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Simple tasks become difficult during flares, and I can lose my train of thought mid-sentence, which makes me feel really self-consciousespecially at work. I worry that people take this as me being rude and not concentrating, but really its just the psoriatic arthritis brain fog and fatigue kicking in. Jude D., 28

Fatigue is a huge part of what we are up against. Tired doesnt really explain it. Everything creates more fatigue, including stress, pain, and medication changes. And just because I feel great today and we make plans, tomorrow I might wake up feeling like Im under a cloud of exhaustion, and Im just too tired to move. There is no way to know when it is going to happen.

Most of us dont complain about our pain daily. If we are bringing it up, its because its bad! I dont always talk about my drug changes, but when a drug fails, I will be unmedicated for months as I switch to a new one. During this time, Im in more pain, and probably pretty emotional. Tanya G., 43

My psoriasis is not visible to others, and the days Im really struggling with my arthritis, I dont leave my house. So when people see me, they think Im fine. Its been a roller coaster of good days and bad, but nobody sees the bad days when you cant get out of bed. I really find that lack of understanding to be the hardest part of an invisible illnessjust because you dont appear sick doesnt mean that you are not sick.

I used to be quite active, and its difficult to not be able to do what I used to do. Psoriatic arthritis strips you of your identity, but you eventually build yourself back up, learn to live with it, and accept that things will be different. For example, I love to travel, but I now travel very differently. Im more conscious of burnout and fatigue, and I make sure I have lots of time to rest and dont push myself to the limit. But I refuse to let psoriatic arthritis control my life or hold me back. Brenda S., 35

When I was diagnosed, I remember feeling so sad. I went from running three or more miles a day to barely being able to walk for the first four hours of my day. I remember being so stiff and in so much pain at work because standing or sitting for too long hurt. Im a nurse and for a while I was afraid I wasnt going to be able to work anymore. Night shifts threw me into flares and I had to go way out of my comfort zone to ask for accommodations.

I think the grief roller coaster is the hardest part of living with psoriatic arthritis. You have to give up a lot, and once you think youve given up everything you can think of, something else comes along that you suddenly cant do anymore. A lot of times, you havent finished grieving one thing and before you know it, another thing pops up to grieve. It takes a toll on your mental health.

Having psoriatic arthritis has been such a wild ride, and sometimes I resent the ride, but the community that Ive been so privileged to meet through this on social media is something I am so incredibly grateful for. Jenny P., 27

I began running about three years ago, with a goal to run a 5k. I got hooked and that goal soon moved to a 10k, a half-marathon, and then finally a marathon. My running journey was going well, and I was improving quite quicklyuntil just over a year ago when I suddenly developed swelling in my ankles and wrists and became very fatigued.

One of my biggest worries when I was diagnosed with psoriatic arthritis was that I would have to stop running. But my rheumatologist told me to keep being as active as I could. Funnily enough, I can run with minimal pain in my joints, but peeling vegetables and scrubbing the shower can result in hours of dull aches in my wrists and hands. So even though my rheumatologist may not have meant that I should train for another marathon, this is exactly what I did! I became quite determined that psoriatic arthritis wouldnt stop me from achieving this goal, and although I had to take a few weeks off from training now and then, I managed to complete many months of training and ran my marathon in September of last year. Tracy U., 44

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6 People Living With Psoriatic Arthritis Share Their Stories - Self

SAN DIEGO, March 30, 2021 /PRNewswire/ --Dermata Therapeutics, Inc., a privately held biotechnology company, announced today that it has dosed its first patient in a Phase 1b trial of DMT310 for the treatment of mild-to-moderate psoriasis. DMT310 is Dermata's lead product candidate, consisting of a once-weekly topical treatment with both mechanical and chemical mechanisms of action, currently being investigated to treat multiple inflammatory skin diseases. The Phase 1b trial will enroll 30 mild-to-moderate psoriasis patients who will receive once-weekly treatments of DMT310 for 12 weeks at 3 clinical sites across the United States.

