The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) has approved Janssen-Cilag’s Stelara (ustekinumab) for the treatment of moderate to severe plaque psoriasis in adults.
Stelara, a first in class biologic for the treatment of psoriasis – a notoriously difficult-to-treat skin condition – works by targeting interleukin-12 (IL-12) and IL-23. It provides visible and significant improvements in psoriasis severity; in addition, it has the advantage of a convenient dosing regimen for patients – just five injections per year compared to a possible 104 injections with etanercept, a widely prescribed biologic therapy.
In clinical trials, Stelara demonstrated a significant, visible improvement in patient’s psoriasis with convenient 12 weekly maintenance dosing. “Two-thirds of patients taking Stelara in placebo-controlled trials saw a significant, visible improvement in their psoriasis in as little as 12 weeks,” said Christopher Griffths, Professor of Dermatology at the University of Manchester.
NICE has recommended Stelara as a treatment option for adults with plaque psoriasis for whom biologic therapy is being considered and when the following criteria are both met:
Stelara is a new, fully human monoclonal antibody with a novel mechanism of action that targets the p40 subunit of the cytokines IL-12 and IL-23, which are naturally occurring proteins important in regulating immune responses and are thought to be associated with some immune-mediated inflammatory disorders, including plaque psoriasis.