Psoriasis Drug Goes Beyond Creams

Psoriasis Drug Goes Beyond Creams

source: Health Scout News

Biogen’s Amevive, the first biologic drug of its kind, has received U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval to treat moderate to severe psoriasis.

Psoriasis is an autoimmune disease, in which overactive skin cells multiply at 10 times the normal rate. Excess cells then pile up at the skin’s surface, causing red, scaly patches that can be painful and disfiguring. These patches typically form on the joints, limbs and scalp, but they can appear anywhere on the body.

Some 4.5 million Americans have the disease, and about 1.5 million suffer from its moderate-to-severe form, in which topical creams or ointments are often ineffective.

Biologic drugs are engineered from proteins produced by living cells. Amevive — tested by 1,000 participants in clinical trials in the United States, Europe, and Canada — suppresses the overactive immune cells in the skin. But doctors must monitor patients closely, since the immune-suppressing drug could increase a user’s risk of contracting certain cancers and infections, Biogen says.

Common side effects include dizziness, cough, nausea, and injection site pain or inflammation. The drug is taken over 12 weeks, though the company says many participants in clinical trials remained in remission for several months. Biogen says it’s evaluating the drug’s long-term effectiveness.

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