Category Archives: Psoriasis

Researchers suspect inflammation is the common denominator

WebMD News from HealthDay

By Amy Norton

HealthDay Reporter

WEDNESDAY, Oct. 15, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- People with more severe cases of psoriasis may be at increased risk of uncontrolled high blood pressure, a large study finds.

Researchers looking at over 13,000 adults in the United Kingdom found that those with severe psoriasis were 48 percent more likely to have poorly controlled blood pressure, versus people without the skin condition.

The findings, reported online Oct. 15 in the journal JAMA Dermatology, confirm an association between psoriasis and cardiovascular health. But the precise reasons are not clear, and a cause-and-effect link was not proven.

"We still don't fully understand why we see a higher prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors in people with psoriasis," said study leader Dr. Junko Takeshita, a clinical instructor of dermatology at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia.

But, Takeshita said, chronic inflammation could be a common denominator.

People with psoriasis develop thick, scaly patches on their skin that are often itchy or sore. Experts believe the problem arises from an abnormal immune system attack on healthy skin cells -- a reaction that causes chronic inflammation. Chronic inflammation in the blood vessels is thought to contribute to high blood pressure ("hypertension"), heart disease and stroke.

Read more from the original source:
Psoriasis Tied to Raised Risk of Uncontrolled Blood Pressure

PUBLIC RELEASE DATE:

15-Oct-2014

Contact: Katie Delach katie.delach@uphs.upenn.edu 215-349-5964 The JAMA Network Journals @JAMA_current

Bottom Line: Patients with moderate and severe psoriasis have the greatest likelihood of uncontrolled hypertension compared to patients without psoriasis.

Author: Junko Takeshita, M.D., Ph.D., of the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, and colleagues.

Background: Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory disease of the skin and cardiovascular risk factors, including hypertension, are more prevalent among patients with psoriasis compared to those patients without. Previous studies suggest that psoriasis, especially when it is more severe, is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular events such as heart attack, stroke and death.

How the Study Was Conducted: The authors examined the effect of psoriasis and its severity (which was measured by affected body surface area) on blood pressure control among patients with hypertension. The study included 1,322 patients with psoriasis and hypertension and 11,977 controls with hypertension but without psoriasis.

Results: The authors discovered a "dose-response relationship" between uncontrolled hypertension and psoriasis severity, which means the likelihood of uncontrolled hypertension increased with severity of the skin condition. Hence, the likelihood of uncontrolled hypertension was greatest among patients with moderate and severe psoriasis. Patients with psoriasis were equally as likely to be receiving antihypertensive treatment as were patients without psoriasis. The likelihood of treatment did not differ by the severity of the psoriasis.

Discussion: "Adding to the currently limited understanding of the effects of comorbid disease on hypertension, our findings have important clinical implications, suggesting a need for more effective management of blood pressure in patients with psoriasis, especially those with more extensive skin involvement [greater than or equal to 3 percent of body surface area affected]."

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Uncontrolled hypertension highest among patients with moderate-to-severe psoriasis

Home>What Is Psoriasis

Understanding as much as possible about psoriasis can be the first step in managing it. Empower yourself and face your disease head-on by familiarizing yourself with some basic facts about psoriasis.

There are 5 major types of psoriasis you should know about.

For a more in-depth look at the different types, plus pictures of psoriasis, click here.

Psoriasis is commonly mistaken as "just a skin condition." But it's actually a chronic (long-lasting) disease of the immune system. While the exact cause of psoriasis is unknown, scientists believe the immune system mistakenly activates a reaction in the skin cells, which speeds up the growth cycle of skin cells. Plaque psoriasis, the most common form of psoriasis, causes itchy skin spots, red patches, and thick flaky lesions to form.

In addition to symptoms that appear on your skin, psoriasis can also affect your joints through a related condition called psoriatic arthritis. Tell your dermatologist about any pain, stiffness, or swelling you've experienced in and around your joints.

While there's currently no cure for psoriasis, there are different treatment options available. Familiarize yourself with these treatments, and discuss with your dermatologist if any of them may be right for you.

Continue reading here:
What Is Psoriasis | Psoriasis.com

Novartis ( NVS ) announced positive data on pipeline candidate secukinumab (AIN457) from four phase III studies - ERASURE, FIXTURE, FEATURE and JUNCTURE.

