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[Note: many of the media links below will expire over time.]
Click here for the latest news in psoriasis research and treatment.
December 24, 2005: Bristol-Myers Squibb Receives U.S. Approval for Arthritis Drug. (New York Times) ["Bristol-Myers Squibb received federal clearance for its new drug Orencia as a treatment for rheumatoid arthritis, the company said yesterday. ... At a meeting this month with investors, the Bristol-Myers senior vice president for global clinical development, Dr. Brian Daniels, said the company believed that Orencia might be proved useful in other autoimmune disorders, including lupus, psoriatic arthritis, ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease. Bristol-Myers Squibb said it hoped to begin marketing Orencia in February...." Psoriasis Cure Now testified in support of this drug in September precisely because we believed it could help patients with psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis. It's an early Christmas present for our community--a new treatment option (available off-label for now). In 2006, Psoriasis Cure Now will continue to advocate for every additional treatment option that could help us.]
***December 12, 2005: Psoriasis Cure Now celebrates “Health Care Advocate of the Year” winners. [Psoriasis Cure Now News Release. Please read the news release and thank Congress for their historic support for the psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis patient community.]***
November 27, 2005: Worm eggs may help inflammatory condition. (UPI) [Gross but encouraging: "Parasitic worm eggs may hold the key to treating inflammatory conditions such as lung diseases and psoriasis, Irish researchers say. ... 'There is a clear potential to build new treatments for major disease of man using this approach,' he added. 'In effect I see the worm as the 'drug cabinet' of the future.'"]
November 21, 2005: Itch researchers scratching for answers. (Bradenton Herald/Dallas Morning News) ["Despite a complaint so common and so rudimentary that almost every two- and four-footed creature experiences it, medical science is still learning exactly how to cope with itching. Researchers who devote themselves to the study of itch say that many of its basic mechanisms are not well understood. They are trying to look below the surface for solutions to itching. ... 'It's a field that has been neglected for so many years,' says Dr. Gil Yosipovitch of Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center in Winston-Salem, N.C. He and others are working to uncover the secrets of the itch. Itch and pain, researchers know, are cousins in misery."]
November 16, 2005: J&J Says Long-Term Study Data Positive. (Forbes/Associated Press) ["Johnson & Johnson's Centocor unit said Wednesday that long-term data from studies of its Remicade drug in psoriatic arthritis showed that the therapy sustained a 'major clinical response' in arthritis and inhibited joint damage. ... The drug is already approved to treat psoriatic arthritis, but the company said this new data shows its effectiveness over two years. ... The company is also seeking approval to sell Remicade to treat psoriasis that does not have an arthritis component. Remicade is already approved to treat other inflammatory conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis and Crohn's disease."]
November 11, 2005: Biogen Idec letter about Amevive and HIV-positive patients. (Biogen Idec letter via FDA) ["AMEVIVE should not be administered to patients infected with HIV."]
October 29, 2005: Psoriasis linked to heart disease. (Daily Mail - United Kingdom) [A study has found a link between psoriasis and cardiovascular death, but the link only applied to psoriasis inpatients. There was no higher incidence found among outpatients. Still, this unwelcome news certainly warrants further investigation.]
October 27, 2005: Formulary Finder for Medicare Prescription Drug Plans. (Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services) [On January 1, 2006, the Medicare program will begin offering prescription drug coverage for older Americans. By clicking on the web page above--in some web browsers, you will have to paste that address in or click on 'Formulary Finder' when sent to the Medicare home page--you can enter the names of your prescription medications, and see which plans will be offering coverage for those drugs in your state. We tested out several states and several popular psoriasis drugs, and found that coverage was pretty widespread in most cases. Please let us know how the Medicare prescription coverage works for you in the months ahead. If you have concerns, and they relate to coverage for psoriasis or psoriatic arthritis, we will take those concerns to Congress.]
October 24, 2005: My Skin's on Fire. (Genentech) ["Psoriasis is one of the most commonly misunderstood and under-recognized diseases, yet one in 50 Americans suffer from this painful condition. To put a face to psoriasis, and help clarify many of the myths and misconceptions that surround this condition, filmmaker and psoriasis sufferer Fred Finkelstein has created 'My Skin's on Fire' the first documentary film to chronicle the lives of psoriasis sufferers. Featuring candid interviews with dermatologists, researchers and psoriasis sufferers 'My Skin’s on Fire' offers messages of hope and empowerment to other those affected by psoriasis. To register to receive a free copy of this film DVD please visit www.beyondpsoriasis.com."]
October 16, 2005: Arthritis drug effective against psoriasis -study. (Reuters) ["A drug for rheumatoid arthritis {infliximab, brand name Remicade} can relieve the suffering of patients with moderate to severe psoriasis for a year, researchers said on Friday. ... After less than 3 months on the treatment, 80 percent of the patients showed at least a 75 percent improvement, compared to 3 percent in the placebo group. By the end of the trial, the drug completely cleared the skin condition in a quarter of patients but no one in the placebo group had the same result. 'Some of the patients were improved to the extent that they had no psoriasis and there was no impairment of their quality of life. So this is the best result you could possibly aim for with a treatment for psoriasis,' said Griffiths."]
