Nordimet (Methotrexate) has been given positive opinion from the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) for use in psoriatic arthritis.

Quote:

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The Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) adopted a positive opinion, recommending the granting of a marketing authorisation for the medicinal product Nordimet, intended for the treatment of active rheumatoid arthritis, juvenile idiopathic arthritis, and severe psoriatic arthritis. The applicant for this medicinal product is Nordic Group B.V.

Nordimet will be available as a solution for injection (7.5 mg, 10 mg, 12.5 mg, 15 mg, 17.5 mg, 20 mg, 22.5 mg and 25 mg). The active substance of Nordimet is methotrexate, an anti-metabolite folic acid analogue (ATC code: L01BA01) which inhibits DNA synthesis through the competitive inhibition of the enzyme dihydrofolate reductase.

The benefits with Nordimet are its ability to reduce the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis. The most common side effects are abnormal liver function tests, stomatitis, dyspepsia, nausea, abdominal pain and loss of appetite.

Nordimet is a hybrid of Lantarel FS (25 mg solution for injection), a medicine containing the same active substance that has been authorised in Germany since 1992.

'Nordimet is indicated for the treatment of: active rheumatoid arthritis in adult patients, polyarthritic forms of severe, active juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA), when the response to nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) has been inadequate, severe recalcitrant disabling psoriasis, which is not adequately responsive to other forms of therapy such as phototherapy, PUVA, and retinoids, and severe psoriatic arthritis in adult patients.'

It is proposed that Nordimet be prescribed by physicians with experience in the various properties of the medicinal product and its mode of action.

Detailed recommendations for the use of this product will be described in the summary of product characteristics (SmPC), which will be published in the European public assessment report (EPAR) and made available in all official European Union languages after the marketing authorisation has been granted by the European Commission.

Hi Friends,
My name is Sananda and i am excited to be a part of this club.
Looking forward to getting to know your stories and sharing experiences here.

Thanks!

Does anyone have any recommendations on numbing agents for injections?  In the past, even though the injections stung a little, it wasn't too bad.  I started taking Taltz last night and the injections (two to start) hurt much worse than others.  Thankfully its only going to be one injection every other week for a while, then once a month later (assuming it works).



Thank you.

-Daniel

(Please move if it's not in the right place)

I have a beef about the quality of life questions, and I'd be interested to know who wrote them, is there a standard in the uk or are they individual to the hospital? I guess I would have to ask them.

My problem is, they ask if you work, and if you work, how does psoriasis affect you at work.
But there's no way of saying you gave up your job in a primary school because you have p and it got too much with all the colds and bugs going around the school and the lack of sleep from the itchy skin etc.

Hi All,

New to the forum - I hope this is in the right place! P sufferer all my life. I am 25 now with P covering my torso, back legs and arms.

I have recently been approved to start Cosentyx (Secukinumab) targets the protein interleukin 17A).  Has anyone been on this before and how did you find it?

I was previously on Humira, so used to injecting but unfortunately although it worked wonders on my skin, it also made eradicated all my taste and smell. A whole year went by before I had enough! My previous treatments included, MTX, Clyclosporin, UVB plus all number of creams and lotions.  

look forward to chatting with you all,

Alex

This study suggests there is no increased risk of autoimmune thyroiditis in psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis patients. Autoimmune thyroiditis is a disease in which the body interprets the thyroid glands and its hormone products T3, T4 and TSH as threats, therefore producing special antibodies that target the thyroid’s cells, thereby destroying it.

Quote:

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Background:
Common autoimmune diseases tend to coexist in the same patients. Few studies have examined the possible association between autoimmune thyroiditis and psoriasis or psoriatic arthritis (PsA), with inconsistent results.

Objective:
To investigate the prevalence of autoimmune thyroiditis in psoriatic patients with or without PsA, living in an iodine-sufficient area.

Methods:
We studied prospectively, 114 psoriatic patients with disease duration of 5–38 years, 30 of them with PsA, and 286 age- and body mass index (BMI)-matched subjects without psoriasis or known thyroid disease or autoimmune disease. A detailed medical history was obtained from all participants and clinical examination and laboratory evaluation was performed. Psoriasis severity was assessed with Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI). Autoimmune thyroiditis was defined by the presence of positive autoantibodies to thyroid peroxidase and/or thyroglobulin.

