New agents for treating psoriasis have shown great promise in terms of efficacy, but assurances of safety await further data from larger studies.

Thus far, phase II data show impressive efficacy and no worrisome safety signals for the anti-interleukin-17 agents AMG 827 and secukinumab and the small molecules apremilast and tofacitinib. However, the studies have been too small and of insufficient duration to definitively rule out cardiovascular, infectious, and cancer risks, said Dr. Kenneth B. Gordon at the Las Vegas Dermatology Seminar, sponsored by Skin Disease Education Foundation (SDEF).

"It is my hope that these drugs are going to be fantastic. We just have to maintain a level of concern and vigilance for both biologics and small molecules ... We just desperately need large trials," said Dr. Gordon, head of the division of dermatology at NorthShore University HealthSystem, Chicago.

The discovery of IL-17 as a key player in psoriatic plaque formation has led to a new understanding of psoriasis pathophysiology and has become a new target for drug development. However, experience with one agent that blocks IL-12/23 – which induces activated IL-17 – gives pause.

Briakinumab, an extremely effective anti-psoriatic agent that blocks IL 12/23, was withdrawn from development after phase III studies showed a signal – albeit statistically insignificant – for serious infections including cellulitis and pneumonia, MACE events (cardiac arrest, myocardial infarction, and stroke), and malignancies (nonmelanoma skin cancer and squamous cell carcinoma of the lung and nasopharynx).

The absolute MACE event numbers were small, but were counter to what would be expected from a systemic anti-inflammatory agent, which should reduce cardiovascular disease, Dr. Craig L. Leonardi, a clinical professor of dermatology at St. Louis University, said in a separate presentation.

According to Dr. Gordon, "It’s really an exciting time for new psoriatic therapies based on a better understanding of psoriasis pathophysiology. However, we are less excited about phase II data because of what happened to briakinumab in phase III."

It will be essential to determine the etiology of the adverse effects, he said. "If the effects are not related to how well the agent controls psoriasis but to mechanisms like IL-12 blockade that may not have relevance to IL-17, they may not show up [with the new agents in development]. That’s what the phase II studies suggest, but it’s too early to really make a final statement," Dr. Gordon said in an interview.

Source: .skinandallergynews.com

Hi!

I don't have psoriasis, but better half of me have it. And the purpose of me coming here is to get some advice from females who have this.

short story before my question

me nd my gf have been together for over 3 years now. 1 year ago she found out that she has psoriasis. after that she changed alot. We live in long distant relationship right now coz of my studies. Every time we see each other and as a healthy relationship get a lil intimate she starts hiding herself nd saying things like its ugly etc. I have tried alot to say that i like the way u are nd it doesnt bother me. but in vain. Sometimes when she has bad times nd i try to comfort she says what u would know.. well that might be true :( .

So the question is how should I tell her without making her feel like Im just sympathizing with her nd how should i be with her overall. Before this disease we fought equally (that's a part of healthy relationship also ) but right now I`m afraid coz if i say something she immediately thinks that I`m not happy with her coz of psoriasis :( . (im a lil jealous kind of guy nd shes beautiful so when guys try something nd im not there.. it boils my blood .. )

Im myself a medicine student nd the future plan is to become a psoriasis specialist


<---- haha didnt expect to see those kind of smileys in here

Psoriasis Pictures are not always easy to find and sometimes you may want to compare your skin with an image. If you have ever wanted to see pictures of psoriasis you should check out Dermnet they have over 23,000 images of all types of skin problems and the Psoriasis section is huge.

Dermnet is the largest independent photo dermatology source dedicated to online medical education though articles, photos and video. Dermnet provides information on a wide variety of skin conditions through innovative media.
Thomas Habif, MD founded Dermnet in 1998 in Portsmouth, NH. His passion for medical education and medical photography drove him to create Dermnet.

You will find pictures not only of Psoriasis but also: Acne, Actinic keratosis, Alopecia areata, Atopic dermatitis, Basal cell carcinoma, Contact dermatitis, Cyst, Cystic Acne, Eczema, Erythema multiforme, Genital herpes, Genital wart, Gonorrhea, Hair loss, Herpes simplex, Herpes zoster, Impetigo, Lice, Lichen planus, Melanoma, Melasma, Mole, Molluscum contagiosum, Nail disease, Nevi, Oral herpes, Poison Ivy, Rosacea, Scabies, Seborrheic Keratosis, Skin tag, Spider bite, Squamous cell carcinoma, Syphilis, Tinea (Ringworm), Urticaria, Vitiligo.


