Remicade of benefit in treatment of psoriasis

Centocor, a wholly-owned subsidiary of US health care major Johnson & Johnson, says that plaque psoriasis patients receiving Remicade (infliximab) as both an induction and maintenance regimen, experienced significant improvements in productivity after 10 weeks of treatment. The firm added that this therapeutic benefit, defined as the ability to better perform both work and daily activities, was sustained through to week 50.

EXPRESS II induction and maintenance study

The results, which were presented at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Dermatology in Washington DC, are derived from the EXPRESS II trial that examined the drug in patients with chronic, stable plaque psoriasis involving as least a 10% body surface area (BSA) score, and a minimum psoriasis area and severity index (PASI) score of 12. Assessment of therapeutic efficacy was measured using the productivity visual analog scale.