Osteoporosis is a condition where bones become brittle and fragile usually from hormonal changes, or deficiency of calcium or vitamin D. This study suggests psoriasis may be among the triggering or facilitating factors for osteoporosis particularly in psoriatic women.

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Background/Purpose:
Low levels of vitamin D may play a role in the pathogenesis of psoriasis and is related to increased risk of osteoporosis. There are a few studies showing increased rate of osteoporosis in patients with psoriasis; however, none of them investigated impact of vitamin D levels and gender status together. We aimed to evaluate relationship between vitamin D and osteoporosis in psoriasis patients with an emphasis on gender difference.

Methods:
Forty-three psoriasis patients without arthritis and 41 healthy controls were enrolled. All patients were <50 years, and women were premenopausal. Participants were questioned about demographic features, sun exposure, regular physical exercise, and smoking status. The serum levels of 25-OH vitamin D, calcium, phosphorus, C-reactive protein, parathyroid hormone, total alkaline phosphatase, and sedimentation rate were measured. Body mass index was calculated. We determined the bone mineral density of the lumbar spine and femur using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry.

Results:
Femur neck Z score and lumbar spine total Z score were lower in psoriasis group than those of the control group. Additionally, total femoral Z score, lumbar spine total T, and Z scores were lower in female patients with psoriasis than female controls, whereas for male subjects there was not a remarkable difference between the groups. There was no significant difference between the two groups regarding vitamin D levels. The latter was significantly lower in psoriasis group than in controls for females; however, there was no significant difference between the two groups of males. Patients with psoriasis had higher CRP level and sedimentation rate, than control subjects. Female patients had also higher CRP level and sedimentation rate, than female controls, but there were no significant differences between male patients and controls.

Conclusion:
As osteoporosis has multifactorial etiology, psoriasis may be among the triggering or facilitating factors for osteoporosis particularly in psoriatic women via several mechanisms such as low blood level of vitamin D and increased inflammation.

I read recently that psoriasis doesn't only affect mental health because of low self esteem, lack of sleep etc., but it actually affects the brain physically.

Don't suppose you have any good articles in here?

Good afternoon to all psoriasis sufferers.

I am writing this as a UK member on here and this is based on my observations of fellow psoriasis sufferers and what I myself have had to put up with from the NHS, please bear with me on this OK, it is a long story.

Now, as we all know, P & PA is an awful thing to have.

It’s bad enough for us that we scratch to relieve ourselves & we bleed if we scratch hard enough but as you, my fellow P sufferers, we are very conscious of people staring at us like we are lepers when we are out on the streets, we wrap up like it’s winter when the sun is blazing & every Tom, Dick & Harry is wearing shorts & t-shirts.

Me, I wear long sleeve t-shirts & trousers or jogging bottoms (all 100% cotton) and I cook my conkers off in the heat during the summer time.

So, we all ask out GP’s for creams, potions etc until we get to see a dermatology doctor.
Now for me, I have had to wait nearly 2 years since having my last Enbrel injection to the next course of treatment which was Imixiflab (Remicade).

2 years nearly, doesn’t should long but the question is, WHY ?

Why on earth should I or anyone suffer this long with P ?

I live on Exmoor in a pretty little village & the nearest hospitals (non A&E) to me are Minehead & Tiverton, both a few miles away and once upon a time, the derm doc would come & do clinics there but not anymore !

So, I have to go to taunton hospital which is an hour’s drive, on a good day, longer on a bad day.
Taunton dermatology in my experience has got to be the worse I have ever come across in my 'P' life ever.
Their attitude stinks, uncaring etc etc.
I had to complain to P.A.L.S about the so called derm nurse because I have never met a more obnoxious uncaring nurse like it in my life. (She is now on long term sick & taking early retirement, surprise surprise).
It appears that these dermatology people just don’t care at all.
Unlike other hospitals over the years that I have been too, Christchurch was the best, fantastic, lovely, caring, helpful & very concerned about your welfare etc !
West Yorkshire, Calderdale hospital dermatology, again, the same as above, fantastic they were when I lived there.

