New Psoriasis Treatment

(Ivanhoe Newswire) -- A drug used to treat rheumatoid arthritis also shows success in treating patients with psoriasis. Psoriasis is a skin disorder that affects 1 percent to 3 percent of the world's population. The new research out of the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey finds the drug etanercept (Enbrel) is safe and effective as a single treatment for psoriasis.

Patients with psoriasis covering 10 percent of more of their body were included in the study. The patients received either a shot of etanercept twice a week for 24 weeks or a placebo. Researchers tracked any adverse reactions by the patients and also how much their psoriasis cleared up.

After 12 weeks of treatment, 30 percent of the patients treated with etanercept and 2 percent of placebo patients had a 75 percent improvement in their psoriasis. After 24 weeks, 56 percent of etanercept patients and 5 percent of the placebo treated patients reached a 75 percent improvement. In fact, by the end of the study half of the patients on etanercept had their psoriasis cleared up or had it reduced enough to be considered minimal. Researchers also report similar side effects in both the group of patients on etanercept and those on placebo.

Researchers conclude etanercept appears to provide significant benefit to patients with psoriasis. They say etanercept may prove to be an effective and safe long-term therapy for this chronic disease.

In an accompanying editorial, Luigi Naldi, M.D., says before etanercept is used for the management of psoriasis, additional information on the rate of relapse and a better understanding of the drug is needed.

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SOURCE: Archives of Dermatology, 2003;139:1627-1632