Results:
There was no difference in the prevalence of autoimmune thyroiditis between psoriatic patients and controls (20.2% vs. 19.6%). The prevalence of autoimmune thyroiditis in male and female psoriatic patients was similar (9.6% and 10.5% respectively), in contrast to the increased, as expected, prevalence in female vs. male controls (14.7% vs. 4.9%, P < 0.01). Detected cases with hypothyroidism due to autoimmune thyroiditis were similar in psoriatic patients and controls (7.9% and 7.0% respectively). Autoimmune thyroiditis in psoriatic patients was not related with age of psoriasis onset, psoriasis duration, PASI score, PsA and obesity.

Conclusion:
These data support that psoriatic patients with or without PsA do not have an increased risk for autoimmune thyroiditis.

19 June 2016

So as promised a quick resume of all the lotions potions used over the years. I may have missed the odd one that didn't make it into the bag I took to all my appointments so there were no repeat wasted treatments.


Dovonex Ointment (calcipotriol)
Used this for just over 3 weeks and to be honest all it had no impact whatsoever.

Dovobet Ointment (calcipotriol + betamethasone)
We came to a very quick understanding this ointment and I. We hate each other with a vengeance. I managed three days worth of applications and couldn’t take any more. It just made it more angry itchier and stung to high heaven when applied.
I did have a warm discussion with a regarding this treatment with a Locum Dermy who had only briefly glanced at my notes was only prepared to give me a prescription for this toxic goo and told to go away try it again everybody can use it. It didn’t go down well and yes there was a complaint lodged. It is odd I didn’t get on with it because neither of its constituents on their own were a problem.

Betnovate (Betamethasone)
A corticosteroid, I was on this twice a day, but canned it after 4 weeks of doing next to nothing

Dermovate (Clobetasol propionate)
Another corticosteroid that failed miserably within the 4 week trial

Trimovate (Clobetasone butyrate)
Yet another corticosteroid that had an antifungal/biotic twist. It took away a bit of redness but the plaques remained the same.

Micanol (Dithranol)
This one actually made some impact. Started off on the 1% ½ an hour before showering and washed it off in the shower. Its a short contact treatment. Thinned the plaques and reduced the redness. Went on to the 3% version to try to knock the P on the head unfortunately it tailed off after a couple of months on it. Oh and it stained – everything.

Synalar (Fluocinolone)
Again a corticosteroid not a lot of impact on the plaques, but did thin my finger tips through application and made them very tender and sore.

Zorac (Tazaraotene)
A retinoid (vitamin A derivative). To be honest I don’t remember this apart from having a tube of 0.05% and a tube of 0.1%. As the 1% remained unopened I’m guessing things didn’t go well.

Carbo-Dome (Coal Tar)
Messy, not exactly the best smell in the world and has a propensity to stain anything within fume distance, but was one of the better performing products I tried when the P was only on my legs. It got shut of almost all but a couple of stubborn patches. Was quite prepared to give it another go when I was trying to avoid the inevitable systemics but it has apparently been discontinued.

Sebco (Coal Tar / Cocnut Oil)
So I went on this instead (It is only supposed to be available to treat scalp P). It was helping but no where near as good as Carbo-Dome and by this time I had an awful lot more blotches, so gave up with it.

Psoriderm Cream (Coal Tar)
Bejeezus does this stuff stink. I guess it may have been beneficial, but to give it a fair trial I would need a month off work and lock myself away from the rest of the world

Tri-Adcortyl
Memory has failed me here. A nearly empty tube so it got a fair run but its a weird one its a corticosteroid to treat fungal infections and inflammation but I’m pretty sure I used it for the P. It’s now not available in the UK.

Exorex lotion (Coal Tar)
Was prescribed for use on my elbows as it was suggested that the Carbo-Dome may be a little too vicious. Only used it once as I found it a bit thin and weedy, not easy to apply with any precision.

Lotriderm
I put this one in – it is used to treat fungal infections and was prescribed for what looked like athletes foot. As this has all but disappeared on Acitretin so I’m guessing it wasn’t athletes foot. I did have scrapings done but these were helpfully ‘inconclusive’.

