New psoriasis treatment expected
Efalizumab, a humanised therapeutic antibody, has shown promise as a treatment for moderate to severe psoriasis.
The drug is designed to block selectively and reversibly the activation,
reactivation and trafficking of T-cells that lead to the development
of psoriasis.
Researchers conducted a double-blind study involving 597 patients with
moderate to severe disease who were treated with subcutaneous efalizumab
1mg or 2mg per kg per week, or placebo. After three months, patients
received an additional 12 weeks’ treatment with drug or placebo
depending on results.
At week 12, there was an improvement of at least 75 per cent in the psoriasis
area and severity of the condition in 22 per cent of patients who received
1mg/kg/week, and 28 per cent of patients who received 2mg/kg/week, compared
with an improvement of only 5 per cent in the placebo group.
Extending treatment from 12 to 24 weeks resulted in both maintenance
and improvement of responses. The drug was well tolerated and adverse
effects were generally mild to moderate. The authors conclude: “Efalizumab
therapy resulted in significant improvements in plaque psoriasis in subjects
with moderate-to-severe disease.” (New England Journal of Medicine
2003;
349: 2004.)
Efalizumab, which is manufactured by Genentech, has been approved for
psoriasis treatment in the United States and is expected to be launched
soon in the United Kingdom. |
