The dramatic improvement of a psoriasis patient who had developed squamous cell carcinoma secondary to PUVA treatment illustrates that adalimumab and acitretin work synergistically, a physician familiar with the case says.

Etanercept is effective in treating psoriasis in the pediatric population, a study has found. The research also found that patients in the study had increased levels of C-reactive protein, an inflammatory marker that may be elevated as a result of abdominal obesity.

Two biologic agents under investigation show promise in the treatment of psoriasis by targeting IL-12 and -23, says an expert.

The phase 3 EXPRESS II trial data show infliximab (Remicade, Centocor) maintenance treatment with regularly administered infusions is associated with better psoriasis control and fewer infusion reactions than intermittent, as-needed dosing. A composite analysis of infliximab phase 2 and 3 study data shows consistently dramatic improvements across all four body regions evaluated in the studies.

PHOENIX 1 is a phase 3 study evaluating the efficacy and safety of ustekinumab (Centocor), a fully human interleukin-12/23p40 monoclonal antibody, in patients with moderate-to-severe chronic plaque psoriasis. The study randomized 766 patients to receive ustekinumab 45 mg, ustekinumab 90 mg or placebo at weeks zero and four. Data from 52 weeks and 76 weeks show high proportions of patients are maintaining PASI 75 responses with maintenance injections every 12 weeks.

The results of a three-year study with efalizumab show that patients with moderate-to-severe psoriasis are able to maintain high PASI scores, reflecting long-term hope for disease-free intervals.

Acne, eczema, psoriasis, are all skin conditions that can cause discomfort and embarrassment. But for many patients, the worst part of these and a number of other skin ailments may be the residual pigmentation left behind even when the conditions are successfully treated.

Seven newly identified sites of common DNA variations increase the risk for psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis. The whole genome association study of more than 300,000 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) was published in the March issue of PLoS Genetics. The goal was to identify new genes and new pathways for drug development.

A phase 3 double-blind, placebo-controlled study shows remarkable efficacy of etanercept for treating pediatric psoriasis, bettering even those results observed in adults. The findings could help pave the way for Food and Drug Administration approval of the biologic, which could change the face of systemic treatment of psoriasis in children.