psoriasis drug news on Reuters

Study Says New Allergan Oral Psoriasis Drug Is Safe
Sat February 7, 2004 07:28 AM ET

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A new oral treatment for sufferers of moderate to severe psoriasis may offer fewer side effects and more long-term results, according to a study released on Saturday.
Researchers said the drug showed many benefits over existing topical treatments for the chronic skin condition, including an ability to treat hard-to-reach areas of the body.

California-based Allergan, which submitted an application for the drug's approval to the Food and Drug Administration last November, sponsored the study.

While psoriasis is not widespread -- about 2 percent of U.S. adults have it -- its flaky, raised patches of skin and scaly bumps are difficult to treat. About 1.5 million adults suffer severely.

The new once-a-day gel capsule is an oral form of tazarotene, part of a class of drugs called retinoids that are derived from vitamin A. Allergan now markets a topical form called Tazorac.

Retinoids can cause severe side effects, including miscarriage, birth defects, liver damage, depression and hair loss.

Researchers said the most common complaint from oral tazarotene from the one-year trial was dry skin.

Out of 263 participants, a majority saw improvement, some even after stopping treatment, the study found.

Fourteen percent of the participants dropped out after experiencing adverse reactions, according to the study presented at the American Academy of Dermatology's annual meeting.

Reactions included headaches, back pain and vision problems, and women of childbearing age still needed to avoid pregnancy, researchers said.

"We think its going to provide a very safe alternative," Dr. Patty Walker, vice president of skin care for Allergan, said.

"The nice thing is it may not get you the spectacular results ... but we hopefully will be able to use this drug on a longer-term therapy," Dr. Alan Menter, chief of dermatology at Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas, said.

Before the study's release, Allergan shares closed up $1.59, or 1.87 percent, on Friday at $86.65 on the New York Stock Exchange.

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