"Enrolling the first patient in this psoriasis study is a big step towards potentially providing these patients with an effective and safe topical product that only needs to be applied once per week, as there are few effective options for patients with milder disease," states Christopher Nardo, PhD, Dermata's SVP, Development. "We believe that DMT310 could offer a differentiated topical treatment of psoriasis with its once weekly application schedule, combined with its multiple mechanisms of actions to treat the multiple symptoms of psoriasis."

DMT310-006 Trial Design:DMT310-006, is a 12-week, multi-center, open-label, proof of concept trial designed to evaluate the safety, tolerability and efficacy of once-weekly dosing of DMT310 in 30 mild-to-moderate psoriasis patients. Patients will receive 12 once-weekly topical treatments of DMT310 and be observed for 12 weeks. The primary endpoints include the Physician's Global Assessment, the Investigator's Psoriasis Area Severity Index and the Pruritis Visual Analog Scale at week 12. Dermata expects to have top-line results in the second half of 2021.

About DMT310: DMT310 is a naturally derived product candidate derived from a unique freshwater sponge that is harvested under specific environmental conditions and then processed into a powder. The powder is mixed with fluidizing agent immediately prior to application and only needs to be applied once per week. DMT310's organic components contain chemicals components that when tested in vitro, have shown a dose dependent inhibition of both IL-17A and IL-17F, which are believed to be major effector cytokines in the pathogenesis of psoriasis.

About Dermata: Dermata is a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on making major advancements in the treatment of medical and aesthetic skin diseases and conditions. Dermata has a team of experienced individuals who are currently focused on progressing two programs for the treatment of acne, psoriasis, rosacea and aesthetic indications. To learn more about Dermata and its pipeline of product candidates, please visit http://www.dermatarx.com.

CONTACT: Dermata ContactSean ProehlInvestor Relations858-800-2543 Ext. 705 [emailprotected]

SOURCE Dermata Therapeutics, Inc.

http://www.dermatarx.com

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Dermata Therapeutics Announces Initiation of a Phase 1b Trial of the Once-Weekly Topical Application of DMT310 for the Treatment of Mild-to-Moderate...

I was terrified of biologics as a treatment for PsA until it changed my life.

I was 19 when I started noticing patches on my elbows. I thought it was just really dry skin but, despite moisturizing, the patches grew.

A few years later, a doctor finally identified these patches and the ones that had sprung up on my knees as psoriasis.

At the time, I knew nothing about psoriasis. I had no idea that it was an autoimmune disease. I saw it as nothing more than a cosmetic nuisance.

Years later, when my joints began to ache, it didnt occur to me that my pain could be related to this skin condition.

Psoriatic arthritis (PsA) is inflammatory arthritis closely related to psoriasis. Approximately 7.4 million Americans have psoriasis, 10 to 20 percent of whom will eventually develop PsA, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Most people who develop PsA already have skin symptoms, although some people develop symptoms of arthritis before skin is visibly affected.

In my case, I first noticed stiffness in my hands and pain in the joints of my feet. The pain and stiffness were worse when I first woke up and tended to improve through the day.

These were not symptoms that dramatically affected my ability to get through my day, and so I largely ignored them.

Eventually, I went to a rheumatologist to figure out what was going on.

PsA is typically diagnosed by first ruling out other conditions, such as rheumatoid arthritis, Lyme disease, and other issues that cause joint pain.

That rheumatologist told me, Youre young, your symptoms are mild. I wouldnt worry about it too much.

He prescribed ibuprofen and told me to come back when it got worse.

A few years later when my symptoms were worsening, I sought advice from a different rheumatologist. This doctor took the opposite approach.

After listening to my history for less than 5 minutes, she declared that I needed to start more aggressive treatment immediately.

With no discussion of pros and cons, she shooed me out the door with a prescription for methotrexate an injectable drug thats commonly used in the treatment of psoriasis.

I did some research, got freaked out, and ditched both the prescription and the doctor.

Eventually, the psoriasis that Id always seen as a mild nuisance had spread enough to affect my self-esteem.

I was a middle school teacher at the time, and my students were constantly saying things like, Wow, Mrs. Carns, is that poison ivy? What happened to you?

I made an appointment with a new dermatologist to see what advances there might have been in psoriasis therapies.

