Lung medicine proven to relieve psoriasis pain by preventing overactive enzymes from attacking healthy skin
- Roflumilast relieves painful, flaky skin patches in three-quarters of patients
- This drug may eliminate the need for patients to use strong steroid creams
Medications used to treat lung inflammation may help clear severe cases of the skin condition psoriasis.
The drug, called roflumilast, relieves painful, flaky skin patches in three-quarters of patients, according to trial results.
Originally a tablet, it was redeveloped as a cream to be applied to problem areas to combat phosphodiesterase, an enzyme that goes into overdrive and tells the immune system to attack healthy tissue. .
Following successful study results, this treatment is now approved by the FDA, the drug watchdog, for use in patients 9 years and older in the United States.
Experts say patients may no longer need to use strong steroid creams that cause skin thinning, stretch marks and acne.
The drug, called roflumilast, relieves painful, flaky skin patches in three-quarters of patients, according to trial results.
Over a million people in the UK have psoriasis, and although psoriasis can develop at any age, it most often appears in the 20s and then in the 50s.
More than one million people in the UK have psoriasis, and although psoriasis can develop at any age, it most often appears in the 20s and later in the 50s.
It is caused by overproduction of skin cells. Usually they are replaced every 3-4 weeks by him, but a psoriasis patient develops new cells every 3-7 days.
Scientists don’t fully understand why this happens in some people, but it’s believed to be related to an overreactive immune system. A cream containing a steroid ointment is applied daily.
In September 2021, the UK’s Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency issued a warning about withdrawal symptoms in patients who used steroid creams long-term. Two weeks after stopping the drug, he developed severe itching, flaking, bleeding, and sores.
However, a US study of 300 patients showed that roflumilast did not cause these problems.
After two months, skin quality improved significantly in three-quarters of the study group. Improvement was seen after 12 weeks in his 40% of patients with less severe psoriasis.
Roflumilast is also the only treatment so far shown to improve a severe type of disease called intertriginous psoriasis, in which patients develop purple patches in skin folds such as the armpits.
It is currently prescribed to NHS patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), a severe lung disease that causes breathing difficulties.
“Roflumilast cream is a new type of non-steroidal topical drug, so it’s irritating,” said US dermatologist Dr. William Werschler.
“In clinical trials, the cream was found to act quickly to reduce itching and begin clearing away various psoriatic patches.”
