Thousands of people hit by psoriasis like model Cara Delevingne are given hope thanks a new drug

People suffering from the itchy skin disease psoriasis will soon get some relief after a new drug is approved by the NHS.

The pill, called deucravacitinib, will be offered to patients with moderate to severe forms of the disease who have not responded to other treatments.

Psoriasis causes red, scaly and itchy patches of skin and, in the most extreme cases, can cover almost the entire body, with many patients scratching and bleeding.

In clinical studies, deucravacitinib has been shown to clear approximately three quarters of psoriasis rashes from the body. It was also found to cause far fewer side effects than other psoriasis medications.

In recent years, a number of drugs have been developed that can fight psoriasis by reducing inflammation, known collectively as JAK inhibitors. But last year, researchers found that these powerful treatments, which are also used to treat types of arthritis in the joints, increase the risk of heart problems, blood clots and even cancer.

Psoriasis causes red, scaly and itchy patches on the skin and in extreme cases can cover almost the entire body

JAK inhibitors have never been rolled out for NHS psoriasis patients, meaning deucravacitinib is the first oral treatment approved for the condition in nearly a decade. Researchers found it to be both safer than JAK inhibitors and more effective than current oral treatments offered on the NHS.

Experts say deucravacitinib will improve the lives of thousands of people in the UK.

‘This is a very effective drug that is easy to take and requires very little monitoring,’ says Professor Laura Coates, a rheumatologist at the University of Oxford. “It’s good news for patients who have persistent psoriasis but don’t want to take powerful drugs that can have a lot of side effects.”

THE condition affects more than a million people in the UK, including British supermodel Cara Delevingne, and usually develops in early adulthood.

While the cause is not fully understood, it occurs when the body overproduces skin cells and is thought to be due to immune system problems. Many treat their symptoms with creams containing anti-inflammatory steroids, but it cannot currently be cured and will continue to recur.

The itchy patches, often described as scales, usually form on the arms and legs, but in people with severe psoriasis, they can cover up to 90 percent of the body.

There are a number of treatments available on the NHS, including steroid creams and phototherapy – exposing the skin to ultraviolet light to reduce inflammation and slow the production of skin cells.

If these options don’t work, patients are usually offered a pill called apremilast, which dampens inflammation and helps relieve symptoms. But studies show that the daily tablet is only effective in about a third of patients.

There are a number of treatments available on the NHS, including steroid creams and phototherapy – exposing the skin to ultraviolet light to reduce inflammation and slow skin cell production

More powerful drugs called biologics are also offered, but they require frequent injections and can weaken the immune system.

‘We have been using apremilast for some time and it works, but there is still room for improvement,’ says Prof. Coates. “Often, when apremilast doesn’t work, you don’t want to bump someone straight to a biologic drug because these are pretty strong and mean patients often have to go to the hospital for checkups.”

Deucravacitinib, developed by British drug manufacturer Bristol Myers Squibb, is a new class of drug called tyrosine kinase-two inhibitors. It targets specific immune system proteins related to psoriasis. Clinical trial researchers concluded that it was significantly more effective than apremilast and even worked as well as several of the highly potent biologics, but with fewer side effects.

Experts say trial patients in the UK who have taken the drug have seen life-changing results.

“In these patients, at least a tenth of their body was covered with psoriasis patches, which really negatively affects their lives,” says Chris Griffiths, a professor of dermatology at the University of Manchester.

“Not only are the patches uncomfortable and itchy, but people feel very insecure about their bodies because they are afraid that people will think they have an infectious disease.

“Many who took deucravacitinib saw a huge difference. Within weeks, the scales would stop itching, and a few weeks after that, they would disappear.

‘A few months later, the patients had clear skin – you couldn’t tell they ever had psoriasis. These kinds of skin conditions can be very stigmatizing, so it’s great to have such an effective treatment.’