April 28th 2008 | Uncategorized | 0 Comments
A newly-released study funded by the companies that market Raptiva (efalizumab) has found that with continued treatment, Raptiva continues to maintain major improvement in psoriasis symptoms for many patients, even at the three year point. The study authors call this the “longest continuous study using a biologic therapy for psoriasis.” The study was
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April 24th 2008 | Uncategorized | 0 Comments
Cimzia, a biologic anti-TNF therapy, has been approved by the U.S. FDA for Crohn’s disease. This is good news for psoriasis patients as well, because Cimzia was shown two years ago to be effective in a Phase Two psoriasis trial. Our philosophy regarding treatment options is pretty straightforward: the more options for psoriasis
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April 23rd 2008 | Uncategorized | 0 Comments
A new study that reviewed more than 50,000 U.S. melanoma cases found that patients with melanoma “lesions in the scalp and neck died almost twice as fast after diagnosis as those whose tumors started anywhere else on the body.” As Time magazine reported:
Interestingly, cancers of the face and ear, other common locations for melanoma,
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April 18th 2008 | Psoriasis Research | 0 Comments
A Canadian Phase Three trial of Voclosporin (ISA247) in patients with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis showed promising results, the British medical journal The Lancet is reporting. The drug is made by Isotechnika, based in Canada.
Voclosporin is designed to be, the company hopes, a safer alternative to cyclosporine, which is highly effective in treating
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April 14th 2008 | Biologics, Insurance, Public policy issues | 2 Comments
The New York Times today reports on a troubling trend by some insurers that could threaten psoriasis patients who depend on biologic treatments for their psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis: “Co-Payments Go Way Up for Drugs With High Prices” (link may require free registration):
Health insurance companies are rapidly adopting a new pricing system for very
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April 4th 2008 | Causes, Psoriasis Research | 0 Comments
Researchers have identified seven new DNA variations linked to psoriasis. From the press release:
In a comprehensive study of the genetic basis of psoriasis, researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have discovered seven new sites of common DNA variation that increase the risk of this troublesome skin condition. They also found
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April 3rd 2008 | Uncategorized | 0 Comments
Imagine being on stage three to six nights a week with visible psoriasis. And doing this for 20 years. For many with psoriasis, that sounds like torture. But singer-songwriter Nik Everett sees it a bit differently. Read Nik Everett’s profile, now live on our calendar website.