The company is evaluating secukinumab for the treatment of moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis.

Data from the studies showed that secukinumab 300 mg resulted in higher rates of clear to almost clear skin at week 12 as compared to placebo.

These data were presented at the European Association of Dermatology and Venereology Congress in Netherlands.

Data from the studies further confirm the results of the FIXTURE study wherein secukinumab has shown superiority to Amgen's ( AMGN ) Enbrel.

Last month, Novartis announced positive results from two phase III studies (FUTURE 1 and FUTURE 2) on secukinumab for the treatment of psoriatic arthritis (PsA). The studies evaluated the efficacy of secukinumab in PsA compared to placebo and assessed its safety and tolerability in the patients.

Both trials met their primary and key secondary endpoints. Results of the trial showed that treatment with secukinumab improved signs and symptoms of PsA along with improving peripheral joint disease and preventing joint damage as compared to placebo.

We note that Novartis had submitted secukinumab to regulatory bodies in both the U.S. and EU in 2013 for the treatment of psoriasis. The company is also evaluating secukinumab for the treatment of ankylosing spondylitis (AS) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

The successful development and commercialization of secukinumab for the treatment of psoriasis will further strengthen Novartis' dermatology portfolio. The company already has Xolair in its dermatology portfolio which is approved for the treatment of refractory chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU) in the EU and is known as refractory chronic idiopathic urticaria (CIU) in the U.S.

The successful development and commercialization of the pipeline is important for the company as it faces generic competition for several key drugs such as Gleevec, Zometa and Diovan.

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Novartis Releases Data on Secukinumab for Plaque Psoriasis - Analyst Blog

Celgene Corporation ( CELG ) presented encouraging data on its marketed drug, Otezla, for treating patients suffering from moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis at the 23rd European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology (EADV) Congress in the Netherlands.

Celgene evaluated the effect of Otezla on health-related quality of life measures and work productivity/work limitation in the patient population through the analyses of the phase III ESTEEM clinical trial program. The program included two large pivotal randomized, placebo-controlled studies - ESTEEM 1 and ESTEEM 2. Analysis of the ESTEEM 2 study revealed a significant improvement in the health-related quality of life in patients treated with Otezla after 16 weeks compared to those in the placebo arm. Moreover, data from a pooled analysis of ESTEEM 1 and ESTEEM 2 at week 16 revealed significant increase in work productivity and improvement with respect to work limitations in patients treated with Otezla (30 mg: twice a day) compared to those in the placebo arm.

We remind investors that Otezla was cleared by the FDA last month for treating patients suffering from moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis (read more: Celgene's Otezla Label Expanded to Include Plaque Psoriasis ). This was the second indication for which Otezla gained FDA approval. In March this year, Otezla was approved in the U.S. for treating adults with active psoriatic arthritis.

Otezla, the latest member of Celgene's product portfolio, contributed only $5 million to the biopharmaceutical company's top line in the second quarter of 2014. Nevertheless, we expect the drug to perform impressively in the third quarter, results of which will be reported on Oct 23.

Celgene carries a Zacks rank # 3 (Hold). Better-ranked stocks in the health care space include Shire ( SHPG ), Medivation ( MDVN ) and Regeneron Pharmaceuticals ( REGN ). Shire and Medivation sport Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) while Regeneron is a Zacks Ranked #2 (Buy) stock.

CELGENE CORP (CELG): Free Stock Analysis Report

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Celgene's Otezla Encourages in Plaque Psoriasis at EADV - Analyst Blog

Skin to live in: Victoria #39;s psoriasis story

By: Skin to live in

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Skin to live in: Victoria's psoriasis story - Video

Natural Relief For Eczema Psoriasis - Ms Toi
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Natural Relief For Eczema & Psoriasis - Ms Toi - Video

Psoriasis Remedies That Work
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Psoriasis Remedies That Work - Video

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Psoriasis Cure Home Remedy - Psoriasis Feet Treatment Home - Video

BEERSE, Belgium, Oct. 10, 2014 /PRNewswire/ --Janssen-Cilag International NV (Janssen) announced today that a Type II Variation has been filed with the European Medicines Agency seeking approval of STELARA (ustekinumab) for the treatment of moderate to severe plaque psoriasis in pediatric patients ages 12 to 17 years old who are inadequately controlled by, or are intolerant to, other systemic therapies or phototherapies.

