Clinical Trials of Ixekizumab Offers New Hope to Many Patients with Psoriasis

Psoriasis is characterized by an abundance of skin cells that causes raised bumps known as ’plaques’ to grow on the skin. These plaques can be flaky, scaly and itchy for sufferers. Clinical trials of a new drug ixekizumab has revealed that almost 40% of participants showed complete clearance of their plaques, while 90% experienced some improvement. Researchers at the University of Manchester tested the effectiveness of the drug ixekizumab. Half of the study participants were given the new drug, ixekizumab while the other half were given a placebo, or a widely used drug for psoriasis called etanercept. The ixekizumab group showed quick and extensive improvements in their skin condition, outperforming the groups on placebo or etanercept. Around 50% of these patients showed improvement as early as week four of the trial and up to 71% had shown a high level of improvement in their symptoms.

Source-ANI