Psoriasis, a chronic, cyclical disease that causes skin growth disorder, affects both men and women . About 2 million people in Italy suffer from it, even if one patient in ten has a mild and moderate form for which there are several treatments.
A new therapy has recently been approved in Italy, which is effective from the very first intake and whose effect persists over the years. Professor Antonio Costanzo, head of the Humanitas Dermatology Unit, spoke about it in an interview with Corriere della Sera.
Moderate psoriasis: 10% of patients suffer from it
“In plaque psoriasis, most injuries occur at the level of the scalp, trunk, arms and legs, but nails can also be involved. Just over 10% of patients have moderate to severe psoriasis, which cannot be treated only with topical treatments or conventional systemic therapies – explained Costanzo -. About half of the patients who suffer from it are treated in many different ways, including the use of unconventional therapies with only a minority taking truly effective drugs, used appropriately and continuously. Why is that? The causes are many, but it is very important that the patients themselves know that today it is possible to achieve a goal long considered unattainable: to obtain and maintain over time a skin completely free from injury”.
The new therapy: skin free from lesions already after one week
The new treatment, reimbursed by the National Health Service following the recent approval by the Italian Medicines Agency, is indicated for the treatment of psoriasis with moderate to severe plaques.
The mechanism of brodalumab “has a powerful and selective anti-inflammatory action and a very fast activity – said the professor – because the cells concerned immediately no longer have signal inflammation and are unable to set in motion all the mechanisms necessary to make the skin reddened, to produce scales”.
“The effects are already visible from the first injection – assured the expert – already after less than a week. And all this happens without compromising the functions of the immune system. The main benefit is the level of “skin cleanliness” on which there are no more lesions, a level that is higher than we have had so far: more than half of the patients one year after the start of therapy has completely clean skin. The results can be seen in a few weeks and last over time, with a significant improvement in the quality of life of patients.
