New biological therapies for patients with severe plaque psoriasis

2010-07-05

The Hungarian National Health Insurance Fund (the NHIF) has made new biological therapies available to patients with severe plaque psoriasis. The therapies rely on the blocking of TNF-α (Tumor Necrosis Factor). In Hungary, there are three products available which use this method. Another therapy recently taken into the NHIF reimbursement system is a biological process developed for the targeted inhibition of the IL-12/IL-23 system. This therapy has been proven to be effective in patients whose symptoms could not have been alleviated to the required extent by TNF-α blockers.
In Hungary, about 2% of the population are infected by psoriasis. The biological therapies are highly effective in patients who have not been cured by traditional drugs. Lajos Kemeny, the president of the Hungarian Dermatological Society, has said that the next step would be to reimburse therapies not only for patients who do not improve as a result of traditional treatment but for everyone.