Content about Psoriasis

NEW YORK — Abbott Labs has spun off its specialty drug division into a new company called AbbVie, which the new company's leaders heralded Wednesday by ringing the first opening bell of 2013 at the New York Stock Exchange.

ALLEGAN, Mich. — The Food and Drug Administration has approved a drug from Perrigo and Cobrek Pharmaceuticals for treating scalp conditions.

Perrigo said that Cobrek, with which it is partnering, had received approval for betamethasone validate foam in the 0.12% strength. The drug is a generic version of Luxiq foam, made by GlaxoSmithKline subsidiary Stiefel Labs, and is used to treat corticosteroid-responsive skin conditions of the scalp, also known as scalp psoriasis.

The branded version of the drug has annual sales of about $40 million, according to Perrigo.

PRINCETON, N.J. — Sandoz has launched a generic version of a topical medication used to treat psoriasis, the company said.

Sandoz, the generics arm of Swiss drug maker Novartis, announced the launch of calcipotriene cream in the 0.005% strength, calling it the first generic version of Leo Pharma's Dovonex.

Dovonex had sales of about $118.8 million during the 12-month period ended in May, according to IMS Health.

BEVERLY, Mass. — Cellceutix on Wednesday reported that the Food and Drug Administration granted a section 505(b) designation for its Prurisol treatment for psoriasis, which would allow the company to forgo early-stage trials and advance Prurisol into latter-stage clinical trials.

PRINCETON, N.J. — Sandoz has launched a shampoo used to treat severe scalp psoriasis, the generic drug maker said.

Sandoz announced the introduction of clobetasol propionate shampoo in the 0.05% strength, an authorized generic version of Galderma Labs' Clobex. An authorized generic drug is a branded drug sold under its generic name, usually by a third-party company at a reduced price.

Various versions of the shampoo had sales of about $54.9 million during the 12-month period ended in October 2011, according to IMS Health.

MAPLE GROVE, Minn. — Upsher-Smith Labs has launched a topical medication for itching and inflammation of the skin resulting from such conditions as psoriasis and atopic dermatitis, the company said Monday.

Upsher-Smith announced the launch of Trianex (triamcinolone acetonide) ointment, which the company described as a prescription topical corticosteroid that offers the feel of a cream and the strength of an ointment.

WASHINGTON — More than 200 drugs are under development in the United States for treating skin diseases, according to the country’s largest pharmaceutical industry trade group.

The Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America said Monday that the country’s drug makers were developing 263 medicines for skin diseases that affect more than one-third of the U.S population. A study by the Lewin Group found that the annual total cost of skin diseases was $39.3 billion in 2005.

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. — A drug used to treat inflammatory diseases improved the conditions of patients with psoriasis that affected the scalp compared with placebo, according to results of a new study.

Amgen and Pfizer on Friday announced the results of the phase-4 study of Enbrel (etanercept), in patients with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis with scaling on the scalp, also known as scalp involvement. Data from the trial will be presented Friday at the 69th annual meeting of the American Academy of Dermatology in New Orleans.