*Some images only suitable for adults!

I have been researching the average age at which one gets psoriasis. there is a lot of information and conflicting research, so I thought why not ask here! it could be interesting to find out from actual people rather than a paid for survey.

If you feel like taking part please use the Poll above. Members can also comment in this thread if they want to tell us more.

Guests can now take part in this poll too but why not register for membership you will find a friendly bunch of people here

The list of disease states and behaviors that potentially increase morbidity and mortality and lower quality of life for psoriasis patients is well known and includes psoriatic arthritis, Crohn’s disease, depression, alcoholism, and smoking.

Perhaps less well appreciated is the fact that psoriasis is also associated with multiple comorbidities that increase the risk of cardiovascular disease, including hypertension, diabetes, dyslipidemia, and obesity, Dr. Bruce E. Strober said at the SDEF Las Vegas Dermatology Seminar.

"The metabolic syndrome, a chronic inflammatory state that is associated with increased cardiovascular mortality, is also common in patients with psoriasis," noted Dr. Strober of the department of dermatology at the University of Connecticut, Farmington. The syndrome is associated with at least three of the following five factors: increased waist circumference or abdominal obesity, hypertension, hypertriglyceridemia, reduced high-density lipoprotein levels, and insulin resistance.

"Possible causes for increased cardiovascular risks in psoriasis include the use of dyslipidemic therapies, such as corticosteroids, acitretin, and cyclosporine; the increased prevalence of obesity and other associated risk factors; and uncontrolled inflammation leading to endothelial dysfunction and dyslipidemia," Dr. Strober said.

He emphasized that many questions remain about the association between psoriasis and cardiovascular risk factors. "Do the associations have any clinical relevance?" he asked. "Do specific comorbidities influence the response to therapy for psoriasis? Does psoriasis influence the response to therapy for any specific comorbidity? Will specific psoriasis therapies reduce the negative health consequences of a comorbidity of psoriasis?"

For now, he said, dermatologists might consider screening patients for the prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors through laboratory evaluations such as a comprehensive metabolic panel and fasting lipids, assessing blood pressure and weight status, and asking patients about their history of smoking, alcohol use, depression, and arthritis.

Source: skinandallergynews.com

Hello all, I did some reasearch last night, being fed up with using steriod creams etc and to my suprise alot of people use glycerin oil and have good sucess with it, so i ordered some asap, Thought i'd let you all know that this creation from mother nature might be what we are looking for, definetly worth a try espeacilly how in-expensive and good for your skin it is!


In about 2002, animal model studies at Georgia Medical School established that Glycerin (glycerol) suppressed excess skin growth and foliation, and re-established normal layering. It also doubles healing speed and halves scarring. I've been using it with great success since on psoriasis flare-ups.

It penetrates the skin readily in 10-15 minutes, and is infinitely miscible with water (hygroscopic). So any excess rinses away instantly, or can be wiped with a damp cloth.

It is 3-carbon alcohol, syrupy, tastes sweet, and is an approved food supplement used in large quantities in everything from ice cream, to soaking raisins (to hold moisture in), to toothpaste, cosmetics, and skin lotions. Can be diluted to spray on, or applied by hand or on a cotton swab. For the scalp, apply 15 minutes before showering.

Works quickly, and suppresses itching better than most medications by calming the cells' cytokine output, it seems.

VERY inexpensive. Spreads readily and thinly, no rubbing in necessary.




Hope this helps! -JustDarcy.

Changes could be made to the way that Anti TNF medications are dispensed before patients undergo surgery.

Research presented at the annual meeting of the American College of Rheumatology has highlighted the fact that doctors have been stopping anti-TNF medications sooner than is necessary before surgery.

Investigators claim making improvements to the timings could minimise the risk of disease flares and that this is an area which warrants further study.

Dr Lisa Mandl, rheumatologist at the Hospital for Special Surgery, has suggested that adopting a pharmacologically-based timing system could reduce postoperative flares.

She said: "It doesn't look like there are any increases in infections or blood clots or other problems that go along with these anti-TNFs, which is comforting for patients who are on these drugs who are going in for surgery."

Is Psoriasis Remission Possible?