When I read on here from Scottish P members & others around the UK waiting 3 or 4 months just to see a derm doc, my heart goes out to them because I know & feel their suffering.

With my bad experience & it’s still ongoing at taunton, I had an appointment on Wednesday to see the ‘clowns’ & I had, for the first time ever, to use my military veterans priority treatment form. (it is a form that the MOD gives veterans that were injured in war/peace time & claim a military sick pension & so on)
This form gives us veterans that have it, priority & jump the queue.
I didn’t want to use it because I know when I look around the waiting area in hospital there are so many others suffering P or PA but I had too because as you all know, psoriasis gets you down, you feel low, depressed etc and I too feel low.
Yes, I might act a clown on here, put lots of jokes on the joke thread to boost morale but i am fed up with waiting.

I moved area (Exmoor) and was under the impression that my care would continue without any break. I was given another prescription of injections (Enbrel) which kept me going until Feb/March 2014. When I phoned up to ask for some more I was told that I would have to wait. What for, I don’t know ?
I finally got my first dose of Imixiflamb ( Remicade ) in October in 2015 nearly two years waiting for something.
To cut an already long story short, I had horrendous side effects and was taken off of it (although my skin did clear completely for the first time since 1990 when i found out that i got it)
Since then I’ve been waiting and waiting for new treatment (stelera) I’ve nearly got there and am waiting for it to start really soon.

In amongst all this I was treated with disdain by the nurse whom as i said is retiring and was actually asked by her if I really did want the treatment (I kid you not) !!!
I think the whole system is a travesty, not just me but how others are treated by the NHS.
We P & PS sufferers go through hell with our condition and the lack of duty of care by the NHS is disgusting.
There are times when I think what’s the point in carrying on.
It’s put me under great strain and I have become reclusive but i know that i am not alone, NOR should you that has P or PA or both, have to put up with it.

Yes, the nhs has lot's of other things going on whether it be the dreaded C word etc etc but at the end of the day, we are all human beings, we shouldn't have to suffer & put up with it.


I do hope that you that reads this feels that you are not alone on this planet with your P & PA because you ARE NOT !

Where ever you are, whom ever you are, i wish you all the very best in the future.

Come & pop in here & join up & chat to us.

Take care

GB

My boyfriend has been suffering from inverse psoriasis for about five months now, he has suffered from small patches of plaque before, currently they have improved however and are not a concern, but the patch of inverse he is suffering from is really taking a toll on what he feels he is able to do as he loves cycling and being active and the places he feels he is able to go, and therefore affecting how he is generally feeling. 

A beach holiday we had seemed to trigger the psoriasis, which in the beginning seemed to be infected as well, but doesn't seem to be any longer as there isn't really any itching, but the skin does split quite frequently. 

I'm trying to do as much as I can to help, but it's hard when there isn't a complete solution, he currently uses Butt paste and Sudocrem which seem to help somewhat. But considering he feels like he has to rely on these creams he's worried about going abroad, especially to hot places, with sand etc, even though this would improve plague, it would cause him a lot of discomfort. 

In terms of holidaying, what do you do in terms of medicating and swimming and what ways have you found to decrease the discomfort so you are able to continue doing your normal activities? 

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

This thought has been mulling around the cavernous void of my head for a while now and peoples experience on this forum have only made me question;
Most people as far as I can tell end up falling out with each drug in turn as the body gets used to it. Is there any milage in cycling through a couple of drugs on an x month rotation to avoid tolerance (I am assuming a short delay to purge the body and compatibility).
I do wonder? Or am I barking up the wrong tree?