October 6, 2005: HGS shares fall on drug trial results. (Washington Business Journal) [This is not directly about psoriasis, but it is noteworthy nonetheless. It discusses how shares of Human Genome Sciences lost nearly 30% of their value in one day because the company got some somewhat disappointing results in a clinical trial for a lupus drug they are developing called LymphoStat-B. On the heels of two companies abandoning the psoriasis market [see below], it's a reminder that drug development reamins a high-risk, high stakes venture with no guaranteed results. That reality is often missing in public policy debates about the drug industry.]
October 6, 2005: Remicade Receives Approval in European Union for Treatment of Moderate to Severe Plaque Psoriasis. (Centocor and Schering-Plough News Release) [Good news for our friends in Europe!]
October 4, 2005: Abbott's Humira gets additional OK. (MarketWatch) [Good news: "Humira, Abbott Laboratories' rheumatoid arthritis drug, has now been approved by regulators for the treatment of psoriatic arthritis, the company said Tuesday."]
October 4, 2005: Vertex to Curtail Funding of Two Drugs. (Associated Press) [On the heels of Biogen Idec's announcement that it is selling its rights to Amevive, Vertex announced that it is going to minimize its development costs related to a psoriasis drug in development. The silver lining is that one of the drugs Vertex is focusing on instead, VX-702 for rheumatoid arthritis, may ultimately help psoriasis patients as well. But it's a reminder that as market conditions change, we could have more or fewer companies looking out for our patient community. We have updated our clinical trial listing.]
September 27, 2005: Andrew von Eschenbach Appointed New Acting Head of FDA. (Pharmaceutical Executive) ["George W. Bush wasted no time naming ... Andrew von Eschenbach as acting FDA commissioner. ... But unlike his predecessor, who was a veterinarian and food safety expert, von Eschenbach has strong relationships with the medical research community. As a medical doctor, a cancer survivor and, until he joined NCI, the president-elect of the American Cancer Society, he is popular with many patient groups. 'Dr. Andrew von Eschenbach’s appointment as acting chief of the Food and Drug Administration is great news for the patient community,' said Michael Paranzino, president of Psoriasis Cure Now. 'Dr. von Eschenbach understands the urgent need to speed to market new treatments for patients.'"]
September 26, 2005: AMEVIVE Pregnancy Registry. (Biogen Idec) [Pregnant patients exposed to Amevive® within the 8 weeks prior to conception and during the pregnancy and who are still currently pregnant should check out the following information, provided to us by Biogen Idec:
AMEVIVE Pregnancy Registry
Biogen Idec Pregnancy Registries
Research Park
1011 Ashes Drive
Wilmington, NC 28405
Toll-free Phone: 1-800-811-0104
Toll-free Fax: 1-800-811-1052
http://www.criver.com/registries/ ]
September 10, 2005: Asthma risk higher for people with bowel disease. (Reuters) ["Patients with ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease, collectively designated inflammatory bowel disease or IBD, were also more likely to have arthritis, bronchitis, or psoriasis than people without IBD, the researchers report in the medical journal Gastroenterology." This brings to mind the study from earlier this year that showed mothers with psoriasis had an increased risk of having a child with autism. We need research funded to unlock all these interconnections.]
September 8, 2005: Biogen cuts workforce to fund R&D. (MarketWatch) [Biogen Idec is going to sell rights to its psoriasis drug Amevivie to raise cash and focus on other products. No word in this article about what it means for Biogen Idec's other psoriasis drugs currently in clinical trials. But see also this translation of a German web page, for news about Biogen's BG-12, which may go to market in Germany in 2006 with the name Panaclar. It's a new generation of fumaric acid esters that have been used for years in Europe; Biogen may also seek to bring that to market in the US down the road.]
September 7, 2005: FDA panel OKs Bristol arthritis drug. (Newark Star-Ledger) ["A Food and Drug Administration advisory panel yesterday unanimously recommended Bristol- Myers Squibb be allowed to sell Orencia, a potential blockbuster rheumatoid arthritis treatment. ... 'This is good news for rheumatoid-arthritis patients, and also those with psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis, because the drug may also prove beneficial to people with these diseases,' Michael Paranzino, president of Psoriasis Cure Now, a nonprofit patient advocacy group, said in a statement."]
September 6, 2005: Psoriasis advocacy group urges FDA panel to approve abatacept for rheumatoid arthritis. [Psoriasis Cure Now News Release. An expert panel of FDA advisors is holding a hearing today near Washington, DC, to determine whether the FDA should approve a new biologic, abatacept, for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. We are urging the drug be made available, because it may also help people with psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis. One preliminary study found it improved the skin symptoms of psoriasis, and many drugs that work for RA also work for psoriatic arthritis. We'll keep you posted on what the FDA decides to do. You can also read our statement to the FDA panel, which is available here.]
