Description calcipotriol (inn) or calcipotriene (usan) is a sythetic derivative of calcitriol or vitamin d.indication for the treatment of moderate plaque psoriasis in adults.mechanism of action the precise mechanism of calcipotriol in remitting psoriasis is not well-understood. however, it has been shown to have comparable affinity with calcitriol for the vitamin d receptor, while being less than 1% as active as the calcitriol in regulating calcium metabolism. the vitamin d receptor (vdr) belongs to the steroid/thyroid receptor superfamily, and is found on the cells of many different tissues including the thyroid, bone, kindney, and t cells of the immune system. t cells are known to play a role in psoriasis, and it is thought that the binding of calcipotriol to the vdr modulates the t cells gene transcription of cell differentiation and proliferation related genes.