Answers on the back of a postage stamp please

Hello from New York : I have been a psoriasis sufferer (moderate) for 5 years now. Its in my mothers side of the family and and I got it at the age of 33 years old. For the past 5 years I have tried many different creams and diets to control it. Over the years I figured what would inflame it more and what did absolutely nothing to fight it. I have given up on the natural route and will start going on meds for the first time. Within 2 weeks my insurance company approved my prescription for cosentyx and I will be receiving it this Thursday. I am excited and nervous at the same time, I am worried about side effects but it has gotten to the point I will try anything. I am also worried that it will work well and then one day my body will get immune to it and the out breaks will come back (this happened with the cream's).
I have it in the typical area's  except for my nails. I will be taking before and after pics and will update you guys every week. I am not sure how many of you are on cosentyx but would love to hear from you. Not sure what else to say??

Ralph

More good news for BI 655066 after AbbVie and Boehringer Ingelheim today announced a global development and commercialization collaboration. BI 655066 has achieved psoriasis clearance for 66 months from one shot in a previous study.

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AbbVie (NYSE: ABBV) and Boehringer Ingelheim today announced a global collaboration to develop and commercialize BI 655066, an anti-IL-23 monoclonal biologic antibody in Phase 3 development for psoriasis. AbbVie and Boehringer Ingelheim also are evaluating the potential of this biologic therapy in Crohn's disease, psoriatic arthritis and asthma. In addition to the anti-IL-23 antibody, AbbVie gains rights to an anti-CD-40 antibody, BI 655064, currently in Phase 1 development. Boehringer Ingelheim will retain responsibility for further development of BI 655064, and AbbVie may elect to advance the program after completion of certain undisclosed clinical achievements.

"This collaboration positions BI 655066 as AbbVie's lead investigational compound in psoriasis, complementing our robust immunology pipeline," said Michael E. Severino, M.D., executive vice president and chief scientific officer, AbbVie. "Our expertise in developing and commercializing the world's leading biologic, combined with Boehringer Ingelheim's clinical success to-date will enable us to offer patients a new treatment option with the potential to meaningfully improve the standard of care."

"Our Immunology R&D teams have successfully brought forward compounds that have the potential to transform the way immune diseases are treated. I believe the collaboration with AbbVie is the best way to ensure broad access for patients to BI 655066 and BI 655064," said Dr. Michel Pairet, Member of the Board of Managing Directors responsible for R&D nonclinical at Boehringer Ingelheim. "Our company remains strongly committed to establishing immunology as a core area of expertise and building our pipeline and capabilities in this important therapeutic area."

Recent Phase 2 head-to-head study results in patients with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis showed that BI 655066 had greater efficacy over ustekinumab, a commonly used treatment for this life-impacting skin condition. After nine months, 69 percent of patients with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis maintained clear or almost clear skin (PASI 90) with BI 655066 in the higher dose group compared to 30 percent of patients on ustekinumab. Patients also achieved this skin clearance faster (approximately eight weeks versus approximately 16 weeks) and for more than two months longer (≥ 32 weeks versus 24 weeks) than those on ustekinumab. In addition, completely clear skin (PASI 100) was maintained after nine months in nearly triple the percentage of patients on BI 655066 compared with ustekinumab (43 percent versus 15 percent).

I was hoping some of you lovely people could supply some advice please. My scalp psoriasis is so bad at the moment that my hair is falling out. It was my hubby that noticed it so I got him to take a picture and it is quite bad. I can't get an appointment to the docs till March 23rd and my dermatologist appt isn't till April. Can anyone suggest something I can do to prevent anymore hair loss and/or something I can use to make my hair thicker. I am seriously at my wit's end. Thank you all

Hi folks, I've just literally stumbled across this forum, took a brief tour, and decided to join in.  I've had plaque psoriasis for several decades now - being diagnosed on the early 1980's. I've had various treatments - and the psoriasis come and goes in between treatments.
Treatment regimes in the past 30 years have varied between creams such as betnovate, dovonex,dovobet etc. and Fumaderm and UVA and also UVB.

I was recently 99% clear following a few sessions of UVB but within 3 weeks of ceasing that treatment I was 85% covered again! The quickest return ever! (for me anyway)...    I'm now back on Fumaderm Initial (after a 10 year break) and am just into my third week. I start on the full strength  tablet this coming Thursday. After only 3 weeks I'm already starting to see a reduction in the flakes I am producing and the plaques are slowing flattening.  I'm very encouraged.   Not side effects as yet.