This new doctor felt the pockets of fluid in the knuckles of my hand and asked if Id ever considered using biologics.

The treatment of an autoimmune disease often involves some mechanism for suppressing the bodys immune system. The trick is to suppress only the part of the immune system that is overreacting, leaving the rest of it functioning normally.

This is where the so-called biologic treatments come in. These treatments are able to target, with greater and greater specificity, the unwanted immune response.

I told the dermatologist how the rheumatologists suggestion of methotrexate had scared me off, and she listened patiently to my concerns.

I was in my early 40s and I was worried about starting a medication that I might have to continue for the rest of my life. Plus, the idea of suppressing my immune system, on purpose, was deeply unsettling.

What my doctor explained to me, however, was that my relative youth was itself an argument for addressing not just my symptoms, but the progression of the disease.

While I may have felt the discomfort was manageable at the time, eventually, PsA was likely to cause irreversible joint damage. This could lead to increasing levels of disability.

Still relatively young and mobile, I had the opportunity to stop or slow the disease before that damage occurred. This was the argument that finally convinced me.

Once Id decided to go on biologics, however, I had to confront the delivery method.

One of the drawbacks of biologics, for many, is that they are delivered via injection and most people self-inject at home. This prospect was daunting to me, to say the least.

Thankfully, I was able to enroll in a patient support program run by the pharmaceutical company, and a nurse came to my house and taught me how to do the injections.

At first, I felt a lot of anxiety leading up to injection day. Over time, through some trial and error, Ive found a routine that works for me.

I make sure to remove the injection pens from the fridge at least 15 minutes before administering. I use ice to numb the area and squeeze (or chunk up) the injection site with my other hand.

With my current medication, I have a choice between the front of my thighs or my abdomen as injection sites. Ive found injecting into the abdomen to be significantly less painful because the tissue there is fattier. Ive never been so grateful for a soft belly!

Ive now been on biologic treatment for over 4 years and have a wonderful rheumatologist who works with my dermatologist to coordinate treatment.

My doctors check my blood work every few months, and so far I havent had any negative side effects.

There have, however, been some benefits I wasnt expecting.

Until I started using biologics, I didnt realize that the fatigue I was experiencing, which worsened considerably during flares of my joint symptoms, was related to my PsA.

It was something I had gotten so used to, I didnt notice until it was gone.

This is often the case for people with chronic illnesses. We become accustomed to feeling a certain way and forget what normal even felt like.

If you look closely while Im standing in the sunlight, you may notice a slight difference in the pigmentation of my arms and legs in the places once covered by large psoriasis plaques. There is no other visual clue that I am a person with psoriasis.

As for the PsA, my hands are sometimes still stiff in the morning, and the joints in my toes ache a bit during cold and rainy weather.

In addition to my medication, I try to keep my joints limber and muscles strong with yoga and other weight-bearing exercises.

A recent set of X-rays confirmed that my primary goal of treatment has been successful: There was no indication of joint damage whatsoever.

In the end, Im glad I found a team of doctors who listened to my concerns and took me seriously.

Im also glad I was able to overcome my fears and begin treatment, improving my quality of life both today and, hopefully, for decades to come.

Laura Todd Carns is a freelance writer living in the Washington, DC, area. You can find more of her work at her website or follow her on Twitter @lauratoddcarns.

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The Path to Biologics: Finding a PsA Treatment That Works for Me - Healthline

You can't see any of your organs with your own eyes, except for your largest one: your skin. The good news is, while you can't check to make sure your liver or kidney are in good working order by looking at them on a daily basis, your skin may help give you insight into what else is going on inside your body. It can even hint at how healthy (or not) your heart is, according to a new study. The research has found that a common skin condition raises your risk of having a heart attack. Read on to find out more on the connection between your skin and your heart, and for more heart health indicators to be aware of, If You Can't Do This in 90 Seconds, Your Heart Is in Danger, Study Says.

Psoriasis is a skin condition that, as it turns out, also has a connection to cardiovascular health. According to a study published March 5 in the Chinese Medical Journal, psoriasis is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular diseases and is associated with an increased risk of major adverse cardiovascular events, like heart attacks.

