vildagliptin

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In print

Pharmacotherapy

Watch out for an itchy, blistering rash with use of vildagliptin

28 February 2024

By Linda Bryant and Tess James

Wednesday 28 February 2024, 12:40 AM

Over six months, Sam’s skin lesions became blisters [Image: Mohammad2018, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons]

This article looks at an autoimmune bullous skin disease that may occur spontaneously but can also be drug induced

Key points, Be alert for vildagliptin-induced skin reactions, even if it has been a long-term medicine used for up to five years. Even after discontinuation of , Pract Green w Pale Yellow

Medicines and Therapies

References

Phan K, Charlton O, Smith SD. Dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors and bullous pemphigoid: A systematic review and adjusted meta-analysis. Australas J Dermatol 2020;61(1):e15–21.
Silverii GA, Dicembrini I, Nreu B, et al. Bullous pemphigoid and dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Endocrine 2020;69(3):504–07.
Sun L, Wang C, Wu C, et al. Analysis of the clinical characteristics of dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitor-induced bullous pemphigoid. Ann Pharmacother 2022;56(2):205–12.
Verheyden MJ, Bilgic A, Murrell DF. A systematic review of drug-induced pemphigoid. Acta Derm Venereol 2020;100(15):adv00224.

How to Treat

+How to treat

For older people and frail people, the long-term benefit of medicines reduces and the potential for harm from adverse effects increases. When the benefit–risk balance changes in this way, medicine review and optimisation are important to simplify the therapeutic regimen, reduce inappropriate medicines and minimise risks. In this article, pharmacist prescriber Linda Bryant uses two case studies to illustrate important considerations during medicine reviews

Wednesday 28 May 2025, 12:50 AM