Dear All,

This remedy worked for me, I hope you did not already try it

I stopped eating gluten, and after 1month & half, the psoriasis stopped & never came back

So take your drugs, creams & so on on the bin, & just stop gluten


The thing is : You have to stop gluten long enough to see results  !!
even a little brownie in this 1 month & half, and that is one more 1month& half to wait to see the psoriasis stop

I think this is the main reason why people did not get success with this option...



Personally I wanted to eat bread & so on after 3 weeks, because after 3 weeks of stopping gluten, there was no result, and this was even worst !!

So be patient
Please give this treatment around you and on other forum if this is not already on other forums

Happy no gluten diet!
(yes goodbye bread, pizzas, pastas, croissants in the morning....but come on ! no more pso ! that's worst doing it!)

This review looked at treatments for scalp psoriasis.

Quote:

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Abstract:
People with chronic plaque psoriasis often have lesions on the scalp that are difficult to treat. This is a summary of a Cochrane review on efficacy and safety of topical treatments for scalp psoriasis. For quality of evidence assessment, we used the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) Working Group approach. Only randomised controlled trials (RCTs) were eligible for inclusion.

We searched the Cochrane Skin Group Specialised Register, CENTRAL, MEDLINE, EMBASE and LILACS, ongoing trials, index of included studies and screened abstracts of six psoriasis-specific conferences up to August 2015.

We included 59 RCTs, with overall 11,561 participants. Most findings were limited to short-term treatments (< six months). According to the clinician and patients’ self-assessment a corticosteroid/vitamin D combination (e.g. betamethasone dipropionate plus calcipotriol) and corticosteroids of high and very high potency were better than vitamin D. The two-compound combination was superior to the corticosteroid alone, but the additional benefit was small. Reporting of quality of life data was insufficient. The two-compound combination and corticosteroids caused fewer withdrawals due to adverse events (AEs) than vitamin D. There was no difference between the two-compound combination and corticosteroid monotherapy concerning this outcome. Overall evidence was of moderate quality. Evaluation of other topical treatments was limited.

Given the comparable safety profile and only slim benefit of the two-compound combination over the corticosteroid alone, monotherapy with generic topical corticosteroids of high and very high potency may be fully acceptable for short-term therapy. More quality of life data and long-term assessments are needed.

This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Can-Fite BioPharma will present data on its psoriasis treatment "Piclidenoson" at the 5th Congress of the Psoriasis International Network, in Paris, France on July 7, 2016.

Quote:

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Can-Fite BioPharma Ltd, a biotechnology company with a pipeline of proprietary small molecule drugs being developed to treat inflammatory diseases, cancer and sexual dysfunction, today announced new mechanism of action data indicating its lead drug candidate, Piclidenoson (CF101) inhibits two inflammatory cytokines, interleukin 17 (IL-17) and interleukin 23 (IL-23) which are known to play a major role in the inflammatory process of psoriasis.

Biologic drugs, which are injectable immunomodulators, for the treatment of psoriasis currently on the market and in development, also work via a similar mechanism of action by inhibiting IL-17 and IL-23. These systemic drugs offer good efficacy, however, as biologics they can cause serious side effects.

Piclidenoson binds to the Gi protein associated A3 adenosine receptor (A3AR), which is over- expressed in psoriasis patients. This binding action has shown to induce a robust anti-inflammatory effect by inhibiting IL-17 and IL-23 as demonstrated in in-vitro studies. An orally administered small molecule drug, Piclidenoson, potentially offers safety superior to biologics as shown in clinical studies in approximately 1,000 people.  

These findings will be presented at Psoriasis 2016, the 5th Congress of the Psoriasis International Network, in Paris, France on July 7, 2016. The oral presentation titled, "CF101 via A3AR Activation inhibits IL-17 and IL-23" is scheduled for 10:10 am during the Late Breaking News Session.

"We believe that the discovery of this new mechanistic pathway of Piclidenoson will position it as a strong drug candidate to treat psoriasis with potential efficacy similar to biologics on the market today, while potentially offering superior safety as a small molecule oral drug," stated Can-Fite CEO, Dr. Pnina Fishman.

The global psoriasis market is estimated to reach $9 billion by 2018 (Visiongain). Can-Fite recently announced the submission of its Phase III protocol design to the European Medicines Agency for Piclidenoson in the treatment of psoriasis and expects to commence the trial in 2016.

