New Drug makes kids' psoriasis symptoms Better

A study conducted by Amy Paller, dermatologist, Northwestern University Medical School in Chicago came to conclusion that a new drug for rheumatoid arthritis can also act positively on psoriasis effecting children. The drug, etanercept, could well turn out to be first regular drug for treating psoriasis in children. Psoriasis is a condition wherein inflammation leads to cell growth within the skin causing red patches over entire body.

As the current treatment method like creams, lotions and ultraviolet light are not effective on permanent basis, the study on etanercept was carried out by enlisting 211 children aged between 4 and 17 with severe to moderate psoriasis. The result proved that 53% of the children receiving etanercept for 12 weeks had almost clear skin as compared to only13% of those who received placebo shots. The area of effected skin declined to 50% in three fourth of the children who received etanercept.

Another dermatologist, Craig Leonardi of Saint Louis University, who was one among dozen U.S. and Canadian researchers, concluded that all the children involved in the study were nearly disease-free after 12 weeks’ of taking the drug. He further added that this finding was a gigantic step in discovery of new therapy for the patient’s who were untreated for long.

The drug etanercept targets TNF-alpha, the main inflammatory protein which causes inflammation. In 1990s, Food and Drug Administration approved etanercept for children and adults for treatment of rheumatoid arthritis which is an inflammatory disease. After the recent clinical trials, Amgen, the company which markets etanercept by the name Enbrel has asked FDA its approval to market etanercept for children’s psoriasis. If approved, this will provide researchers and doctors with a viable alternative to cyclosporine and methotrexate which are prescribed to children though these drugs are not approved for these group patients.

By: Vladimir C. Murray
Published: 04/14/08

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Etanercept and Psoriasis

@ 1:46 pm 07/05/08 by Osiris

Interesting article. I have experience at treating patients for Rheumatoid Arthritis with Etanercept. Currently in UK only given by infusion, which may be problematic with children, and as the drug has not been used for many years yet, the only thing that worries me is side-effects that take several decades to become apparent. Guess that is the risk we may run.

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@ 6:57 pm 08/27/08 by R. Elizabeth C. Kitchen

Great for the kiddies.

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@ 9:03 pm 09/05/08 by yourstrulyisabel

That's a very good discovery in medicine. Just hope that the drug won't be that expensive for everyone to afford it.

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