How Protopic got its start
Protopic Ointment got its beginning in 1984 when scientists from Fujisawa, now known as Astellas, discovered tacrolimus in a soil sample taken from Mt. Tsukuba in Japan. Tacrolimus is a calcineurin inhibitor.
Soon after, scientists realized that tacrolimus might help treat atopic dermatitis (AD). Clinical studies determined that tacrolimus was safe and effective in the treatment for patients with moderate to severe AD, pioneering the use of topical calcineurin inhibitors (TCIs) for eczema.
Protopic Ointment, both 0.03% and 0.1% for adults and only 0.03% for children aged 2 to 15 years, is indicated as second-line therapy for the short-term and non-continuous chronic treatment of moderate to severe AD in non-immunocompromised adults and children who have failed to respond adequately to other topical prescription treatments for AD or when those treatments are not advisable. Protopic is not indicated for children younger than 2 years of age.