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THURSDAY, Aug. 21, 2003 (HealthDayNews) -- Boston University Medical Center researchers say they've developed the first successful topical peptide drug to treat psoriasis.
They combined the parathyroid hormone analog PTH (1-34) with Novasomer A cream, which enhanced the absorption of the peptide drug into human skin. The study appears in the August issue of the British Journal of Dermatology.
The drug was tested in a trial of 15 adults with chronic plaque psoriasis. Lesions treated with PTH (1-34) showed a marked improvement in scaling, redness
and duration.
"The study concluded that patients who were resistant to at least one standard therapy for psoriasis had a remarkable improvement in their psoriasis when they applied PTH (1-34) in Novasomer A cream to their lesion," Dr. Michael Holick, a professor of medicine, physiology and dermatology, says in a news release.
"This pilot study suggests that topical PTH (1-34) encapsulated in Novasomer A cream is a safe and effective novel therapy for psoriasis," he says.
More information
Here's where you can learn more about psoriasis.
