Psoriasis - Biotech, Pharma and Life Science Channel
Psoriasis is a common skin condition affecting 2-3% of the population of the United Kingdom, where the skins replacement process is sped taking 2-6 days instead of the usual 21 - 28 days for the replacement of skin cells. Patients experience an accumulation of skin cells on the surface of the skin, in the form of a psoriatic plaque, which can form anywhere on the body. Psoriasis can occur at any point in the lifespan, to males or females.
Recent research has found that the changes in the skin begin in the immune system when certain immune cells (T cells) are triggered and become overactive. The T cells produce inflammatory chemicals, and act as if they were fighting an infection or healing a wound, which leads to the rapid growth of skin cells causing psoriatic plaques to form. It is not yet clear what triggers the immune system to act in this way.
There is some degree of genetics associated with the condition; around 30% of people with psoriasis have a family history of the condition, and certain genes have been identified as being linked to psoriasis. Environmental factors can act as a trigger, eg throat infection, injury to the skin, certain drugs and physical or emotional stress.
Treatment includes; Topical therapies (Vitamin D and A analogues, Coal tar preparations, Topical steroids and Dithranol), Phototherapy (with UVB or UVA), Systemic medications (Methotrexate, Ciclosporin, Acitretin or Hydroxycarbamide) and new biological injections (blocking the action of certain immune cells)
Source; Adapted from the Psoriasis Association UK
PubMed Articles
Cost Effectiveness of Biologic Therapies for Plaque Psoriasis.
BACKGROUND: During the last decade, the implementation of biologic agents has changed the therapeutic management of severe psoriasis. Biologic agents have clinically proven efficacy, but their use is...
Background: Anti-tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α therapies represent a significant innovation in therapy for psoriasis. However, a significant number of psoriasis patients do not respond well to TNF bl...
Diagnosis and Treatment of Pediatric Psoriasis: Current and Future.
Psoriasis is a common yet complex inflammatory dermatosis that may be seen in infants, children, and adolescents. The clinical presentation and course may be quite variable, and while patients with mi...
Antiproliferative effect of two novel COX-2 inhibitors on human keratinocytes.
Selective COX-2 inhibitors (COXib) belonging to the class of diaryl heterocycles (e.g., celecoxib, rofecoxib, etc.), are devoid of the undesirable effects due to their capacity to inhibit selectively...
Previous studies have indicated that oxidative stress contributes in the efficacy and toxicity of methotrexate (MTX) treatment. The present study aims to investigate the systemic MTX treatments impact...
Risk factors for Staphylococcus aureus nasal colonization in Danish middle-aged and elderly twins.
Staphylococcus aureus is a human commensal bacterium found in the nasal cavity and other body sites. Identifying risk factors for S. aureus nasal carriage is of interest, as nasal carriage is a risk f...
Interleukin-22 (IL-22) is mainly produced at barrier surfaces by T cells and innate lymphoid cells and is crucial to maintain epithelial integrity. However, dysregulated IL-22 action leads to deleteri...
Drug-induced lupus and autoimmune hepatitis secondary to infliximab for psoriasis.
We describe a case of previously unreported autoimmune hepatitis and lupus-like syndrome induced by infliximab treatment for chronic plaque psoriasis. The condition resolved after withdrawal of inflix...
Pro-inflammatory macrophages play a prominent role in such autoimmune diseases as rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn's disease, psoriasis, sarcoidosis, and atherosclerosis. Because pro-inflammatory macrophag...
BACKGROUND: Few population-based studies have reported the prevalence of psoriatic disease. OBJECTIVE: We validated computerized diagnoses to estimate the prevalence of psoriasis and psoriatic arthrit...
News Articles
Men Suffer More Severe Psoriasis, Which Explains The Higher Costs Of Care For Men
Men often suffer from more severe cases of psoriasis than women, which may explain why the cost of care for men is higher. This is the conclusion of researchers at Sweden's Umea University in a new st...
Researchers explain why cost of care higher for men with severe psoriasis
Men often suffer from more severe cases of psoriasis than women, which may explain why the cost of care for men is higher. This is the conclusion of researchers at Umeå University in a new study.
Idera Pharmaceuticals Reports First Quarter 2013 Financial Results
Idera Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: IDRA) today reported financial results for the quarter ended March 31, 2013. “Our next objective in Idera’s autoimmune dis...
Jashin J. Wu, MD; Kwun-Yee T. Poon, MS; Jennifer C. Channual, MD; Albert Yuh-Jer Shen, MS, MDObjective: To assess whether patients with psoriasis treated with tumor necrosis factor (TNF) inhibitors ha...
More severe psoriasis explains the higher costs of care for men
(Umea University) Men often suffer from more severe cases of psoriasis than women, which may explain why the cost of care for men is higher. This is the conclusion of researchers at Sweden's Umeå Uni...
[Idera Pharmaceuticals] brings in $8.6mm through FOPO
Large-molecule drug developer [Idera Pharmaceuticals Inc.] has grossed $8.6mm through the follow-on public offering of 17.5mm common shares at $0.49. Shareholders also received five-year warrants to b...
Events
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Companies
Provectus Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Provectus Pharmaceuticals specializes in developing oncology and dermatology therapies. Its lead oncology agent, PV-10, is designed to selectively target and destroy cancer cells...
Founded in 2002, HealOr is a privately owned, clinical-stage specialty biopharmaceutical company developing a first-in-class pipeline of topical therapeutics to treat a variety of...
Shape Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is developing SHP-141, a novel, topical, âsoft-drugâ HDAC inhibitor for the treatment of patients with cutaneous T cell lymphoma (CTCL) and p...