About Piclidenoson (CF101)
Piclidenoson is a novel, first-in-class, A3 adenosine receptor agonist (A3AR) small molecule, orally bioavailable drug with a favorable therapeutic index demonstrated in Phase II clinical studies. Piclidenoson is currently under development for the treatment of autoimmune inflammatory diseases including rheumatoid arthritis (completed Phase II) and psoriasis (completed Phase II/III).

If one were to use a hydrocortisone cream for say 1 month and the Psoriasis decreased by 50%, if one were to stop using the cream for a week, could it come back?

European Ombudsman welcomes increased Humira transparency but calls for more on global top selling drug.

This is a big report but here is the press release:

Quote:

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The European Ombudsman, Emily O'Reilly, has welcomed increased transparency in the clinical testing of Humira, one of the world’s biggest selling drugs, following her inquiry into the publication of clinical study reports.

Humira, manufactured by the AbbVie pharmaceutical company, is an anti-inflammatory medicine used to treat Crohn’s disease and other common diseases including rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis and ulcerative colitis.

But the Ombudsman also expressed concern about certain parts of four specific clinical trial reports into Humira which were withheld by the European Medicines Agency on the stated grounds of commercial interest and has asked EMA to reconsider these redactions. The Ombudsman said that the principle that public health is more important than commercial interest must be upheld.

Some information about on-going drug development may justifiably be withheld temporarily,  the Ombudsman said, but she added that all information about clinical trials, other than the personal data of patients, must ultimately be disclosed. Ms. O'Reilly has asked EMA, in such cases, to require companies to detail when, and how, any withheld information will eventually be made public.

"Any clinical information of value to doctors, patients and researchers, must be disclosed in the public interest," said the Ombudsman.

Ms O'Reilly added: "The European Medicines Agency has already taken significant steps to inject greater transparency into its work, particularly with its recent policy of proactively publishing clinical reports. My calls for further transparency should be seen in light of EMA's new responsibilities. Once the Clinical Trials Regulation becomes fully operational, EMA will have an even stronger role in ensuring the transparency of clinical trials conducted in the EU."  

The Ombudsman's own initiative inquiry looked at the specific issue of granting wider public access to three clinical study reports into Humira.

While most of the text initially withheld was disclosed during the course of the Ombudsman's inquiry, certain redactions remain, including four that the Ombudsman considers unjustified.

Ms O'Reilly said: "I very much welcome EMA's increasing transparency when it comes to three clinical trial reports on Humira. In the case of the remaining redactions of concern to me, EMA has sought to justify them on grounds of commercial interests. I am asking EMA to reconsider the need for these redactions should it receive new requests for access to these reports."

Background:
Humira, an anti-inflammatory drug, has been one of the top selling drugs of all time, with billions of euro in sales.

The Ombudsman in 2014 opened an own initiative inquiry into the decision of EMA to give only partial public access to clinical trial studies related to the approval of Humira. During her enquiry, which included 75 questions posed to EMA, most of the previously redacted text was made public. EMA's policy of proactive publication of clinical reports - welcomed by the Ombudsman - came into force in January 2015. In March 2016, EMA published detailed guidance for pharmaceutical companies on how to comply with that policy.

As the Ombudsman's inquiry had wider implications for how EMA deals with public access to documents containing information on the safety and efficacy of medicines, the Ombudsman broadened the scope of her suggestions beyond the immediate Humira context.

Morning all, I finally managed to get back and see the specialist at my local hospital and they have agreed to put me back on Fumaderm. They basically stated yesterday that if I go back on  the same dose I was on previously then they wouldn't have to apply for funding again as it was seen as a continuation of medication.
This means that I have to take 120mg tablets. 
They have initially stated to take 1 tablet every three days and then see how I go. If I tolerate this fairly well then go to 1 tablet every other day until I am eventually on 1 tablet a day.
So I took my first tablet yesterday and had a minor flush and upset stomach but I could handle it,so I don't know whether to just take another one today? What do people think? Keen to get this under control as soon as possible.
I'm also trying to find instructions for fumaderm in English, does anyone have these or can anyone provide a link to these.

Thanks.