An earlier 2006 study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association identified that patients with psoriasis were up to three times more likely to have a heart attack than people without the skin condition. This was after researchers analyzed five years' worth of data from around 700,000 people.

And for more on how to tell whether or not your heart is healthy, If You See This in Your Mouth, Your Heart Attack Risk Is High, Study Says.

Psoriasis causes your immune system to overreact and triggers inflammation in your body, according to Healthline. Unfortunately, this inflammation is what can affect your heart.

"Chronic inflammation has long been associated with an increased risk of heart attack and stroke," Kevin R. Campbell, MD, an internist and cardiologist with Cano Health, told Everyday Health. According to Campbell, inflammation can damage the arteries, which results in blockages or plaque buildup inside the blood vessels that supply blood to the heart. And when the flow of blood to your heart is slowed or interrupted, it heightens your risk of heart attack.

And for more up-to-date health news delivered right to your inbox, sign up for our daily newsletter.

According to the National Psoriasis Foundation, 2 to 3 percent of the global population has the condition, including more than 8 million Americans. Unfortunately, as the experts at the Mayo Clinic note, "psoriasis is a common, long-term (chronic) disease with no cure."

It typically causes red, itchy scaly patches on the skin, most commonly affecting the lower back, elbows, knees, legs, soles of the feet, scalp, face, and palms, according to the Mayo Clinic. You could also experience dry, cracked skin that may bleed or itch. Psoriasis tends to come in cycles, with flare-ups triggered by infections, weather, stress, alcohol, and certain medications.

And for more signs of health conditions hiding in plain sight, here are 17 Things Your Nails Can Tell You About Your Health.

While there's no cure for psoriasis, it is something that can be managed, but it's important to research the side effects of potential treatments. Min Chen, PhD, an author for the new study and a professor at the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, says that considering the risk of cardiovascular disease and events is important when treating patients with psoriasis.

"Some of the drugs for psoriasis may increase the risks of these diseases, while some can reduce them," Chen explained in a statement.

According to the new study, some psoriasis treatments, such as tumor necrosis factor alpha inhibitors and methotrexate, may reduce a patient's long-term risk of having a heart attack. However, others, like some interleukin inhibitors, increase the risk. That's because, according to Healthline, some psoriasis treatments can cause irregular cholesterol levels, which can then "harden the arteries and make a heart attack even more likely."

And for more on medications to be careful with, If You're Taking Tylenol With This, Your Liver Is in Danger, Experts Say.

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If You See This on Your Skin, Your Heart Attack Risk Is Higher, Study Says - Best Life

In adults with active psoriatic arthritis, continued treatment with guselkumab was associated with skin clearance and joint symptom improvement through 2 years, according to long-term data from the phase 3 DISCOVER-2 study.

In DISCOVER-2 (ClinicalTrials.gov:NCT03158285), patients with active psoriatic arthritis (N=739) were randomly assigned to guselkumab 100mg every 4 or every 8 weeks for 2 years, or to placebo with crossover to guselkumab every 4 weeks at week 24 through 2 years. The study aimed to evaluate multiple clinical outcomes including joint and skin symptoms and radiographic progression in patients with psoriatic arthritis.

Results at week 100 showed that 76% of patients receiving guselkumab every 4 weeks and 74% of patients receiving treatment every 8 weeks achieved at least 20 percent improvement in the American College of Rheumatology (ACR20) response criteria. Findings also revealed that 56% and 55% of patients treated with guselkumab every 4 weeks and 8 weeks, respectively, achieved at least 50 percent improvement in ACR score. Moreover, low rates of radiographic progression of joint damage were observed in patients receiving guselkumabfrom week 52-100.

Among patients who had clinically meaningful skin involvement at baseline, 59% and 53% of patients treated with guselkumab every 4 weeks and 8 weeks, respectively, achieved complete skin clearance (Psoriasis Area Severity Index [PASI] 100). Additionally, 62% and 55% of patients receiving guselkumab every 4 and 8 weeks, respectively, achieved complete skin clearance as measured by the Investigator Global Assessment (IGA) score of 0.

