Pfizer reports positive data from plaque psoriasis drug trial

Pfizer has published a new report which demonstrates the safety and efficacy of etanercept, its licensed treatment for plaque psoriasis.

The company's drug was recently trialled in the Pristine clinical study, in which two dose regimens of etanercept used with adjunctive topical therapies were assessed among active moderate-to-severe chronic plaque psoriasis patients.

It was found that Pfizer's drug, which is marketed under the brand name Enbrel, was able to deliver a significant mean improvement from baseline according to the Psoriasis Area and Severity Index of up to 82 percent at week 24.

This adds to a collected clinical history of more than 18 years for the drug, which is also specified for a number of other inflammatory diseases.

Dr Robert Strohal, associate professor at the Federal University Teaching Hospital Feldkirch, said: "Pristine provides further evidence of the efficacy and safety profile of etanercept in treating moderate-to-severe psoriasis."

Earlier this week, Pfizer announced that it is to acquire the privately-held company FoldRx Pharmaceuticals, in a move which will see it add a number of promising investigational compounds to its portfolio.