Category: Dermatology

IMR International Limited, developers of e-communication and clinical information solutions, announced the launch of a comprehensive guide to psoriasis within its new public health portal; http://www.epgpatientdirect.org. Supported by Merck Serono, the

The first reported findings from an international, Phase 3 study showed that more than two-thirds of patients with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis receiving two doses of ustekinumab (CNTO 1275) achieved at least a 75 percent reduction in psoriasis at week 12, the primary endpoint of the study, as measured by the Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI 75).

Eczema bath products, most of which contain liquid paraffin, are of “questionable” value, according to an article in the Drug and Therapeutics Bulletin (DTB), from the BMJ Group. The UK National Health Service (NHS) spends 40% of its total eczema treatment costs for pre-school children on bath emollients. These gels, creams and lotions have very little published research to back them, says the DTB.

It’s well known that overexposure to ultraviolet rays from the sun can cause major skin problems, ranging from skin cancer to sunburns and premature wrinkles. A tan, for example, is nature’s own UV protection and an unhealthy sign that your skin is damaged.But what is not so well known is exactly how UV rays specifically interact with your DNA and the complex organelles and proteins found inside every cell of your body.

Results from an extension to a Phase II study evaluating the effectiveness of Abbott’s (NYSE: ABT) investigational anti-IL-12/23 antibody ABT 874 showed that a majority of patients who initially responded to treatment maintained a high level of response following discontinuation of therapy. In the study, patients who achieved 75 percent improvement in psoriasis signs and symptoms (PASI 75) at 12 weeks stopped receiving ABT 874.

The Food and Drug Administration (USA) has approved Lamisil for the treatment of tinea capitis (scalp ringworm) for children aged 4 or more. The medication is presented in oral granules. Children are most susceptible to tinea capitis - an infected patient can experience severe itching, dandruff and bald patches. The fungal infection does not usually respond to topical treatment - it is persistent and contagious. Steven Galson, M.D., M.P.H.

Queen’s University scientists have hit upon a revolutionary way to deliver agents for the treatment of skin cancer.Pharmacy student Desmond Morrow working alongside Dr Paul McCarron and Dr Ryan Donnelly from the Queen’s Medical Biology Centre have demonstrated that a novel needle free jet injection device may be a potential way of eradicating ‘difficult to treat’ skin tumours.

Taking an important step which may help reduce significantly the incidence of skin cancer in Americans, President Bush yesterday signed the Tanning Accountability and Notification Act (TAN Act) into law. As part of the more comprehensive “Food and Drug Administration Amendments Act of 2007 (HR 3580),” the TAN Act directs the U.S.

Using an ultrasound-guided fine needle to biopsy lymph nodes could spare thousands of melanoma patients every year worldwide from having to undergo unnecessary and sometimes unpleasant surgery to verify whether their cancer has spread, new research indicates.

An experimental drug that attacks cancer in an entirely new way has shown promise in treating advanced melanoma, delaying progression of the disease and prolonging the lives of patients. New research presented at the European Cancer Conference (ECCO 14) in Barcelona found that giving the new drug in addition to chemotherapy more than doubled the amount of time patients survived without progression of their cancer. The study, according to Dr.