Janssen-Cilag publishes positive Stelara trial data

Janssen-Cilag has published data from a new clinical trial which demonstrates the positive effect its psoriasis treatment Stelara can have on mental health.

According to results from the Phoenix 2 phase III study, patients using the treatment experienced significantly reduced symptoms of depression, anxiety and health-related quality of life problems than a placebo control group.

This is in addition to the drug’s previously proven benefits in combating the physical effects of psoriasis, an immune-mediated inflammatory disease which causes skin plaques to develop through the over-production of cells.

According to the company, this illness currently affects around 1.5 million people in the UK, with 20 to 30 per cent of sufferers considered to be severely afflicted.

The illness is typically associated with relatively high rates of clinically significant psychiatric symptoms.

This comes after the company published trial data earlier this year which showed the effectiveness of Stelara in comparison to the alternative treatment option etanercept.