There is no cure for psoriasis — but it's possible that your symptoms could simply disappear, either with effective treatment or without any treatment at all. How does this happen, and will it last?
By Diana Rodriguez
Medically reviewed by Lindsey Marcellin, MD, MPH

The news that you have a chronic disease like psoriasis is understandably hard to handle. And a lifetime of psoriasis symptoms — skin that's often red, scaly, flaky, itchy, and painful — seems like an unfair burden to bear.

But some people have long periods with no symptoms, known as psoriasis remission, when their psoriasis treatment is successful.

Spontaneous remission is also possible; this is when your symptoms clear up without treatment. Your immune system attacks the skin cells mistakenly, which is what triggers psoriasis in the first place, but in some cases, the body relents and allows the cells to heal.

Psoriasis Remission: How It Can Happen

No medicine will keep symptoms away forever. German scientists were recently able to isolate part of the immune system response that causes psoriasis, which could one day lead to more effective remedies, but for now the focus is on managing the condition and minimizing symptoms. With the right treatment, though, you may enter psoriasis remission and have no visible symptoms for a period of time.

However, the reality is that even if symptoms go away, they’re likely to come back. And when they do, you have to be ready to squelch them before your skin flares up too badly.

What to Do if Psoriasis Returns

When psoriasis strikes again, the best recourse is to start treating it — pronto. If your previous treatment was successful, talk to your doctor about resuming the same course. Sometimes skin becomes resistant to a certain treatment, and what was once useful is no longer effective in managing psoriasis symptoms. In that case, you’ll need to try a new approach.

There is a range of treatments available for psoriasis, including:
Phototherapy with ultraviolet light
Oral medications that target the immune system and treat the whole body
A cortisone or retinoid cream or ointment
A salicylic or lactic acid cream
Coal tar or anthralin creams
Antibiotics (if skin has become infected)

You might never be able to completely control your psoriasis and hold off a flare-up indefinitely. But you can certainly try to keep psoriasis in remission as long as possible. There are plenty of steps you can take to try to prevent your psoriasis from acting up again.

Preventing the Return of Psoriasis Symptoms

Once your skin returns to its healthy color and texture and no longer itches or flakes, you can try to ward off a flare of psoriasis symptoms with these strategies:
Moisturize and protect. Don't let your skin get too dry, as that can trigger the return of your psoriasis. To stay in psoriasis remission, use a rich moisturizer all over your body every day. It's also important to protect skin from the elements, so don't expose it to extremely cold or dry weather.
Get a little sun. Don't allow yourself to get burned — that skin damage could cause psoriasis to act up again. But a little bit of sun exposure can help keep mild psoriasis symptoms at bay — just be sure to use sunscreen.
Say "ohm." Stress is thought to be a trigger for some people with psoriasis, so find ways to relax and manage stress levels to keep red skin from flaring.
Don't scrub. You'll want to take a shower or slip into a bath each day to keep skin clean, but don't give it a vigorous scrubbing. Roughing up your skin can irritate it and trigger a psoriasis flare. Wash gently and pat dry.
Detox your body. Keeping your insides healthy will reflect well on the outside. That means you should avoid infections, restrict your alcohol intake, and definitely kick the cigarette habit.

Even if there's no cure, psoriasis remission offers the next best thing — freedom from visible psoriasis symptoms. Try different treatments to find out what works best to bring you relief from psoriasis for as long as you can keep it subdued.

Merck (NYSE:MRK), known outside the United States and Canada as MSD, today is hosting a R&D and Business Briefing.

"Innovation is the centerpiece of our growth strategy at Merck," said Kenneth C. Frazier, president and chief executive officer. "We continue to make significant progress on our strategy to drive growth from our existing portfolio and to bring forward breakthrough medicines and vaccines that address unmet medical needs and return significant value to our shareholders."

At the meeting, Peter S. Kim, president of Merck Research Laboratories, four of the company's therapeutic area research franchise heads, and the president of Merck BioVentures provided an overview of candidates in development and progress in advancing the company's pipeline. Merck has 19 candidates in Phase III clinical trials targeting a broad range of diseases.

"Merck's strong late-stage pipeline has considerable potential," said Kim. "We continue to advance important, novel candidates both in our late-stage pipeline and in our earlier pipeline to deliver on our goals to provide patients with meaningful improvements over today's treatments and to help advance global health care."

