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Biologics for psoriasis

Nature Reviews Drug Discovery volume 2, pages 855–856 (2003)Cite this article

According to the National Psoriasis Foundation, psoriasis affects approximately 4.5 million adults in the United States. Of those, almost one-third have a moderate-to-severe form of the disease, which often requires administration of systemic therapies under the care of a dermatologist. The negative impact on quality of life is significant, and statistics indicate that 75% of persons with moderate-to-severe psoriasis feel that the disease has a moderate-to-large impact on their everyday lives. Although effective, the chronic use of systemic drugs, such as methotrexate (MTX) (Box 1), poses safety concerns. In contrast to MTX and cyclosporine, which target pathways common to all cells, novel biological therapies target specific components of the immune system and might provide a more attractive balance of safety and efficacy.

Biologics dampen immune system

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Figure 1: Market size for psoriasis.
Figure 2: Sizing the psoriasis market.

References

  1. Weinstein, G. D. & Gottlieb, A. B. (eds). Therapy of Moderate-to-Severe Psoriasis 2nd edn (New York, Marcel Dekker, 2003).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. MEDACorp, Senior Managing Director of Healthcare Strategy at Leerink Swann and a board certified dermatologist,

    Daniel B. Dubin, William Tanner & Ronald Ellis

  2. Equity Research at Leerink Swann,

    Daniel B. Dubin, William Tanner & Ronald Ellis

  3. Leerink Swann & Co., One Federal Street, Boston, 02110, Massachusetts, USA

    Daniel B. Dubin, William Tanner & Ronald Ellis

Authors
  1. Daniel B. Dubin
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  2. William Tanner
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  3. Ronald Ellis
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FURTHER INFORMATION

National Psoriasis Foundation

American Academy of Dermatology

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Dubin, D., Tanner, W. & Ellis, R. Biologics for psoriasis. Nat Rev Drug Discov 2, 855–856 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrd1231

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