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The invisible impact of moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis

Posted at 1:57 PM, Jan 30, 2020
and last updated 2020-01-30 15:57:43-05

Nearly 6.4 million people in the U.S. live with plaque psoriasis, a chronic autoimmune disease that can cause a great deal of discomfort and appears in awkward places like the scalp, knees and elbows. Of those living with plaque psoriasis, nearly 2 million are considered moderate-to-severe, meaning that symptoms appear on three or more percent of the skin.

A recent survey of people with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis revealed that while psoriasis appears on the skin, its overall effect on people can go much deeper – having an invisible impact on people’s everyday lives.

  • Uncomfortable Encounters: The visible aspect of moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis – such as flakes or thick red patches – can result in humiliating interactions (44% reported often or sometimes feeling humiliated) and devastating acts of bullying (reported by 28%) or discrimination (reported by 30%). Experiences like these can take a toll on a person’s self-confidence, potentially stopping them from doing the things that matter most.
  • Intimacy Struggles: Significant feelings of inadequacy and discomfort leave some people with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis avoiding emotional and physical intimacy and can even lead to the end of the relationship (reported by 24%). More than half of those surveyed said they often or sometimes try to keep themselves away from social situations (53%), avoid intimacy (52%) and cannot bear someone touching their skin (52%).
  • Debilitating Symptoms: People living with this chronic autoimmune disease say they face flare ups (70%) or constant flaking (66%) and itching (63%) that affect their everyday lives. In fact, 66% reported that their moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis and symptoms challenge them from doing what matters most in their lives.

While moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis cannot be cured yet, the physical symptoms – redness, flaking and plaque thickness on the skin – can be effectively managed with a variety of treatments including topicals, phototherapy, orals and biologics like ILUMYA™. However, nearly half of people reported they are overwhelmed about their treatment options (44%) and wish they could receive help with selecting a treatment (48%).

MORE ABOUT Dr. April W. Armstrong:

Dr. April W. Armstrong is Associate Dean of Clinical Research at Keck School of Medicine at USC and serves as Director of Clinical Research for the Southern California Clinical and Translational Research Institute (SC CTSI). In the Department of Dermatology at USC, she serves as Vice Chair, Director of Clinical Trials and Outcomes Research, and Director of the Psoriasis Program. Dr. Armstrong obtained her medical degree from Harvard Medical School and completed dermatology residency at the Harvard Dermatology Residency Program. She also obtained a Master of Public Health degree from Harvard School of Public Health. Dr. Armstrong has conducted studies examining how new therapies impact patients’ disease states, quality of life, and their access to medical care. She is also examining how technology-enabled healthcare delivery can be applied to manage patients with chronic dermatological diseases. Her work has been supported by the NIH, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI), the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), the Dermatology Foundation, and the National Psoriasis Foundation.

About ILUMYA™

ILUMYA (tildrakizumab-asmn) is a humanized lgG1/k monoclonal antibody designed to selectively bind to the p19 subunit of interleukin-23 (IL-23) and inhibit its interaction with the IL-23 receptor, leading to inhibition of the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines. ILUMYA is indicated for the treatment of adults with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis who are candidates for systemic therapy or phototherapy, in the United States. ILUMYAhas also been approved for moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis in Australia and under the brand name ILUMETRI in Europe.

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION
Please click here for Full Prescribing Information and Medication Guide.

CONTRAINDICATIONS

ILUMYA™ is contraindicated in patients with a previous serious hypersensitivity reaction to tildrakizumab or to any of the excipients.

WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS:

Hypersensitivity: Cases of angioedema and urticaria occurred in ILUMYA™-treated subjects in clinical trials. If a serious allergic reaction occurs, discontinue ILUMYA™ immediately and initiate appropriate therapy.

Infections: ILUMYA™ may increase the risk of infection. Treatment with ILUMYA™ should not be initiated in patients with a clinically important active infection until the infection resolves or is adequately treated. Consider the risks and benefits of treatment prior to prescribing ILUMYA™ in patients with a chronic infection or a history of recurrent infection. Instruct patients receiving ILUMYA™ to seek medical help if signs or symptoms of clinically important chronic or acute infection occur. If a patient develops a clinically important or serious infection, or is not responding to standard therapy, closely monitor and consider discontinuation of ILUMYA™ until the infection resolves.

Pretreatment Evaluation for Tuberculosis: Evaluate patients for tuberculosis (TB) infection prior to initiating treatment with ILUMYA™. Do not administer ILUMYA™ to patients with active TB infection. Initiate treatment of latent TB prior to administering ILUMYA™. Consider anti-TB therapy prior to initiation of ILUMYA™ in patients with a past history of latent or active TB in whom an adequate course of treatment cannot be confirmed. Patients receiving ILUMYA™ should be monitored closely for signs and symptoms of active TB during and after treatment.

Immunizations: Prior to initiating therapy with ILUMYA™, consider completion of all age-appropriate immunizations according to current immunization guidelines. Patients treated with ILUMYA™ should not receive live vaccines.

Adverse Reactions: The most common (≥1%) adverse reactions associated with ILUMYA™ treatment that were more frequent than in the placebo group are upper respiratory infections, injection-site reactions, and diarrhea.