Ornithine decarboxylase inhibitor (topical hirsutism)
Eflornithine
Brand names: Vaniqa
Adult dose
Dose: Apply thinly BD (≥8h apart)
Route: Topical (face)
Frequency: BD
Clinical pearls
- NICE TA61: facial hirsutism
- Adjunctive to mechanical hair removal; effect requires ≥4–8 weeks
- Discontinue if no improvement in 4 months
- Also used parenterally (DFMO) for African trypanosomiasis (specialist tropical medicine)
Contraindications
- Pregnancy
- Breastfeeding
- Hypersensitivity
Side effects
- Local irritation
- Burning
- Stinging
- Acne
- Folliculitis
- Skin reactions
Monitoring
- Treatment response
- Local skin tolerance
Reference: BNF; NICE TA61; BAD; SmPC; https://bnf.nice.org.uk/drugs/eflornithine/. Verify against your local formulary and the latest BNF before prescribing.
Related
Curated clinical cross-links plus same-class fallbacks.
Calculators
- SMART Risk Score for Recurrent CVD · Cardiovascular Risk
- PCSK9 Inhibitor Eligibility Assessment · Lipid Management
- Immune-Related Adverse Events (irAE) -- GI Toxicity Colitis Grading · Oncology-Related GI
- irAE Hepatitis Grading (CTCAE) · Immunotherapy
- DIPSS — Dynamic International Prognostic Scoring System for Myelofibrosis · Cancer Prognosis
- BALL Score for Relapsed/Refractory CLL · Leukaemia
Pathways
- Suspicious Pigmented Lesion — Melanoma Pathway · NICE NG14 2015 / BAD
- Cellulitis and Erysipelas · NICE NG141 2019 / CREST
- Psoriasis — Severity Assessment and Step-Up Therapy · NICE NG153 2019 / BAD
- Atopic Eczema — Assessment and Step-Up Therapy · NICE NG95 2023
- Urticaria and Angioedema · BSACI / EAACI Guidelines 2022
- Acne Vulgaris — Grading and Treatment · NICE NG198 2021 / BAD