August 15, 2005: FDA: Accutane Users Must Register. (CBS News) ["Everyone who uses the acne drug Accutane will have to enroll in a national registry, along with every doctor who prescribes it and every drugstore that sells it. These tough new restrictions are aimed at preventing women from becoming pregnant while taking this drug, known to cause birth defects. ... But birth defects are the biggest concern with Accutane and its generic version, isotretinoin. The medicine is supposed to be prescribed only for severe acne but that critics say too frequently is given for more minor cases."]
August 14, 2005: NYU Doctor Donates $105 Million to School. (Associated Press) ["A microbiology professor who fled the Nazis as a child, then made a fortune inventing a drug for rheumatoid arthritis plans to give the New York University School of Medicine a $105 million donation. ... The donation will consist of royalties Vilcek has earned from the sale of Remicade, an anti-inflammatory agent that, in addition to treating rheumatoid arthritis, can help people with Crohn's disease, ankylosing spondylitis and psoriatic arthritis. Vilcek and an adjunct professor at the school, Junming Le, developed an antibody that is the basis for the drug, then collaborated with a biotechnology company now owned by Johnson & Johnson to turn it into a medicine."]
August 4, 2005: Pipeline Teeming With Oral Psoriasis Therapies. (Skin & Allergy News) [More treatment options heading our way in future years? "The new drugs in development fall into two categories: drugs that target interleukin-12 and interleukin-23, and orally available small-molecule therapies. ... Investigators at Centocor have developed a fully human monoclonal IL-12 antibody, CNTO 1275.... A total of 252 patients got a single dose of 50 mg or 100 mg, or a weekly dosage of 50 mg or 100 mg for 4 weeks. The primary end point of a 75% or greater improvement in the Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) at week 12 was achieved by 52%, 59%, 67%, and 81% of patients in the four treatment groups, respectively. In contrast, only 1.6% of the 67 placebo-treated patients achieved a PASI 75. ... An oral formulation of pimecrolimus (Elidel) has been developed by Novartis and studied in 143 patients with moderate to severe chronic plaque psoriasis in a randomized, double-blind phase II trial. At week 13, the median change in PASI scores from baseline was about 85% in patients treated with 30 mg twice daily for 12 weeks. ... In the same category is ISA 247, a novel calcineurin inhibitor developed by Isotechnika, which is structurally similar to cyclosporine and is three times more potent than cyclosporine in vitro. In a phase II study, about 74% of patients given 0.75 mg/kg twice daily for 12 weeks achieved a PASI 75 response. The incidence of hypertension was lower than in previously reported trials of cyclosporine." Click here for more on the psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis drug pipeline.]
August 3, 2005: Psoriasis Cure Now taking battle for psoriasis research funding to local Congressional offices. (Psoriasis Cure Now News Release) ["Michael J. Fox would never meet with a lawmaker without discussing the need for more Parkinson’s research, and no psoriasis patient should ever meet with a Congressional office without seeking the lawmaker’s support for more psoriasis research funding."]
August 1, 2005: U.S. Senate declares August 2005 as Psoriasis Awareness Month. (Congressional Record - see bottom right of page) [The National Psoriasis Foundation has done a fine job, working with Senators Gordon Smith and Frank Lautenberg, to secure official Senate action in support of designating August as Psoriasis Awareness Month. The resolution passed by unanimous consent on July 28. The only shortcoming of this gesture is that the Senate resolution used the 'more than 5 million' Americans figure to describe the extent of psoriasis in America, which is substantially lower than the National Institutes of Health figure of "between 5.8 and 7.5 million" Americans that the U.S. House referred to in June.]
August 1, 2005: Psoriasis Cure Now Video Contest. [Win $7,500!]
July 21, 2005: Psoriasis Cure Now makes final push for full coverage of psoriasis treatments in Medicare prescription plans. (Psoriasis Cure Now News Release)
July 21, 2005: Please sign our Medicare letter. (Psoriasis Cure Now Action Alert) [The new Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit is being finalized. Please help us ensure that psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis drugs are covered.]
July 20, 2005: Psoriasis often misspelled, seding users to bogus sites. (Psorisis Cure Now memo) [Psoriasis misspellings often send people to bogus psoriasis websites.]
July 20, 2005: Psoriasis drug may increase risk for anemia. (Reuters) ["Genentech Inc. and U.S. regulators have added a warning about the risk of a certain type of anemia with the biotech company’s Raptiva drug for psoriasis, according to a letter made public Wednesday. ... Genentech spokeswoman Tara Cooper said such reports were rare, but the company felt the four cases warranted a warning on the label."]
July 15, 2005: Psoriasis Cure Now applauds U.S. Senate for its strong commitment to psoriasis research. (Psoriasis Cure Now News Release) [Another big win. Please read this!]
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