Last time when I was on these tablets I reluctantly felt obliged to give them up - not because they didnt work, they did, but because the stomach cramps I was getting when I reach 4 tabs a day were just unbearable. 
Somehow I'm hoping to avoid that this time.  Not only am I ten years older and my body may have changed? but maybe I can find some hints and tips in order to reduce the "gastrointestinal" side effects?      I was on an Indian website earlier today which suggested taking the Fumaderm with milk rather than water was a potential way forward.

I hope to pick up some useful ideas and tips here  - it looks like a well used and respected site  and of course I'll be very happy to share my progress (or lack of it) with you all as time passes.   

With tongue firmly in cheek - I only have one negative comment to make so far :  I was only allowed to enter a username which was longer than 3 characters and my given name only has 3 - so I have been obliged to add a dummy character on the end of my name.    (Which is fine by the way!)

Cheers

Kit

Cosentyx beats Stelara in sustained skin clearance (PASI 90 response) at 52 weeks for adults living with moderate-to-severe psoriasis.

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Novartis announced today new late-breaking data from the head-to-head CLEAR study, demonstrating that Cosentyx (secukinumab) remains superior to Stelara (ustekinumab) in achieving sustained skin clearance (PASI 90 response) at 52 weeks for adults living with moderate-to-severe psoriasis. These findings were presented for the first time at the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) Annual Meeting in Washington, DC.

Cosentyx is the first fully human interleukin-17A inhibitor approved for adults to treat moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis, and was recently approved for the treatment of psoriatic arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis in the EU and US.

"Cosentyx continues to demonstrate superior and sustainable efficacy against currently available biologics and is a proven first-line treatment option for adult patients with moderate-to-severe psoriasis," said Vasant Narasimhan, Global Head, Drug Development and Chief Medical Officer, Novartis. "Cosentyx has the potential to give more people with psoriasis than ever before the benefit of long-lasting skin clearance."

The ultimate aim of psoriasis treatment is clear skin, and the Psoriasis Area Severity Index (PASI) 90 response is considered an important measure of treatment success. Meeting all primary and secondary endpoints at Weeks Four, 16 and 52, Cosentyx demonstrated it remains consistently superior to Stelara in achieving and sustaining PASI 90 response (76.2% vs. 60.6%; P<0.0001), and significantly better in achieving PASI 100 (clear skin) response (45.9% vs. 35.8%; P=0.0103) at 52 weeks. Cosentyx also showed significantly greater and sustained Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) 0/1 responses versus Stelara (71.6% vs. 59.2%; P=0.0008).

The study also demonstrated Cosentyx had a superior rapid onset of action compared to Stelara, with half of Cosentyx patients achieving PASI 75 as early as Week Four (50.0% vs. 20.6%, P<0.0001). Cosentyx had a similar safety profile to that of Stelara in the study, which was consistent with that reported in the pivotal Cosentyx Phase III studies.

Affecting around 125 million people globally, psoriasis is a chronic skin condition that causes itching, scaling and pain, and can have a significant impact on physical and psychological wellbeing. Despite this, up to half of patients receive no treatment, and of those who do, many (52%) remain dissatisfied with their disease management.

Hi all...I was originally diagnosed with RA but then that was changed to Psoriatic Arthritis.  I have been on most of the biologics with great results from Humira for 10 years until it just stopped working.  I also tried Otezla which was a huge failure and I still have stomach problems from that.  I am discouraged right now as it has been a very difficult season of pain, inflammation and skin issues.  I am very much a 'glass half full person' and an 'energizer bunny' but right now I feel sad, tired and worn down.  I have good support from my husband and family.  I am in my 60's with grandkids. 

I saw a ND to help with other issues and she wants me to consider low dose naltrexone (sp?).  I am just learning about it.  My middle daughter, who has MS, has looked into LDN for that...I just recently learned about using it for PsA.

