Cellceutix Corporation (OTCBB: CTIX) is pleased to announce that it has selected Destum Partners to assist in finding a development partner for its psoriasis compound, KM-133. Cellceutix management has carefully evaluated which direction to take in the development of KM-133 and has concluded that this is the best way to create shareholder value. In a human xenograft animal model of psoriasis, KM-133 reduced psoriasis significantly more than controls…

The National Institute of Allergy and Infections Disease has awarded a five-year $31 million contract to National Jewish Health, which is leading a consortium of academic medical centers seeking to better understand skin infections associated with atopic dermatitis. The researchers will focus on antibiotic-resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections and widespread viral infections of the skin, both of which are more prevalent among atopic dermatitis patients…

New research published online in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology (JAAD) shows that treatment with STELARA(TM)(Black Triangle Drug) (ustekinumab) significantly improves symptoms of depression, anxiety and health-related quality of life in patients with moderate to severe psoriasis compared to placebo. These results are from an analysis of prespecified quality of life measures from one of the large, pivotal phase III trials for STELARA, PHOENIX 2. Psoriasis affects approximately 1.5 million people in the UK,[1,2] with 20-30% of those considered to have severe disease…

May is National Asthma and Allergy Awareness Month and, though many parents deal with their kids’ allergies year-round, it’s a time for education on the subject. One allergic reaction to food, fabric, grass, pollen, environmental factors, etc. is eczema, which recent statistics show develops in one out of ten children before the age of five…

Basilea Pharmaceutica AG / Basilea’s Toctino® included in expert consensus for management of chronic hand eczema in France processed and transmitted by Hugin AS. The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. Basel, Switzerland, April 28, 2010 - Basilea Pharmaceutica Ltd. (SIX: BSLN) announces the integration of alitretinoin (Toctino®) for state-of-the- art management of chronic hand eczema in France…

Fit in Your Skin™, a first-of-its-kind health and wellness program specifically designed for people living with psoriasis, is being introduced today through a collaborative effort between Centocor Ortho Biotech Inc. and the National Psoriasis Foundation (NPF). According to the NPF, psoriasis is the most prevalent autoimmune disease in the United States, affecting as many as 7.5 million Americans. Research has shown that individuals with psoriasis have an increased risk of developing other serious health conditions, including heart disease, obesity and depression…

Initial treatment with twice weekly etanercept (Enbrel), a tumour necrosis factor antagonist, achieves more rapid clearance of skin lesions than once weekly treatment in patients with active psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis, according to results from the PRESTA study reported recently in the British Medical Journal. The international study randomised 752 patients with both psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis to etanercept 50mg twice weekly or 50mg once weekly for 12 weeks, given by subcutaneous injection. All patients were then given etanercept 50mg once weekly for an additional 12 weeks…

Eczema in early childhood may influence behavior and mental health later in life. This is a key finding of a prospective birth cohort study to which scientists of Helmholtz Zentrum Munchen contributed. In cooperation with colleagues of Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitat (LMU), Technische Universitat Munchen (TUM) and Marien-Hospital in Wesel, North Rhine-Westphalia this study followed 5,991 children who were born between 1995 and 1998. The study has been published in the current issue of the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology 125 (2010); 404-410…

VBL Therapeutics announced the initiation of a Phase 2 efficacy and safety study evaluating lead compound VB-201 for the treatment of patients with psoriasis. VB-201 is poised to be a first-in-class, orally-administered immune response modifier expected to reduce inflammation in a broad range of conditions such as psoriasis. The Phase 2 double-blind, randomized, dose-ranging, placebo-controlled study will enroll approximately 180 patients with moderate to severe psoriasis.

InNexus Biotechnology Inc. (TSX.V: IXS) , a drug development company commercializing the next generation of antibodies based on its groundbreaking Dynamic Cross Linking (DXL™) technology, announced the development of a new psoriasis product based on its proprietary dermal permeating Transmab™ technology. Scientists at InNexus have designed and produced by recombinant technology, a novel antibody product directed at treatment of psoriasis, an autoimmune skin disease…