Abbott seeks Humira approval

Healthcare company Abbott has confirmed that it has submitted two licensing applications regarding its treatment for psoriasis.

The US-based firm is seeking approval from the food and drug administration as well as the European Medicines Agency concerning permission to market its Humira (adalimumab) therapy for the treatment of moderate to severe cases of the autoimmune condition.

Abbott stated that the submissions for a biologics licence application and a type II variation in Europe are the result of the company’s testing of the compound, which revealed that patients treated with Humira experienced a dramatic reduction in symptoms after 16 weeks.

“We expect that patients living with psoriasis, their families and their healthcare providers will welcome the results from Humira clinical trials and the convenience of a self-administered injection,” commented Dr Alan Menter, chairman of the division of dermatology at Baylor University Medical Centre in Dallas.

In addition, he asserted that the global applications mean that patients are closer to obtaining a biologic therapy that can help clear up the painful skin lesions experienced by people with psoriasis.

According to statistics from the National Institutes of Health, there are an estimated 7.5 million people in the US living with the skin disease.