VBL Therapeutics is an innovative, clinical-stage biotechnology company committed to the development of novel treatments for immune-inflammatory diseases and cancer. VBL has pione...
Lycera Corp. is focused on the discovery and development of selective, small-molecule immunomodulators for the treatment of patients with autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid ar...
Neurogen Corporation & Ligand Pharmaceuticals
Ligand discovers and develops new drugs that address critical unmet medical needs of patients with muscle wasting, frailty, hormone-related diseases, osteoporosis, inflammatory di...
DARA BioSciences, Inc. is a Raleigh, North Carolina based development-stage biopharmaceutical company that acquires promising therapeutic small molecules and develops them through...
Galdermaâs ambition is to be recognized as the most competent and successful innovation-based company focused exclusively on meeting the needs of dermatology patients and phy...
Helmedix is developing new therapies for autoimmune diseases. The company has identified peptides derived from helminthic worms that have immune-modulating properties. These peptides are being explo...
NexMed is the largest specialty CRO based in San Diego, CA and is one of the industry's most experienced CROs for in vitro and in vivo pharmacology services and research models. T...
Clinical Trials
Efficacy and Safety of Calcipotriol Plus Betamethasone Dipropionate Gel in Scalp Psoriasis
The purpose of the study is to evaluate whether once daily topical treatment for up to 8 weeks of calcipotriol 50 mcg/g plus betamethasone 0.5 mg/g (as dipropionate) gel is safe and more e...
Efficacy and Safety of Calcipotriol Plus Betamethasone Gel in the Treatment of Scalp Psoriasis
The purpose of this study is to evaluate whether once daily treatment for up to 8 weeks of calcipotriol 50 mcg/g plus betamethasone 0.5 mg/g (as dipropionate) gel is safe and more effectiv...
Study Evaluating Etanercept in the Treatment of Subjects With Psoriasis
This study will provide a direct comparison of 'continuous therapy' and 'intermittent therapy' with withdrawal and retreatment upon return of psoriasis.
The purpose of this study is to find out how safe and effective an investigational drug called alefacept (amevive) is for the treatment of moderate to severe erosive mucosal lichen planus....
Study of Etanercept (Enbrel) in the Treatment of Pemphigus Vulgaris
The purpose of the study is to find out about the effectiveness and the safety of an investigational drug called etanercept (Enbrel) to treat pemphigus vulgaris. Pemphigus vulgaris is a po...
Ultraviolet (UVA and UVB) Light Therapy in the Treatment of Inflammatory Skin Conditions
The purpose of this investigation is to study the effectiveness of longer wavelength UVA1 (340-400nm) or shorter wavelength ultraviolet B [UVB] (290-320nm) irradiation in the treatment of...
A Study of Tetrathiomolybdate in the Treatment of Psoriasis Vulgaris
Psoriasis is a common skin disease affecting an estimated 2.6% of the US population. It is a chronic, recurrent condition for which there is no cure, but there are ways to control it. Ps...
Etanercept (Enbrel®) in Psoriasis - Pediatrics
This study will evaluate the safety and efficacy of etanercept (Enbrel®) in children with Psoriasis. This is a Phase 3 blinded, placebo-controlled study.
RATIONALE: The presence of specific serum proteins may allow a doctor to determine if a patient has mycosis fungoides/cutaneous T-cell lymphoma. PURPOSE: This clinical trial is studying h...
Study of Topical Calcitriol or Oral Calcitriol in Patients With Psoriasis
OBJECTIVES: I. Evaluate the long term safety and efficacy of orally administered calcitriol in patients with at least 5% of their body covered with psoriasis. II. Evaluate the long term...
Videos
Psoriasis: una enfermedad de la piel
Qué es la Psoriasis? ¿Cuál es el impacto social de esta enfermedad? ¿Cuáles son las señales de esta patología? ¿Qué avance hubo en los últimos años sobre el...
Medical and Biotech [MESH] Definitions
Sacroiliitis
Inflammation of the SACROILIAC JOINT. It is characterized by lower back pain, especially upon walking, fever, UVEITIS; PSORIASIS; and decreased range of motion. Many factors are associated with and cause sacroiliitis including infection; injury to spine, lower back, and pelvis; DEGENERATIVE ARTHRITIS; and pregnancy.
Psoriasis
A common genetically determined, chronic, inflammatory skin disease characterized by rounded erythematous, dry, scaling patches. The lesions have a predilection for nails, scalp, genitalia, extensor surfaces, and the lumbosacral region. Accelerated epidermopoiesis is considered to be the fundamental pathologic feature in psoriasis.
Retinoids
A group of tetraterpenes, with four terpene units joined head-to-tail. Biologically active members of this class are used clinically in the treatment of severe cystic ACNE; PSORIASIS; and other disorders of keratinization.
Tretinoin
An important regulator of GENE EXPRESSION during growth and development, and in NEOPLASMS. Tretinoin, also known as retinoic acid and derived from maternal VITAMIN A, is essential for normal GROWTH; and EMBRYONIC DEVELOPMENT. An excess of tretinoin can be teratogenic. It is used in the treatment of PSORIASIS; ACNE VULGARIS; and several other SKIN DISEASES. It has also been approved for use in promyelocytic leukemia (LEUKEMIA, PROMYELOCYTIC, ACUTE).
Hla-c Antigens
Class I human histocompatibility (HLA) antigens encoded by a small cluster of structural genes at the C locus on chromosome 6. They have significantly lower immunogenicity than the HLA-A and -B determinants and are therefore of minor importance in donor/recipient crossmatching. Their primary role is their high-risk association with certain disease manifestations (e.g., spondylarthritis, psoriasis, multiple myeloma).
