Clinical benefit for moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis patients treated with Raptiva for 30 months

Genentech and XOMA have announced preliminary 30-month (120 weeks) results from an open-label study evaluating the safety and efficacy of long-term continuous treatment with RAPTIVA® (efalizumab) in adults with moderate-to-severe chronic plaque psoriasis.

The study results were presented as a poster at the American Academy of Dermatology ACADEMY 2004 meeting in New York. The results of this study suggest that continuous, weekly dosing of RAPTIVA provided sustained clinical benefit over 2 1/2 years.

Of the 159 subjects participating in the study who completed 30 months of treatment, a 75 percent or greater improvement on the Psoriasis Area Severity Index (PASI 75) was observed in 78 percent (124/159) of patients with weekly RAPTIVA therapy. Ninety-one percent (145/159) of patients achieved a PASI 50 response, and 45 percent of patients (71/159) achieved a 90 percent or greater PASI improvement (PASI 90).

"Given that psoriasis is a chronic condition, dermatologists are looking for treatment options that can provide these patients with continuous control of their disease over the long-term," said Craig Leonardi, M.D., associate clinical professor of dermatology at St. Louis University Medical School, St. Louis, Mo., and a study investigator. "These data represent the first 30-month data available for any advanced therapy for plaque psoriasis and support the continued use of RAPTIVA as an important treatment option for patients afflicted with this chronic disease."