A few days ago I wrote an article anticipating the eventually approved of Stelara by the FDA and now… it is done.  As of right now, you can obtain this groundbreaking new psoriasis treatment in the UK, the general European Union, Canada and the United States for the treatment of moderate to sever plaque psoriasis (the most common type of psoriasis) by prescription only.

Stelara (a product of Johnson and Johnson) is groundbreaking for the dramatic improvements it produces in people suffering from plaque psoriasis (70% improvement according to FDA sanctioned tests), convenient dosing (5 shots per year) and it seems to pose very mild, if any, side effects.  It is a selective immunosuppressant… which is to say that it is designed to target and suppress only certain proteins (interleukin-12 and interleukin-23), which are key players in creating the symptoms of plaque psoriasis.  The active ingredient is called ustekinumab.

As you might be able to guess by the word “immunosuppressant,” however, Stelara is the kind of drug that can open you up to infections that otherwise would have been held off by your body”s natural defenses.

Most researchers have believed for a while now that psoriasis throws off the immune system, causing an excess of skin cell production, which results in the itchy, red, scaly, irritated skin symptoms that have made this disease notorious.  This is why drug companies have been focusing on drugs that either alter or suppress the body’s immune system.  Altering the immune system is one of the most direct ways medical professionals know of to attack psoriasis.

Also of note: Stelara is supposed to be very expensive, upwards of $16,000 per year (if you had to pay for the whole thing out of pocket).  My optimistic guess for why it would cost this much (for 5 doses) is that a lot of money was poured into research and development, thus a high cost is needed to recoup.  Of course, drug companies are businesses first and foremost, so this is probably also a factor.  But if Stelara works and people are willing to pay, then I guess it is worth it.

My psoriasis is not nearly severe enough to justify using this drug (right now anyway).  My game plan as of now is to seek out natural, less expensive, lifestyle oriented solutions to root out the disease and keep it rooted out.