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What is Raptiva and Why Was It Discontinued?

Monday, September 28th, 2009

The psoriasis treatment Raptiva (efalizumab) has been discontinued in the U.S. as of June 2009 because of it’s potentially fatal side effects.  It was originally approved by the FDA in 2003.

Genentech published this press release to explain the situation.  This is a bit of a let-down since Raptiva seemed to be so effective, especially in the case of CariDee English, who recently skyrocketed to fame as the winner of the 2008 season of America’s Next Top Model.  Hear more about CariDee English’s experiences with psoriasis here.

Specifically, Raptiva has been proven to increase people’s chances of getting progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML), which is a central nervous disease.  PML can be either debilitating or fatal as it causes brain damage that worsens over time.

The most common cause for PML is a weak immune system, which seems to be the most viable explanation for why Raptiva would increase a person’s chances of catching it.  This is an example of the unexpected risks that can arise out of using immunosuppressants (medicines that limit your body’s ability to fight off disease).

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Model CariDee English Joins Forces with the National Psoriasis Foundation (videos)

Monday, September 28th, 2009

CariDee English is best known for winning America’s Next Top Model in 2008.  Here she is talking about her experiences growing up with psoriasis, going to the public pool, etc.

She discusses having 70% of her body covered in psoriasis scales.  Since she seems to be “all better” now, this begs the obvious question… what psoriasis treatment did she use?

Answer: According to this interview by IGN TV, she apparently used a medicine called Raptiva (produced by Genentech), which is administered through injections.  Because of the some of the sever risks of this treatment, it has been discontinued in the U.S. (read more about what happened to Raptiva here).

The National Psoriasis Foundation is lobbying for a bill that, if passed through Congress, will make psoriasis research government-funded.  Because CariDee English is such a shining example of how well people can do for themselves after overcoming psoriasis, she is an obvious pick to be the face of NPF’s lobbying efforts.

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