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Psoriasis Cure Now releases new podcast about the ‘biologics breakthrough’ in psoriasis treatment
(August 9, 2006) Psoriasis Cure Now, a nonprofit patient advocacy group, today released the newest in its series of psoriasis podcasts, this one focused on the biologic treatments that are revolutionizing psoriasis disease management. The heart of the podcast is an interview with Ivor Caro, M.D., Medical Director of Dermatology at Genentech and a former Harvard Medical School faculty member who conducted clinical trials on many of the biologics now coming to market for psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis. The free podcast is available on the Psoriasis Cure Now website, or through iTunes.
“Many people with moderate to severe psoriasis have heard some buzz about biologics as a psoriasis treatment, but do not have a clear understanding of the benefits and risks of these novel treatments,” said Michael Paranzino, president of Psoriasis Cure Now. “This podcast is designed to serve as an introduction to these treatments for psoriasis patients and their loved ones. Given how many lives are being transformed by these treatments, we hope it encourages patients to discuss with their physicians whether these treatments might make sense for them.”
Biologics target elements of the immune system that lead to the overproduction of skin cells and inflammatory activity that characterize psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis. The goal is to improve disease symptoms without the potentially serious side effects sometimes seen in older psoriasis treatments including PUVA, cyclosporine and methotrexate. Five different biologics, including Genentech’s Raptiva, are currently being used to treat people with psoriasis, or in some cases, psoriatic arthritis. They are given either by injection or by intravenous infusion. The podcast touches on the safety profile of biologics, their efficacy and their mechanisms of action, and considers what we still do not know about these relatively new treatments.
In addition to the interview with Dr. Caro, the podcast also includes reviews of two recent book that include depictions of psoriasis, as well as an excerpt from a song by Philadelphia-based singer-songwriter Nik Everett, who happens to have psoriasis in addition to a smooth voice and strong sense of melody. The next free psoriasis podcast will be released around Labor Day.
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