NEW YORK - Johnson & Johnson's experimental treatment for psoriasis proved safe and highly effective in a late-stage trial, positioning it as a potential strong rival to current medicines, the company said today.
More than two-thirds of patients with moderate to severe forms of theinflammatory skin condition achieved at least a 75 per cent reduction in symptoms after 12 weeks of treatment with the injectable medicine CNTO 1275 (ustekinumab), J&J said.
Patients were divided into groups that received either a placebo, two 45-milligram doses of the medicine given four weeks apart, or two 90-milligram doses, also four weeks apart.
J&J said 67 per cent of patients receiving the lower doses achieved at least 75 per cent reduction in symptoms, such as red scaly patches, compared with 76 per cent of those taking the higher dosages and 4 per cent in the placebo group.
About 42 per cent of patients taking the lower doses and 51 per cent of those in the high-dose group reported a 90 per cent reduction in symptoms after 12 weeks -- "nearly complete clearance of psoriasis" -- J&J said. That compared with 1 per cent in the placebo group.
A substantial number of patients who received another dose of CNTO 1275 at 16 weeks maintained symptom control for an additional three months, the company said.
