FDA Approves Stelara To Treat Psoriasis

Chrissie Cole

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The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently approved a new biologic drug called Stelara for the treatment of moderate to severe psoriasis in adults.

Known generically as ustekinumab, the drug is injected in the skin and works by blocking part of the body’s immune system. After the initial shot, patients get another shot in four weeks and then one shot every 12 weeks.

Psoriasis is a chronic disease of the immune system that appears on the skin, usually in the form of thick, red, scaly patches. The disorder affects as many as 7.5 million Americans. About 30 percent of psoriasis sufferers also develop psoriatic arthritis. The condition is associated with other serious health conditions such as diabetes and obesity.

“The approval of Stelara provides an alternative treatment for people with plaque psoriasis which can cause significant physical discomfort from pain and itching and result in poor self-image,” Julie Beitiz, MD, of the FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research.

Stelara is manufactured by Centocor Ortho Biotech Inc. a wholly-owned subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson of New Brunswick, N.J.

For more information on psoriasis, visit the National Psoriasis Foundation.