There currently are limited options for this population in the European Union. In general, children living with moderate to severe psoriasis must contend with a potentially disfiguring and lifelong disease that can permanently impair psychological development.1

"Janssen is committed to the continued development of STELARA, especially in this underserved pediatric population," said Newman Yeilding, M.D., Head of Immunology Development, Janssen Research & Development, LLC. "We look forward to collaborating with the European Medicines Agency in working towards providing a new treatment option for dermatologists and pediatric patients 12 years and older who may benefit from STELARA."

The application is supported by data from the Phase 3 CADMUS registration study, which evaluated the efficacy and safety, as well as improvements in quality of life, among adolescents (pediatric patients ages 12 to 17) receiving STELARA compared with patients receiving placebo.

About CADMUS CADMUS, a Phase 3, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel, multicenter trial, evaluated the efficacy and safety of STELARA in pediatric patients ages 12 to 17 years with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis. Patients (N=110) had been diagnosed more than six months prior to first study agent administration with a Psoriasis Area Severity Index (PASI) score greater than or equal to 12, a Physician's Global Assessment (PGA) score greater than or equal to 3 and body surface area (BSA) involvement of at least 10 percent. In addition, patients were inadequately controlled with topical therapy or were candidates for systemic/phototherapy.

Patients were randomized 1:1:1 to receive subcutaneous placebo, STELARA standard dosing (SD) [intended to achieve exposures comparable to adults] or STELARA half standard dosing (HSD) [intended to achieve exposures half of those seen in adults]. STELARA dosing tiers were determined by body weight. Patients receiving placebo crossed over to receive STELARA SD or HSD at weeks 12 and 16; all patients continued with maintenance dosing every 12 weeks through week 40. Final efficacy and safety evaluations were made at weeks 52 and 60, respectively. The primary endpoint of the study was a PGA score of cleared (0) or minimal (1) at week 12. Secondary endpoints at week 12 included at least a 75 or 90 percent improvement in psoriatic skin lesions, as measured by PASI 75 or PASI 90, and improvement in quality of life, as measured by the Children's Dermatology Life Quality Index (CDLQI) [patient-reported outcome].

About Psoriasis Psoriasis, a chronic, immune-mediated disease that results from the overproduction of skin cells, affects 125 million people worldwide, including 14 millionEuropeans.2-6 Plaque psoriasis often results in patches of thick, red or inflamed skin covered with silvery scales known as plaques. These plaques can crack and bleed, and may occur anywhere on the body. The disease symptoms can range from mild, to moderate, to severe and disabling.7 It is estimated that nearly 3 percent of the world's population is living with psoriasis and nearly one-quarter of those people have cases that are considered moderate to severe.2 Although the disease can present at any age, approximately one-third of people who develop psoriasis are under the age of 20 when the disease first surfaces.8 Prevalence in childhood and adolescence varies by region, ranging from 0.5 to 2 percent of the general population.1

About STELARA (ustekinumab)STELARA, a human interleukin (IL)-12 and IL-23 antagonist, is currently approved in 79 countries for the treatment of moderate to severe plaque psoriasis. IL-12 and IL-23 are naturally occurring proteins that are believed to play a role in immune-mediated inflammatory diseases, including psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis.

In the European Union, STELARA is approved for the treatment of moderate to severe plaque psoriasis in adults who failed to respond to, or who have a contraindication to, or are intolerant to other systemic therapies including ciclosporin, methotrexate (MTX) or PUVA (psoralen plus UVA). STELARA is also approved alone or in combination with MTX for the treatment of active psoriatic arthritis in adult patients when the response to previous non-biological disease-modifying antirheumatic drug (DMARD) therapy has been inadequate.

Janssen Biotech, Inc. discovered and developed STELARA, and the Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies maintain exclusive worldwide marketing rights to STELARA.

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Janssen Submits Application Seeking Approval Of STELARA In European Union For Pediatric Plaque Psoriasis