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Living with Psoriasis

Dealing with Psoriasis Day by Day

Psoriasis is a high-maintenance disease. There are much less messy treatments available but patients have a lot to deal with.

Further Reading

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Treating Psoriasis Yourself

Meditation has been shown to help speed up the rate at which phototherapy (artificial sunlight) can clear psoriasis.

Further Reading

Psoriasis Spotlight10

Safety Alert: Methotrexate Recall

Friday October 29, 2010

The FDA has issued a safety alert for some vials of methotrexate, which may contain small flakes of glass. Sandoz is recalling the following products:

Product : Methotrexate Injection, USP, 50mg/2mL
NDC Number : 66758-040-02 (10 vial pack) and 66758-040-01 (Individual vial)

Lot Number
Label Type
Exp Date
92395606 Parenta 12/2010
92760803 Parenta 2/2011
92965104 Parenta 3/2011
92965106 Parenta 3/2011
92965904 Parenta 4/2011
93255704 Parenta 6/2011
93502204 Parenta 7/2011
93635404 Parenta 8/2011
93681704 Parenta 8/2011
93794904 Sandoz 9/2011
95198604 Sandoz 10/2011
95357804 Sandoz 12/2011
95537704 Sandoz 1/2012
95987004 Sandoz 3/2012



Product : Methotrexate Injection, USP, 250mg/10mL
NDC Number : 66758-040-08 (10 vial pack) and 66758-040-07 (Individual vial)

Lot Number
Label Type
Exp Date
92395703 Parenta 12/2010
92760903 Parenta 2/2011
92965203 Parenta 3/2011
92966003 Parenta 4/2011
93255803 Parenta 6/2011
93502303 Parenta 7/2011
93635503 Parenta 8/2011
93795003 Sandoz 9/2011
95198703 Sandoz 10/2011
95357903 Sandoz 12/2011

If you have one of the affected vials, call the dedicated Methotrexate Recall Hotline at 1-888-896-4565 (staffed around the clock) or email Sandoz.methotrexaterecall@gencopharma.com. If you have already used some of the methotrexate and have experienced any side effects that you think might be related to the recall, contact your doctor right away.

Country singer LeAnn Rimes speaks out about psoriasis

Wednesday April 28, 2010

Country singer LeAnn Rimes has suffered from psoriasis since she was two-years-old. Her psoriasis got so bad, she started bleeding on stage during a performance.

Her battle with psoriasis is why she recently signed on to be the spokeswoman for the Stop Hiding Behind Psoriasis Campaign that is sponsored by the American Academy of Dermatology and National Psoriasis Foundation.

The campaign is urging people with psoriasis to pledge to get involved in their disease, including making a commitment to find a good dermatologist, find support and tell their story.

According to the campaign, almost 7 million Americans have psoriasis.

Stelara Gets the Green Light

Monday September 28, 2009

A new option in the fight against psoriasis -- Stelara (ustekinumab). The FDA -- after two long years of talks -- has approved the use of this drug for psoriasis patients who are candidates for phototherapy or systemic treatment, reports MedPage Today. It is to be used for moderate to severe cases. In trials, patients who followed the regimen recommended were able to achieve significantly clear skin for about a year. This is an injectible drug.  A few heads up before you talk to your doctor and seek Stelara -- use may cause the immunosupression, and you'll need a TB test before starting to use it.

Raptiva (efalizumab) Pulled From the Market

Monday April 13, 2009
Biologics are one of the treatment options available for psoriasis. However, psoriasis sufferers will now have to cope with one less option.

Raptiva (efalixumab), a well-know biologic, will no longer be available, according to a press release published by manufacturer Genentech last week.

Genentech is voluntarily pulling the drug from the market in the United States because of, "an increased risk of progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML), a rare and usually fatal disease of the central nervous system." This will occur in phases, so that doctors have time to safely transition patients to an alternative.

If you're on Raptiva, don't stop taking the medication on your own. Doing so may cause a flare-up, so be sure to contact your healthcare provider to determine your next best steps. Your doctor may recommend that you transition to another biologic psoriasis drug, such as Amevive, Enbrel, Humira or Remicade.

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