Remicade treatment for psoriasis
Remicade (infliximab) has proven to be very effective against several inflammatory diseases. The oldest of the biologics currently being used to treat psoriasis, Remicade first received FDA approval in 1998 for the treatment of Crohn’s Disease. Subsequently, it received approval for use in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), ulcerative colitis, ankylosing spondylitis, psoriatic arthritis, and in 2006, severe plaque psoriasis. It is marketed by Centocor Ortho Biotech (a Johnson & Johnson company). Remicade is very effective for psoriasis, with more than three-fourths of patients achieving 75% reduction in psoriasis severity (PASI 75) after 10 weeks, including nearly 60% of patients who achieved a 90% improvement.
How is it administered? Remicade is administered by IV (intravenous infusion) in a physician’s office; receipt of a single dose takes 2-4 hours. Patients usually receive the first three doses within 10 weeks and then a dose every six-to-eight weeks.
Advantages Remicade is highly and rapidly effective and is approved specifically for severe psoriasis. Once the initial doses are administered, maintenance therapy is just once every eight weeks or so, and patients typically read or watch TV during the infusions.
With more than one million patients treated with Remicade worldwide for various diseases, the medical community has a good understanding of the risks of Remicade use.
Drawbacks Like all of the TNF-inhibitors, Remicade has the potential to cause the rare but serious side effects described here. In addition, a small minority of patients—less than 1%—experiences a life-threatening allergic reaction (anaphylaxis) during Remicade administration. About 20% of patients experience a mild reaction.
How does it work? Remicade (infliximab) is a combination human and mouse antibody that binds to and inactivates TNF-alpha. This reduces TNF-alpha levels in the body, which leads to improvement in psoriasis symptoms.
Payment assistance
The company that markets this treatment is among those that have programs to help people afford their treatments. Learn more here: Psoriasis Prescription Payment Assistance Programs.
[More info: Remicade website.]
[More info: Biologics for psoriasis.]
[More info: Psoriasis Treatments.]