The safety of guselkumab in patients with active psoriatic arthritis through 2 years was found to be comparable to safety at 6 months and 1 year and was consistent with the safety profile seen in patients with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis. No new safety signals were observed through week 112.

Full data from the DISCOVER-2 trial will be presented during the Innovations in Dermatology: Virtual Spring Conference, March 16 to 20, 2021.

Guselkumab, an interleukin-23 antagonist, is marketed under the trade nameTremfyaand is approved for the treatment of psoriatic arthritis and moderate to severe plaque psoriasis in adults who are candidates for systemic therapy or phototherapy.

New phase 3 data show first-in-class Tremfya(guselkumab) achieved complete skin clearance and favorable joint efficacy in adult patients with active psoriatic arthritis (PsA) through two years. [press release]. Spring House, PA: Janssen; March 16, 2021.

This article originally appeared on MPR

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Guselkumab Benefits Observed Through 2 Years in Psoriatic Arthritis Trial - Dermatology Advisor

In patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA) receiving secukinumab, retention, remission, low disease activity (LDA), and response rates were significantly better for those who were bionaive after 6 and 12 months of treatment, according to study results published in Arthritis Care & Research (Hoboken). Researchers indicated high retention rates and good remission, LDA, and response rates of secukinumab, with overall effectiveness comparable to previous observational studies of tumor necrosis factor inhibitors.

Researchers sought to evaluate the overall real-life 12-month retention rates of secukinumab in European patients with PsA.

A longitudinal, observational study was conducted in 13 quality registries in rheumatology practices in the European Spondyloarthritis Research Collaboration Network (EuroSpA RCN).

The current study included data from patients with PsA who received secukinumab between May 2015 and December 2018 in 13 countries in EuroSpA RCN, including Sweden, Denmark, Switzerland, Italy, Spain, Czech Republic, Slovenia, Portugal, Norway, Finland, Iceland, Romania, and Turkey. Study inclusion criteria were participants aged at least 18 years at beginning of treatment, a PsA diagnosis according to a treating rheumatologist, and a registered start and, if relevant, stop date of receiving secukinumab.

The primary study outcome was overall 12-month secukinumab retention rates. Secondary study outcomes included overall 6-month retention rates, as well as remission, LDA, and response rates after 6 months and 12 months of treatment.

A total of 2017 patients with PsA who had received secukinumab for the first time were enrolled in the study. After 6 and 12 months of secukinumab, overall retention rates were 86% and 76%, respectively. Crude (LUNDEX-adjusted) 6-month remission/LDA rates for Disease Activity Index for Psoriatic Arthritis (DAPSA28), 28-joint Disease Activity Score with C-reactive protein (DAS28-CRP), and Simplified Disease Activity Index (SDAI) were 13%/46% (11%/39%), 36%/55% (30%/46%), and 13%/56% (11%/47%), respectively. At 12 months, crude (LUNDEX-adjusted) remission/LDA rates for DAPSA28, DAS28-CRP, and SDAI were 11%/46% (7%/31%), 39%/56% (26%/38%), and 16%/62% (10%/41%), respectively.

At 6 months, crude (LUNDEX-adjusted) American College of Rheumatology (ACR) 20/50/70 responses were 34%/19%/11% (29%/16%/9%), respectively. At 12 months, crude (LUNDEX-adjusted) ACR20/50/70 responses were 37%/21%/11% (24%/14%/7%). Further, the effectiveness of secukinumab was significantly better among biologic/targeted synthetic disease-modifying antirheumatic drug (b/ts DMARD)-naive patients and was similar over time since PsA diagnosis (<2 years, 2-4 years, and >4 years), varying significantly across the European registries.

Study limitations included lack of data on extra-articular inflammatory involvement, heterogeneity in baseline characteristics and secukinumab effectiveness across the registries, and missing data on disease states and response rates, which reduced generalizability of the findings.

Researchers concluded that the findings from this study may be taken into consideration when making treatment decisions in routine clinical care.

Disclosure: The EuroSpA collaboration was supported by Novartis. Please see the original reference for a full list of authors disclosures.