MK-3222 is an anti-interleukin-23 (IL-23) monoclonal antibody candidate being investigated for the treatment of psoriasis. MK-3222 is anticipated to enter Phase III clinical trials in 2012.

Source: merck.com

ahem..

Hi My Name is Darcy, I'm a student nurse in sydney Australia I've been suffering psoriasis for about 2 years now, I have never been diagnosed rather self-diagnosed. I've been through ups and downs from severe coverage to mild coverage and struggled ( currently mild, knees, elbows and ankles, Thankgod for summer sun) with finding things to relief my discomfort and the aesthetic side of it. So I guess i joined this forum to find some comfort with other suffers and hopefully some stumble across some product/ "miracle" cure that can help me and all of you fellow P suffers. (:
Hope to hear from you all.

I have discovered that a head on approach to Psoriasis can be a very good thing, when it comes to other people's views on the condition.
When I was on holiday in Turkey last year, my condition was not at it's worse, but was still quite visinle to other's.
My angle on this was to tell them about my condition, before they started the staring, and drawing their own conclusions.
I would show them my skin and give them a brief description of what Psoriasis was about and the treatment I was getting.
I would also explain that it is not contagious, quite often this would prompt some quetions from them and they would also come forth with other people they knew with the condition.
So now, I always take the head on approach, this also gets them to ask me how I am getting on with treatment.
It's an approach that not all of us will feel comfortable with, but for me, it helps with my confidence and can also give me another topic of conversation when people are asking me about it, instead of making their own judgements.
At least then they are in the know and don't feel awkward about asking me any questions.
Take the head on approach, it may surprise you.

I have added these new icons You will see them next to members names in their posts.

Like it says on the tin! they are either On-Line or Off-Line.

Well, I have just gone into my 11th week of treatment with Methotrexate and visited my Consultant this week.
He gave me the choice of increasing the dosage this week, but I chose to stay on 10mg, for another 8 weeks, until my next monitoring session at the hospital.
I have noticed a marked improvement in the scaling since my last hospital visit, and the treatment is still continuing to improve my skin scaling, I have also had no apparent side effects, blood tests are also very positive.
I don't need another blood test now for 7 wks.
I will now update my Psoriasis score, which I know will have come down since last time.
In the last 3 wks, the scaling has reduced by around 30%, happy days.
Good Luck to all,
Micky.

On the right hand side of each board you will see "New Thread" Click it and you will go straight to start a new thread in your chosen section. this will save you having to load the whole board section before starting your new thread.

Akron, Ohio-based Fluence Therapeutics is developing a drug-device combination that would employ a process known as photodynamic therapy to treat moderate to severe psoriasis, an inflammatory skin disease. Photodynamic therapy uses chemical compounds that are sensitive to light to alter cell function.

The challenge for Fluence has been developing a device that can deliver the right amount of light, while attaching to a patient’s body and maintaining a uniform distance from the skin, according to CEO Warren Goldenberg, an Akron attorney and entrepreneur.

Now, thanks to a design developed by renowned firm Nottingham Spirk that uses tiles with light-emitting diodes attached to a flexible substrate that conforms to the body, Goldenberg thinks Fluence has overcome that challenge. The company is hoping to raise seed funding of between $300,000 and $1.3 million prepare for a larger venture capital raise later. Fluence also would use the funding to build a prototype of the new design, which is the version it plans to take to the market.

Fluence hopes to have the product on the European market in about 5 years, and is targeting Finland as an entry point. Fluence is working with a Finnish technology development company to set up European operations and locate clinical and funding partners, Goldenberg said. A Finnish location makes sense because Scandinavia has among the highest rates of psoriasis in the world, Goldenberg said.

Fluence’s goal is to obtain the CE Mark for the device in about 2 years, and European regulatory approval for the drug in 5 years. Goldenberg estimates it’ll require between $25 million and $30 million to get the drug-device combination to market.

Here’s how Fluence’s psoriasis treatment works: First, the company’s pharmaceutical, which is inert until it is activated by light, is applied to the affected area of a patient’s skin. Next, the photodynamic therapy device is placed around the affected area, and delivers near-infrared light, which activates the pharmaceutical. As the drug is activated by the light, it produces singlet oxygen, which kills the affected cells by accelerating apoptosis, the natural process of programmed cell death.

