Conditions: Psoriasis
Keywords: skin psoriasis
Allocation: NA | Intervention model: SINGLE_GROUP
Enrollment: 31
Healthy volunteers: no

Brief summary:
Our laboratory is studying a skin disease known as psoriasis. The purpose of this protocol is to study the action and the effects of Efalizumab, on psoriasis. This medication has been studied extensively and has been found to be effective and safe in the treatment of psoriasis. The eligible patient will have 10% of his/her body surface area involved with psoriasis vulgaris.

Detailed description:
The eligible patient will receive the drug Efalizumab, weekly for 12 weeks, by injection. The patient will be seen weekly for 12 weeks and every other week for the 12 weeks of follow up. At those visits, the patient can expect that a physical and skin exam will be done. At specific weeks, blood work will be drawn, clinical photography taken and a skin biopsy done. Two types of skin biopsies will be done after local anesthesia has been administered. One is a punch biopsy where a small piece of skin will be taken, the approximate size of a pencil eraser. The second type of skin biopsy is shave biopsy, where a postage sized piece of skin will be taken.

Arms:
arm 1: moderate to severe plaque psoriasis

Interventions: intervention 1: Efalizumab
Intervention descriptions: intervention 1: 24 weekly doses of 1.0 mg/kg Efalizumab. Study drug will be administered by SC injection

Protocol document: