Alefacept (Amevive) With or Without Narrowband UVB Treatment in Patients With Psoriasis.

• Status: Completed
• Trial end date: 2004-09-01
• Target enrollment: 0
• Participant gender: All

Summary

Alefacept is a new anti-psoriatic drug within the group of the so-called biologics. In about 30% of patients alefacept induces a more than 75% improvement of psoriasis after a 12-week treatment period. The start of anti-psoriatic effect by alefacept is delayed, however improvement of psoriatic lesions outlasts the end of alefacept treatment.

Narrowband UVB (UVB-311nm) phototherapy is an established anti-psoriatic treatment regimen with rapid onset of anti-psoriatic efficacy but disease-free intervals after the end of successful treatment courses may be short.

Therefore, in this half-side (left/right side) comparison study we aim to investigate whether an additional narrowband UVB treatment accelerates and improves the anti-psoriatic treatment effects of alefacept.

• Phase: N/A
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers?: No

Details

• Lead Sponsor: Medical University of Graz
• Treatments: Alefacept

Criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

• Moderate to severe plaque-type psoriasis;

• disease duration for more than 6 months

• PASI above 10.

Exclusion Criteria:

• age < 18 years;

• pregnancy or lactation;

• presence of a dysplastic nevus syndrome;

• photosensitive skin disease;

• autoimmune disease;

• severe renal or hepatic disease;

• presence or history of malignant skin tumors;

• presence of antinuclear antibodies;

• history of previous treatments with arsenic, methotrexate, or x-rays;

• within the last 4 weeks before enrollment into the study, UVB or PUVA treatment, immunosuppressive/-modulating drugs (such as corticosteroids, cyclosporine, and biologics such as infliximab, etanercept or efalizumab).