By accident, via twitter, stumbled upon this forum.
I see well recognizable posts over here.
Myself, I have Arthritis Psoriatica. But fortunately I have it under control.
Have been using Methotrexate for a short time, but felt that this was too heavy for my metabolism.
After this I found about the fumarates, which are under study over here in the Netherlands. And now I am using this and can very well live with it. It is not possible to run anymore, but I can very well do a lot of spinning.
The advantage of fumarates is that it is normal for your metabolism. The theory behind it, search for Schweckendieck on Google, is that psoriasis is not a skin disease but a problem in the immune system, which results in skin problems or arthritis.

Hello my name is Hector and I have been living with Psoriasis all my life,  I live along with it very well and it doesn't bother me most of the time. This is the first time i subscribe to a P. forum so I´m new in here.
Thank you.

Initiation of Tumor Necrosis Factor-α Antagonists and the Risk of Hospitalization for Infection in Patients With Autoimmune Diseases.

Objectives: To determine whether initiation of TNF-α antagonists compared with nonbiologic comparators is associated with an increased risk of serious infections requiring hospitalization.

Design, Setting, and Patients: Within a US multi-institutional collaboration, we assembled retrospective cohorts (1998-2007) of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), and psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis, or ankylosing spondylitis (psoriasis and spondyloarthropathies) combining data from Kaiser Permanente Northern California, New Jersey and Pennsylvania Pharmaceutical Assistance programs, Tennessee Medicaid, and national Medicaid/Medicare. TNF-α antagonists and nonbiologic regimens were compared in disease-specific propensity score (PS)–matched cohorts using Cox regression models with nonbiologics as the reference. Baseline glucocorticoid use was evaluated as a separate covariate.

Main Outcome: Measure Infections requiring hospitalization (serious infections) during the first 12 months after initiation of TNF-α antagonists or nonbiologic regimens.

Results: Study cohorts included 10 484 RA, 2323 IBD, and 3215 psoriasis and spondyloarthropathies matched pairs using TNF-α antagonists and comparator medications. Overall, we identified 1172 serious infections, most of which (53%) were pneumonia and skin and soft tissue infections. Among patients with RA, serious infection hospitalization rates were 8.16 (TNF-α antagonists) and 7.78 (comparator regimens) per 100 person-years (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR], 1.05 [95% CI, 0.91-1.21]). Among patients with IBD, rates were 10.91 (TNF-α antagonists) and 9.60 (comparator) per 100 person-years (aHR, 1.10 [95% CI, 0.83-1.46]). Among patients with psoriasis and spondyloarthropathies, rates were 5.41 (TNF-α antagonists) and 5.37 (comparator) per 100 person-years (aHR, 1.05 [95% CI, 0.76-1.45]). Among patients with RA, infliximab was associated with a significant increase in serious infections compared with etanercept (aHR, 1.26 [95% CI, 1.07-1.47]) and adalimumab (aHR, 1.23 [95% CI, 1.02-1.48]). Baseline glucocorticoid use was associated with a dose-dependent increase in infections.

Conclusion: Among patients with autoimmune diseases, compared with treatment with nonbiologic regimens, initiation of TNF-α antagonists was not associated with an increased risk of hospitalizations for serious infections.

Source: jama.ama-assn.org

HIGH FIVES!!!

So, just wanted to share, last night I went to a family party and for the first time, in such a long time I wore a top with mid-length sleeves exposing my forearms and elbows!!! Yay! Happy dance!!

Completely dreadful initially but actually didn't feel too self conscious once everyone had had a good stare! lol

Perhaps a small achievement but MY GOODNESS I'm proud of myself so high fives and pats on the back for me please!

Hooray!

Jess x

(Fred, feel free to move/rename this is I've not put it in the right place. Thought it would be good to have an area on the forum to share good day stories/mini successes   x )

I can't afford any health insurance right now, and the only prescribe medicines I do have I try to renew whenever I can.

I'm using Dermasmooth scalp oil, for my head and elocon for my face. other than that, Im relying on over the counter stuff and sticking to some sort of diet that wont help inflame my skin.

i use this stuff, i buy at the store called MG217 Coal Tar and the Nuetrogena T-Gel shampoo. i started using a loofa brush, and this nuetrogena body wash, along with this Dove pink soap. i dont care if its for women, that stuff makes my skin feel smoother. lol.

I try to drink a lot of water, and sadly cut way down or completely out any beer or alocohol. I also try to stay active, and play a lot of basketball or walk.