New hope for children suffering from plaque psoriasis

An application for use of Enbrel in managing psoriasis in children and adolescents has been submitted by Wyeth to the European Medicines Agency (EMEA) and is currently under review. This study was published in the January 17th, 2008, issue of The New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM).

The trial, the first time any biological treatment has been tested in children and adolescents with plaque psoriasis, showed that 57% of patients on etanercept for 12 weeks achieved remarkable improvement.

Psoriasis is a potentially serious and disabling chronic skin disease that affects both men and women and is visible on the skin in the form of red scales. Psoriasis usually appears on the elbows and knees of the patient, but sometimes may affect the lower back, face and the feet. Approximately 80% of patients have plaque psoriasis, which is characterized by painful and itchy, red, scaly patches.

"Current treatment for children and adolescents suffering from psoriasis is limited," said Dr. Hussein Abdul Dayem, Consultant & Head of Dermatology Department, Mafraq Hospital, U.A.E. "This study clearly shows the improvement in the quality of life of young sufferers, as children with moderate to severe psoriasis treated with Enbrel have experienced rapid relief of symptoms, starting from the first week of treatment."

Psoriasis is a disease of the immune system which causes abnormal cell proliferation where the cells embedded in the epidermis regenerate much faster than in normal individuals resulting in excess pile up on the surface of the skin. Roughly 12.6 million people suffer from psoriasis across the USA and the EU countries. One third of all psoriasis cases begin in childhood, in many cases onset has been seen in infants between the ages of 2 to 4years old. Psoriasis is frequently physically and psychologically disabling and in adults, is also associated with an increased risk of obesity, type 2 diabetes, liver disease and clinical depression.

"Biologics have dramatically improved how we manage adult psoriasis. Adult patients have benefited from treatment with Enbrel for many years and it is proven to be effective at managing this debilitating disease," said Professor Alberto Giannetti, M.D, Department of Dermatology, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Italy. "The news of this study in children and adolescents is greatly welcomed - currently approved treatments are limited and many are suffering through the lack of effective therapies."

Biologics are a fairly new group of medications that are developed from living sources, such as cells, rather than combinations of chemicals like traditional drugs. Biological treatments such as Enbrel are available for the treatment of both psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis, in addition to a number of other diseases. Biological treatments are often used in combination with other treatments.

Commenting further on the study, Professor Alberto Giannetti noted: "Enbrel has been used for over 9 years and has an abundance of clinical efficacy and safety data - it is already approved for use in juvenile arthritis. The NEJM data adds to the vast weight of clinical evidence and shows it as an effective therapy option for the children and adolescents with plaque psoriasis. I hope to see it approved for use in this patient population across Europe in the near future."