Thanks for being here.  I am sure you all know this can be a hard and lonely road.  I am grateful to have found you.

Hope, always...

GigiBraun

Hi my name is Scott.  I have both psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis.  I have had psoriasis for 41 years and psoriatic arthritis for about 19 years.  I am currently in search of a new med to treat my psoriatic arthritis.  I was on Enbrel for about 15 years but it stopped working.  Since then I have tried Humira, Stelara, Otezla (Apremilast) and methotrexate, but nothing has seemed to work for me.  Once I clear up a few insurance issues I hope to try Cosentyx.  If anyone has experience with Cosentyx and Psoriatic Arthritis I would be interested in hearing about it.  My psoriasis is currently almost clear but the Psoriatic Arthritis has me almost fully disabled.

I look forward to meeting many of you.

This is an early view from a study that looked at the quality of life, anxiety and depression, self-esteem, and loneliness in patients with psoriasis and leg-ulcers.

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Psoriasis and leg ulcers have a marked impact on the patient's quality of life and represent a life-long burden for affected patients.

The aim of this study is to compare the quality of life, anxiety and depression, self-esteem, and loneliness in patients with psoriasis and leg-ulcer patients.

Eighty patients with leg ulcers, eighty patients with psoriasis, and eighty healthy controls were included in this study. The quality of life, depression and anxiety, loneliness of the patient, and self-esteem were assessed using the Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI), Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), the UCLA loneliness Scale (UCLA-Version 3), and the Rosenberg's Self-esteem Scale (RSES), respectively.

The DLQI score among patients with psoriasis was 12.74 ± 4.89 and leg ulcer patients was 13.28 ± 2.57. The patients with psoriasis presented statistically significant higher anxiety (9.87 ± 4.56) than both leg ulcer patients (8.26 ± 2.82) and controls (6.45 ± 1.89), while leg ulcer patients also presented higher anxiety than controls. Regarding self-esteem, although there were no significant differences between the patients with psoriasis (15.25 ± 3.20) and the ones with leg ulcers (15.89 ± 2.93), they both presented statistically significant lower self-esteem scores than control group (18.53 ± 3.04). The patients with psoriasis presented statistically significant higher levels of loneliness and social isolation (46.18 ± 6.63) compared to leg ulcer patients (43.73 ± 5.68) than controls (42.49 ± 3.41).

Psoriasis and leg ulcers are long-term skin diseases associated with significant impairment of the patient's quality of life, anxiety, and self-esteem, which are frequently under-recognized.

This large Danish cohort study looked at the risk of new-onset melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancer (NMSC) in patients with psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis.

Quote:

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Background:
Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory skin disease that is commonly treated with ultraviolet phototherapy and systemic immunosuppressant drugs, which may confer a risk of skin cancer. Previous studies on the risk of skin cancer in patients with psoriasis have shown conflicting results.

Objectives:
We investigated the risk of new-onset melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancer (NMSC), respectively, in a large cohort of patients with psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis.

Methods:
Data on all Danish individuals aged ≥18 years between 1 January 1997 and 31 December 2012 were linked at individual-level in nationwide registers. Incidence rates per 10 000 person-years were calculated, and incidence rate ratios (IRRs) were estimated by Poisson regression models.

Results:
The study comprised 5 559 420 individuals with a maximum follow-up time of 16 years. There were 75 410 patients with psoriasis, and 25 087 and 58 051 individuals developed melanoma and NMSC, respectively, during follow-up. Adjusted IRRs (95% CI) of melanoma were 1.19 (1.03–1.37), 1.09 (0.75–1.58) and 1.36 (0.94–1.99), in mild psoriasis, severe psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis, respectively, and the corresponding adjusted IRRs of NMSC were 1.67 (1.55–1.81), 1.32 (1.10–1.59) and 1.62 (1.27–2.05) respectively.