Michelsen B, Georgiadis S, Di Giuseppe D, et al. Real-world 6 and 12-month drug retention, remission and response rates of secukinumab in 2,017 psoriatic arthritis patients in 13 European countries. Arthritis Care Res (Hoboken). Published online January 18, 2021. doi:10.1002/acr.24560

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Drug Retention, Remission, and Response Rates of Secukinumab in Psoriatic Arthritis Analyzed in Europe - Rheumatology Advisor

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., March 24, 2021 /PRNewswire/ --Aditx Therapeutics, Inc. (Aditxt) (the "Company") (Nasdaq: ADTX), a biotech innovation company focused on improving the health of the immune system, today announced that its AditxtReprogrammingTM Therapeutics Division is preparing its therapeutic program for psoriasis for First-In-Human clinical trials. The trials, which are planned to begin in Q4 2021, will evaluate clinical safety and efficacy of Aditxt's new approach to reprogramming and retraining the immune system.

The Trials will be evaluating a nucleic acid-based technology named Apoptotic DNA Immunotherapy (ADi). Aditxt's ADitechnology utilizes a novel approach that mimics the way the body naturally induces tolerance to its own tissues (therapeutically induced immune tolerance) and is protected with approximately 90 U.S. and international patents. ADihas demonstrated efficacy in several pre-clinical disease models including psoriasis in which a reduction in skin thickening and scaling, and modulation of key protein markers were observed.

Aditxt has signed an agreement with a regulatory consultant based in Munich, Germany, which will play a central role in navigating the first AditxtReprogrammingTM therapeutic program through the clinical trial and regulatory process. The firm will work with the Aditxt's AditxtReprogrammingTM team to submit an Investigational New Drug application (IND) to the regulatory agency in Germany. Psoriasis is the first indication being targeted for clinical trial in the AditxtReprogrammingTM therapeutics pipeline. Other candidates that are advancing toward clinical trials include ADi for type 1 diabetes and skin allografting.

Amro Albanna, co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Aditxt, stated, "this agreement represents a major step forward as we begin advancing ADi for psoriasis through the regulatory process and towards the start of clinical trials. Our co-founder and Chief Innovation Officer, Dr. Shahrokh Shabahang, and his product development team have experience working within the regulatory framework of both the U.S. and Europe and are leading all preparation, execution, regulatory and budgetary matters relating to Aditxt's planned 2021 Phase I/IIA clinical trials for psoriasis. We are excited to begin this phase of Aditxt's development after our initial focus on launching the AditxtScoreTM platform for monitoring the immune system."

For more information about AditxtReprogrammingTM, visit aditxt.com/.

About Aditx Therapeutics Aditxt is developing technologies specifically focused on improving the health of the immune system through immune monitoring and reprogramming. The Company's immune monitoring technology is designed to provide a personalized comprehensive profile of the immune system. The Company's immune reprogramming technology is designed to retrain the immune system to induce tolerance with an objective of addressing rejection of transplanted organs, autoimmune diseases, and allergies. For more information, please visit: http://www.aditxt.com

Forward-Looking StatementsCertain statements in this press release constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the federal securities laws. Forward looking statements include statements regarding the Company's intentions, beliefs, projections, outlook, analyses or current expectations concerning, among other things, the Company's ongoing and planned product development; the Company's intellectual property position; the Company's ability to develop commercial functions; expectations regarding product launch and revenue; the Company's results of operations, cash needs, spending, financial condition, liquidity, prospects, growth and strategies; the industry in which the Company operates; and the trends that may affect the industry or the Company. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results may differ materially from those indicated by these forward-looking statements as a result of various important factors, as well as those risks more fully discussed in the section entitled "Risk Factors" in the Company's prospectus, dated February 10, 2021, that was filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission under File No. 333-252711, as well as discussions of potential risks, uncertainties, and other important factors in the Company's subsequent filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. All such statements speak only as of the date made, and the Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise publicly any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

SOURCE Aditxt

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Aditxt to Initiate First-In-Human Clinical Trials with its Therapeutics Programs in Psoriasis by Year-End - PRNewswire