What is ALZUMAb? It’s the psoriasis biologic no one in America has heard of
Ever heard of Enbrel? Humira? How about ALZUMAb? ALZUMAb (drug name itolizumab) is a “humanized anti-CD6 monoclonal antibody” for adults with active moderate to severe psoriasis. It has a different mechanism of action than the biologics available in the US, Europe, and Japan. It’s only available in India, where it Continue Reading…
Cosentyx goes head to head against Humira in psoriatic arthritis…it’s mostly a draw
Two biologics that work on psoriatic disease differently – Cosentyx (drug name secukinumab, an IL-17a inhibitor) and Humira (drug name adalimumab, a TNF-alpha inhibitor) – were recently tested in a study designed and funded by Novartis, the company behind Cosentyx. The study pitted Cosentyx against Humira for 52 weeks in Continue Reading…
New patient registry PsoProtect for those battling both psoriasis and COVID-19/coronavirus could help provide treatment insights to both ailments
Scientists and physicians in the UK, working with an international coalition of experts and organizations, have launched a web-based registry that will gather health information on people with psoriasis who develop confirmed or suspected COVID-19/coronavirus. The results, if enough doctors participate, could provide important information in the treatment of both Continue Reading…
Do I need to worry about links between psoriasis and Alzheimer’s disease?
You may have seen the headlines: “Psoriasis tied to higher Alzheimer’s disease risk.” Great. Just another thing to worry about thanks to psoriasis, right? But when you dig into the research, you realize it’s mostly just the usual media hype: there’s no need to panic the next time you misplace Continue Reading…
Amgen to test Otezla as possible COVID-19 coronavirus treatment
Biotech giant Amgen, known in the psoriasis world for its longtime blockbuster Enbrel (etanercept), a biologic used in the treatment of psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis, has announced that the company “plans to study psoriasis drug Otezla as a potential treatment for COVID-19, the respiratory disease caused by the new coronavirus.” Continue Reading…
Coronavirus, COVID-19, and psoriasis: what you need to know
We are sorry, this page was moved and updated here: COVID-19, vaccination, and psoriasis: the latest in what you need to know [Last updated 10-28-2021]
Reading this article about the placebo effect will make you feel better today
Here’s a very interesting item about the placebo effect. Yes, it is fun to hear about experiments in which people can be fooled into feeling better, or worse. But more importantly, this professor and psychologist discusses how a patient’s attitude, and a physician’s warmth and (apparent) competence, can impact our Continue Reading…
“Fail first” insurance mandates not just a problem for U.S. psoriasis patients
“Fail first” policies are one of the mandates imposed by some U.S. health insurers to reduce their costs. They require that people with psoriasis (and other serious diseases) try older and inferior – and often less safe – treatments before they can access the 21st century treatments that work best. Continue Reading…
Imagine knowing after 4 weeks, how a new psoriasis treatment would be working for you after 6 months…
Here’s an interesting, after-the-fact analysis from clinical trials of the biologic Ilumya (tildrakizumab-asmn), an “IL-23 inhibitor” marketed by Sun Pharma. The researchers looked at psoriasis severity scores used in clinical trials, known as PASI scores (Psoriasis Area and Severity Index), for each patient. Each patient’s score is determined before the Continue Reading…
Opioid use “substantial” among people with moderate to severe psoriasis
A recent study looked at a database of privately insured people that included about 9,000 psoriasis patients, of whom just over 2,000 were identified as having moderate to severe psoriasis. It found that about 25% of those 2,000 received opioids, compared to 16% of otherwise-comparable people without psoriasis. The figure Continue Reading…