WASHINGTON -- A unique drug for hard-to-treat psoriasis now has federal approval.
The drug targets renegade immune cells. Psoriasis is thought to form when the immune system runs amok and some immune cells prompt the skin inflammation.
The Food and Drug Administration said Amevive has not been compared to other treatments. So the agency said there's no way to know if it will prove better for patients with moderate to severe psoriasis. But doctors and patients have been looking forward to it as a new option.
The drug must be given in a doctor's office at a cost of up to $10,000 for a 12-week course of injections.
Psoriasis affects between 1 and 2 percent of the United States population, or as many as 5.5 million people, according to the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases. The condition primarily affects adults and is characterized by symptoms such as discomfort, including pain and itching, restricted motion in joints, and emotional distress.
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