Hey all.   I have recently been diagnosed with Pustular, Guttate, Scalp, and Nail Psoriasis.   Started with being sick, a poison ivy rash, losing sleep and stress from work, and im guessing excess drinking from stress also.    The poison ivy and cold went away, and about a week later i started breaking out everywhere, bumps, blisters, rashes, etc.   

I went to my Dr and he thought maybe I had reinfected with poison ivy and prescribed Prednisone.   That did clear up my palms and bottom of feet, and everything else seems to kind of stay at bay, until i started tapering off. Then it came back with a vengeance.   

Its been about 2 months now, and i was officially diagnosed about 2 weeks ago.   Been having trouble walking for about 6 weeks of it.   I have been using Desonate, Clobetasol Propionate, going out on my porch in the sun in bathing suit for 15-20 minutes any time i'm able(since ive been diagnosed its been sunny about 4 days, my typical luck) using Anumed Vitamin D ointment, and I have used a standard Centrum multivite which has Vit D daily.   A few days i took a Vit D pill with 1000% daily, thinking it is overkill so stopped.

There has been a little clearing of the guttate, i believe from sunlight mostly, as i find the creams/foam annoying to apply and unless a spot is really itching i dont use at all.  I tend to lean towards treating things naturally and avoiding prescriptions if I can just as a habit.  

I know if i could reduce my stress it would help, however my current work situation just wont allow it, and it should be back to normal in a few months, so i plan to tough it out.   It is a good job and pays well.

And lastly I have been looking into UVB therapy and I hope I am not chewed out for considering building my own light kit (I have many years of electronics training and experience)  I am trying to research wattages and the appropriate usage time and really just want to clear up my feet.   Small lights are readily available online for a few hundred, looking at parts required and just bulb alone could be built for under $50.    Feel free to tell me im way off here, im new to this and and comfortable accepting my idea may be a terrible one.

If anyone is curious about me im 36, married with a 3 year old daughter, used to enjoy mountain biking and kayaking, but mostly not sit in a chair with my feet up playing games on my PC.    Have been working as a Network Engineer for about 10 years now, with prior jobs in PC repair, Network Administration, Electronics repair, and a grocery store.

That was a bit long and i apologize for that.   If anyone has the patience to get through it I appreciate it.

Hello, everyone!

As a 63 year old female who has had psoriasis since age 16, I would like to provide what ever support and information that may assist others.

Presently I am on Cosentyx and have been for one year. I had moderate coverage- scalp to ankles, and have experienced about 95% clearing. The area that seems to not want to completely respond is my lower legs (knees downward). These areas improved initially , but I am still left with small reddened areas, varying in size from 1/8 to 1/2 inch, some have plaques, some do not. Summer sun has reduced them, but I am not expecting that to remain once cool weather returns.

I have not experienced any known side effects, and made it through, so far, without getting overly sick from a suppressed immune system. I am a nurse, so it's not like I am never exposed to sick people!

It is amazing to run my hands over my skin and feel smooth. It's been a long, long time!

More good news for psoriasis patients as Eli Lilly published detailed results from three pivotal Phase 3 studies—UNCOVER-1, UNCOVER-2 and UNCOVER-3—that demonstrated the efficacy and safety of Taltz® (ixekizumab) through 60 weeks in patients with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis. This publication also detailed 12-week efficacy data for patients treated with Taltz in UNCOVER-1.

Quote:

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Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE: LLY) announced today that the New England Journal of Medicine has published detailed results from three pivotal Phase 3 studies—UNCOVER-1, UNCOVER-2 and UNCOVER-3—that demonstrated the efficacy and safety of Taltz® (ixekizumab) through 60 weeks in patients with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis. This publication also detailed 12-week efficacy data for patients treated with Taltz in UNCOVER-1.

In all three studies, responders to Taltz through 12 weeks demonstrated high levels of skin clearance through 60 weeks.

"This group of studies show that patients on Taltz are able to achieve high levels of efficacy, and that the majority of patients are able to maintain or continue to improve their response with continued treatment through 60 weeks," said Kenneth Gordon, M.D., a professor of dermatology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and first author of the paper.