Conclusions:
We observed a modestly increased risk of melanoma and NMSC in patients with mild psoriasis, whereas patients with severe psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis had increased risk of NMSC but not melanoma. While the risk of skin cancer is only modestly increased in patients with psoriasis, clinicians should remain vigilant.

Hi all,

I have suffered with P for over 25 years now and have been using all kinds of treatment, most of my P has been pretty low and i have never had a bad case of it until now.

For some strange reason i had a massive flare up never like i have seen before so i went to my local GP and went through all kinds of new ointments of which none of them worked so they sent me to see a specialist at my local hospital.

Once there they said to me i have Guttate P and they advised me to have UVA treatment 3 times a week.

Due to how far the hospital is i could not afford cab/taxi fares and i cannot use local transport....buses/trains (long story due to mental health, crowded places is not my best friend).

I told them i could not do UVA due to costs and they gave me some other new cream, tried it for over 6 weeks and all it done was made it worse

I spoke again to the hospital about this and they said there is nothing they can do right now unless you do UVA treatment so i quit seeing the hospital.

At present the only way i am controlling it is by using the following:

Dovobet for skin
Capasal for shampoo
Dermol for shower moisturizer
Betacap for scalp

Also tried Dovonex but had very little effect.

The only way i can describe what my P looks like is that it's like loads of small blisters but without anything inside, they come and reach a point of size and after 4 weeks they seem to dry out and fade away.

To be honest i don't think Dovobet has any effect on them    i think they just go away on their own.

Anyway onto the question, i have been reading a lot about UVB treatment and the UVB beds out their.....most of them way way out of my price range.

I have been thinking long term that maybe after some saving was to buy a small one for use at home.

The one i was thinking of was this:

72W Lamp for Vitiligo, Psoriasis, Eczema, Acne, Neurodermatitis + TESTER MED!

LINK REMOVED

It seems to conform to all the UK specifications, i.e bulbs.

So i am wondering is it something you's have done and has it worked? or is it somerthing you's would say for me to stay away and not buy it?

I am asking due to me struggling a lot now with P and feel i am getting nowhere, i am at a point of hating waking up.

Look forward to hearing your thoughts.

All the best

JayKay

Hi,

Thought it was about time i introduced myself

I am from the chilly UK and have suffered from P now for over 25 years.

Looking forward to asking some questions, infact i have one on my mind that i will be asking.

All the best

JayKay

I am new and not really sure how to work this site yet. I am looking to see what treatments people are using to get some help as I am at my wits end x

Hello,
I am a new member and have suffered from Psoriasis for about 4 years. It is mainly on my back, arms, buttocks and behind my ears and has gradually worsened to the extent that it has now stopped me going swimming with my Grandchildren due to the embarrassment!
I have tried about 8 to 10 different creams and ointments since 2012, some steroid based and others not, but none of them have really helped. Some do relieve the itching and reduce the scaling skin but the large red patches remain.
I understand there isn't a magic cure for this irritating condition but can anyone recommend a treatment or course of treatments that are more successful than others and that don't include the Sun? 
Many thanks
DPH

The World Health Organization (WHO) have announced in a new report that psoriasis numbers have reached 100 Million worldwide.

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A new World Health Organization (WHO) report shows that psoriasis, the painful, disfiguring condition involving skin and nails, affects approximately 100 million people worldwide. There is no known cause or cure for this noncommunicable disease (NCD), which is also
associated with discrimination and stigmatization of those affected.

Increased action, led by governments, to ensure appropriate care is provided to people living with the disease, and to prevent them suffering discrimination and stigma, are among key measures recommended by the first WHO Global report on psoriasis.

“One way to reduce the burden of psoriasis on people’s lives is through early diagnosis and appropriate treatment,” says Dr Etienne Krug, Director of WHO’s Department for the Management of NCDs, Disability, Violence and Injury Prevention. “Access and affordability of essential medicines are a huge challenge that we see for psoriasis and for NCDs in general.”

