"For the millions of Americans battling psoriasis, these clinical trials, and the breakthrough new treatments that have reached patients in recent years, represent hope, pure and simple, that the future for us will be brighter than the past," said Michael Paranzino, president of Psoriasis Cure Now. "From the potentially toxic, Korean War-era chemotherapy drug methotrexate, to the powerfully effective but kidney-damaging cyclosporine, many psoriasis patients today continue to face difficult choices when psoriasis strikes hard. Maybe one or more of these new options being studied will free us from that."
The release of the report coincides with the beginning of the American Academy of Dermatology's Annual Meeting in Washington, DC. Dermatologists face a steep learning curve educating themselves about the new treatment options that have recently emerged. This report shows that challenge will likely continue.
But even as the private sector makes record investments in psoriasis research, that commitment has not been matched by the federal government. Psoriasis research at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) is down 22% over the last decade, even as NIH research on other diseases doubled.
"Let's hope the new majorities in Congress reverse this unfortunate slide in psoriasis research funding," Paranzino said.
