RESEARCH - Humira effective in psoriasis

[Guest guest]

CHICAGO, Oct 5 (Reuters) - A late-stage study found Abbott Laboratories

Inc.'s (ABT.N: Quote, Profile, Research) rheumatoid arthritis drug Humira

was more than twice as effective at treating the extent and severity of

psoriasis as a common treatment, meeting its main goal, the company said on

Thursday.

The study found 80 percent of patients with moderate-to- severe psoriasis

saw a 75 percent clearing of their symptoms after 16 weeks, compared with 36

percent of patients reaching that level of benefit on the standard treatment

methotrexate.

Humira, one of Abbott's best-selling products, works by blocking a protein

called tumor necrosis factor.

Psoriasis, a skin condition characterized by scaling and inflammation, is

the next big treatment area for the drugs.

Amgen Inc.'s (AMGN.O: Quote, Profile, Research) rheumatoid arthritis drug

Embrel and & 's(JNJ.N: Quote, Profile, Research) rheumatoid

arthritis drug Remicaid have already received U.S. marketing approval for

the indication.

Wyeth (WYE.N: Quote, Profile, Research) , which co-promotes Enbrel with

Amgen in North America and has exclusive marketing rights outside the U.S.,

said on Thursday it expects annual sales of Enbrel outside North America to

hit $3 billion by 2010.

Psoriasis is a chronic skin disease characterized by very dry, scaly and

cracked skin, skin pain and patches of red, raised skin known as " plaques. "

The disease affects about 125 million people worldwide.

Abbott said its study was the first head-to-head comparison between a

biologic agent and a standard systemic treatment.

The Abbott study involved 271 patients from eight European countries and

Canada. Patients were split into three treatment arms, with groups receiving

Humira injections, standard treatment with methotrexate or a placebo

treatment.

Abbott said patients in the study experienced similar side effects to those

treated with Humira for other indications. Those included injection site

reaction, inflammation of the nose and pharynx, joint pain and headache.

Abbott said it expects to seek U.S. and European regulatory approval for

Humira in psoriasis in the first half of 2007.

Humira is approved for psoriatic arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis in

Europe and the United States and the company is studying it in other

autoimmune indications.

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Not an MD

I'll tell you where to go!

Mayo Clinic in Rochester

http://www.mayoclinic.org/rochester

s Hopkins Medicine

http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org