STUDY DESIGNS
All three studies evaluated the safety and efficacy of Taltz (80 mg every two weeks, following a 160-mg starting dose) compared to placebo after 12 weeks. UNCOVER-2 and UNCOVER-3 included an additional comparator arm in which patients received etanercept (50 mg twice a week) for 12 weeks. All three studies also evaluated response rates with Taltz every four weeks through 60 weeks. In UNCOVER-1 and UNCOVER-2, patients treated with Taltz who achieved clinical response (static Physician's Global Assessment score [sPGA] 0 or 1) at 12 weeks were re-randomized to receive Taltz (80 mg every four weeks) or placebo through 60 weeks. In UNCOVER-3, all patients completing 12 weeks continued the study receiving Taltz (80 mg every four weeks) through 60 weeks.

In all three studies, the co-primary efficacy endpoints at 12 weeks were Psoriasis Area Severity Index score (PASI) 75 and sPGA 0 or 1. PASI measures the extent and severity of psoriasis by assessing average redness, thickness and scaliness of skin lesions (each graded on a zero to four scale), weighted by the body surface area of involved skin, while the sPGA is the physician's assessment of severity of a patient's psoriasis lesions overall at a specific point in time and is a recommended measure the FDA uses to evaluate effectiveness.1 In all three studies, sPGA and PASI were also assessed through 60 weeks.

RESULTS
In UNCOVER-1, Taltz given every two weeks was statistically superior to placebo, with high levels of clearance achieved at 12 weeks among patients treated with Taltz, the majority of whom achieved virtually clear (PASI 90) or completely clear skin (PASI 100, sPGA 0).

   81.8 percent of patients treated with Taltz achieved sPGA 0 or 1 compared to 3.2 percent of those treated with placebo (p < 0.001).
   89.1 percent of patients treated with Taltz achieved PASI 75 compared to 3.9 percent of patients treated with placebo (p < 0.001).
   70.9 percent of patients treated with Taltz achieved PASI 90 compared to 0.5 percent treated with placebo (p < 0.001).
   35.3 percent of patients treated with Taltz achieved complete resolution of psoriasis plaques (PASI 100) compared to zero patients treated with placebo (p < 0.001).

In UNCOVER-1 and UNCOVER-2, high levels of clearance also were achieved through 60 weeks among patients treated with Taltz every two weeks who achieved clinically meaningful response (sPGA 0 or 1) at 12 weeks, the majority of whom achieved virtually clear or completely clear skin through 60 weeks when treated with Taltz every four weeks.

In UNCOVER-1 and UNCOVER-2 through 60 weeks:

   78.3 percent of patients maintained sPGA 0 or 1.
   83.3 percent of patients achieved PASI 75.
   76.5 percent of patients achieved PASI 90.
   More than half of patients (57.5 percent) achieved complete resolution of skin plaques (PASI 100).

In UNCOVER-3, high levels of clearance were also achieved with Taltz given every four weeks through 60 weeks among patients initially treated with Taltz every two weeks:

   74.5 percent of patients achieved sPGA 0 or 1.
   83.4 percent of patients achieved PASI 75.
   73.2 percent of patients achieved PASI 90.
   More than half of patients (55.3 percent) achieved complete resolution of skin plaques (PASI 100).

"Over the last several years, advances in our understanding of psoriasis have led to the development of new treatment targets that may provide higher levels of skin clearance," said Aarti Shah, Lilly's global brand development leader for Taltz. "The results of these analyses are significant, demonstrating that the majority of patients treated with Taltz through 60 weeks achieved or maintained virtually or completely clear skin."

Information regarding the safety of Taltz is drawn from a database of 4,204 patients with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis who volunteered in both controlled and uncontrolled clinical trials.

Taltz may increase the risk of infection. Patients treated with Taltz had a higher rate of infections than patients treated with placebo (27 percent vs. 23 percent). Upper respiratory tract infections, oral candidiasis, conjunctivitis and tinea infections occurred more frequently in patients treated with Taltz compared to placebo. Serious infections have occurred. Instruct patients to seek medical advice if signs or symptoms of clinically important chronic or acute infection occur. If a serious infection develops, discontinue Taltz until the infection resolves.

Other warnings and precautions for Taltz include pre-treatment evaluation for tuberculosis, hypersensitivity reactions, inflammatory bowel disease and immunizations.

Pfizer have released second phase 3 results on Xeljanz (tofacitinib citrate) for the treatment of psoriatic arthritis.

