Washington, February 3 : An analysis of data from a second double-blind, placebo-controlled Phase-III study suggests that a therapy with ustekinumab given every 12 weeks may lead to substantial improvement in the treatment of moderate to severe plaque psoriasis through one year.

Presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Dermatology, the findings reveal that patients who received 45 mg or 90 mg of ustekinumab sustained significantly higher improvements in psoriasis through one year, as compared to those who received placebos.

The results show that patients who received ustekinumab sustained at least a 75 per cent improvement in psoriasis through one year, as measured by the Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI 75).

"These findings show that ustekinumab may control plaque psoriasis with as few as four injections a year," says lead study investigator Dr. Kenneth Gordon, associate professor, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, and Head of Dermatology, Evanston Northwestern Healthcare, Skokie, IL.

"We are encouraged by the results seen in clinical trials to date and the hope that ustekinumab may hold for patients and the dermatology community," Dr. Gordon added.

The researchers say that the findings of the Phase-III trial are specifically important for patients who require additional therapeutic options.

"The Phase 3 efficacy and safety data for ustekinumab are extremely promising and offer hope to a patient population in need of additional therapeutic options," says lead investigator Dr. Kim Papp, Probity Medical Research, Waterloo, Ontario.

ANI