Robert Hadley | Apr 9, 2017

Skin psoriasis drug OK’d for fingernail treatment

A drug previously authorized for use in plaque psoriasis – a condition causing skin rashes – has now been certified for use in cases affecting patients’ fingernails.

Drug maker AbbVie, a spinoff of Abbott Laboratories, announced the change in a March 30 announcement after the Food and Drug Administration gave the go-ahead broadening the scope of illnesses for which Humira can be prescribed.

The release said the FDA’s decision was based on Phase 3 clinical data specifically assessing the drug’s impact on fingernail psoriasis, which can disfigure a patient’s nails. The company says half of plaque psoriasis sufferers also have the condition on their nails.

AbbVie’s vice president of clinical development and immunology, John Medich, lauded the FDA’s decision.

“Fingernail psoriasis is often difficult to treat, and we are pleased the FDA recognized the importance of these data so that more health care providers can make informed medical decisions when prescribing treatments for those living with psoriasis," Medich said.

Humira, which has been FDA-approved for plaque psoriasis since 2008, caused a two-rank improvement in almost half of those treated for 26 weeks, the announcement said.

Organizations in this story

+ Abbvie