Quote:

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Pfizer announced today top-line results from Oral Psoriatic Arthritis triaL (OPAL) Beyond, the second Phase 3 study of XELJANZ® (tofacitinib citrate) being investigated in patients with active psoriatic arthritis (PsA). This study evaluated the efficacy and safety of tofacitinib 5 mg and 10 mg twice daily (BID) in adult patients with active PsA who had an inadequate response to at least one tumor necrosis factor inhibitor (TNFi), making it the first PsA study to focus exclusively on TNFi-IR patients.1 OPAL Beyond met its primary efficacy endpoints demonstrating a statistically significant (p<0.0001) improvement with tofacitinib 5 mg BID and 10 mg BID compared to placebo treatment as measured by American College of Rheumatology 20 (ACR20) response and Health Assessment Questionnaire Disability Index (HAQ-DI) score at 3 months.1

“There is a significant need for additional PsA treatment options as many people living with the condition do not respond well to available therapies,” said Michael Corbo, Category Development Lead, Inflammation & Immunology, Pfizer Global Innovative Pharmaceuticals Business. “The positive results of both Phase 3 PsA studies, OPAL Broaden in DMARD-IR patients and OPAL Beyond in TNFi-IR patients, demonstrate that tofacitinib, if approved, may have potential to be an important treatment option to help address unmet needs for patients with PsA.”

Overall safety findings in this study were consistent with those observed in the broader rheumatology clinical development program for tofacitinib.

OPAL Beyond is a Phase 3, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, 6-month study investigating the efficacy and safety of tofacitinib 5 mg and 10 mg twice daily in patients with active PsA who had inadequate response to at least one TNFi due to lack of efficacy or an adverse event.1 A total of 395 subjects enrolled in the study and were randomized equally to tofacitinib 5 mg BID, tofacitinib 10 mg BID and placebo. Patients enrolled in the study were required to be on one conventional synthetic disease modifying antirheumatic drug (csDMARD) as background therapy and continue that dose for the duration of the study.

If you are using Methotrexate to treat psoriasis you must read this. I'm known to be anti methotrexate for treating psoriasis but some of our members do well on it, and before anyone shoots me down this is not a personal view.

Quote:

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Objective:
Accidental daily dosing of methotrexate can result in life-threatening toxicity. We investigated methotrexate dosing errors reported to the National Coronial Information System (NCIS), the Therapeutic Goods Administration Database of Adverse Event Notifications (TGA DAEN) and Australian Poisons Information Centres (PICs).

Design and setting:
A retrospective review of coronial cases in the NCIS (2000–2014), and of reports to the TGA DAEN (2004–2014) and Australian PICs (2004–2015). Cases were included if dosing errors were accidental, with evidence of daily dosing on at least 3 consecutive days.

Main outcome measures:
Events per year, dose, consecutive days of methotrexate administration, reasons for the error, clinical features.

Results:
Twenty-two deaths linked with methotrexate were identified in the NCIS, including seven cases in which erroneous daily dosing was documented. Methotrexate medication error was listed in ten cases in the DAEN, including two deaths. Australian PIC databases contained 92 cases, with a worrying increase seen during 2014–2015. Reasons for the errors included patient misunderstanding and incorrect packaging of dosette packs by pharmacists. The recorded clinical effects of daily dosage were consistent with those previously reported for methotrexate toxicity.

Conclusion:
Dosing errors with methotrexate can be lethal and continue to occur despite a number of safety initiatives in the past decade. Further strategies to reduce these preventable harms need to be implemented and evaluated. Recent suggestions include further changes in packet size, mandatory weekly dosing labelling on packaging, improving education, and including alerts in prescribing and dispensing software.

My suggestion Fred is please give yourself a big pat on the back for all the information that you have taken your time and trouble to collate and put on here, the information is great and collectively the whole lot together is really the most comprehensive that I have come across in one place .
Thank you .

As we now have a lot of threads for the use of oral treatments for psoriasis I thought it would be easier to list them all in one thread. This should make them easier to find and will move 5 normal threads up.

Here is a list of the current oral treatments for psoriasis. (Just click and go)

Acitretin

Ciclosporine

Dimethylfumarates and Psoriasis

Fumaderm

Methotrexate

Otezla

Sulfasalazine

Leflunomide

Skilarence

Rinvoq

Sotyktu

*If you have any other suggestions for oral treatments please let me know.