Etretinate may work where acitretin fails

Acitretin (Ro 10-1670, Neotigason), a second-generation monoaromatic retinoid, is the main acid derivative and active metabolite of etretinate (Ro 10-9359, Tigason), Three patients who were unresponsive to treatment with acitretin but who responded to etretinate are reported, Twenty-nine patients in the U.K. are currently receiving etretinate on a named-patient basis. Possible explanations for the functional discrepancy between the two drugs are discussed.