The cause of psoriasis remains unclear, although there is evidence for genetic predisposition. The immune system’s role in psoriasis causation is also a major topic of research. Psoriasis can be provoked by external and internal triggers, including mild trauma, sunburn,
infections, systemic drugs and stress. Psoriasis is associated with several comorbidities. Skin lesions are localized or generalized,
mostly symmetrical, sharply demarcated, red papules and plaques, and usually covered with white or silver scales. Lesions cause itching, stinging and pain. Between 1.3% and 34.7% of people with psoriasis develop chronic, inflammatory arthritis (psoriatic arthritis) that leads
to joint deformations and disability. People with psoriasis are reported to be at increased risk of developing other serious clinical conditions such as cardiovascular and other NCDs.

The Global report on psoriasis aims to help raise awareness of multiple ways the disease can affect peoples’ lives and empower policy-makers with practical solutions to improve the health care and social inclusion of people living with psoriasis in their populations.

The report identifies a range of key actions to improve the lives of people with psoriasis, including:

• Ensuring care for people with psoriasis is included in universal health coverage schemes;
  
• Improving access to and affordability of essential medicines for psoriasis;
  
• Providing training for health professionals, especially in primary care settings;
  
• Developing standardised guidelines for the diagnosis of psoriasis and its treatment;
  
• Empowering people with psoriasis by creating networks to foster exchange of experiences and fight discrimination;
  
• Increasing research into psoriasis epidemiology, etiology, association with comorbidities, treatment and ways to improve health care services;
  
• Taking active steps to reduce the stigma and discrimination that people with psoriasis face, including through enacting anti-discrimination legislation and enforcing existing legislation.
  

The report follows the 67th World Health Assembly (2014) endorsement of a resolution on the need to raise awareness of psoriasis and to fight the stigmatization faced by people living with the disease.

Eli Lilly announced today that the European Medicines Agency's (EMA) Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) has issued a positive opinion for ixekizumab for the treatment of moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis in adults in the European Union (EU)

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Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE: LLY) announced today that the European Medicines Agency's (EMA) Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) has issued a positive opinion for ixekizumab for the treatment of moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis in adults in the European Union (EU) who are candidates for systemic therapy. Ixekizumab is designed to specifically target IL-17A, a protein that plays a key role in driving underlying inflammation in psoriasis.

This is the first regulatory step toward approval for ixekizumab in Europe. The CHMP positive opinion is now referred for final action to the European Commission, which grants approval in the EU. The Commission usually makes a decision on marketing authorization within two to three months of the CHMP issuing its recommendation.

Psoriasis is a chronic autoimmune disease that affects the skin.  Psoriasis affects 125 million people worldwide, approximately 20 percent of whom have moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis. Plaque psoriasis is the most common form of the condition and appears as raised, red patches of skin covered with a silvery, white buildup of dead skin cells, which are often painful or itchy. The exact cause of psoriasis is unknown, though genetics and environmental factors are known to play a role in the development of the disease. In addition to physical symptoms, psoriasis can have a significant impact on an individual's quality of life and has been associated with an increased risk of other serious health conditions, including diabetes and heart disease.

"Psoriasis is a serious, chronic disease that can also have a significant, and sometimes debilitating, psychological and social impact," said Andrew Hotchkiss, president of Lilly's European and Canadian operations. "This CHMP positive opinion is a significant milestone in our quest to offer physicians a new treatment option for their patients with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis."

The CHMP positive opinion for ixekizumab was based on findings from the largest Phase 3 trial program in moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis evaluated by regulatory authorities to date. This clinical program included three double-blind, multicenter, Phase 3 studies—UNCOVER-1, UNCOVER-2 and UNCOVER-3—which demonstrated the safety and efficacy of ixekizumab in more than 3,800 patients in 21 countries with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis. All three studies evaluated the safety and efficacy of ixekizumab (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.

In these studies, the co-primary efficacy endpoints at 12 weeks were Psoriasis Area Severity Index (PASI) 75 and static Physician's Global Assessment (sPGA) 0 or 1.1 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 required measure the FDA uses to evaluate effectiveness.