The recombinant protein alefacept (Amevive®) is an immunomodulator approved for the treatment of moderate to severe chronic plaque psoriasis. In phase 3 clinical studies, treatment of psoriatic patients with alefacept at a safe and well-tolerated dose caused meaningful reductions in psoriasis area and severity index and in physician global assessment scores as well…
Tag: <span>anti-psoriatic therapeutics</span>
Psoriasis is a chronic, inflammatory disease of the skin that is estimated to affect 2-3% of the U.S. population. The estimated annual outlay for treating the disease has ranged from $1.6 billion to $3.2 billion, and the cost to individuals with the disease is far higher than the monetary costs. Psoriasis is characterized by excessive keratinocyte proliferation, leading to a significant thickening of the epidermis, expansion of epidermal rete pegs into papillary dermal space and abnormalities in the differentiation process. Clinically, one sees red, raised, scaly lesions that can occur over any part of the body. The etiology of the disease is complex and not well understood. T-cells are almost certainly involved in the initiation and maintenance of psoriatic lesions. Although the triggering event is immunological, alterations in keratinocyte function also appear to be important to the overall pathophysiology…