Recent Developments

She’s Pso Unusual

Pop icon Cyndi Lauper stands up to psoriasis.

By Denise Mann

Pop Icon Cyndi Lauper has won Grammy awards, a Tony, and an Emmy in her 30-plus year career. Her hits, Girls Just Want to Have Fun, True Colors, and many others, define a generation and yet they still resonate today.

It seemed that nothing would stop Lauper – until she was diagnosed with psoriasis in 2010. At one point, the flares were so bad that her entire body was covered with thick, itchy, and painful scales, and she was unsure if she would ever sing again.

“It is really very, very, very hard,” she says of psoriasis. “It makes you say ‘I can’t deal’ and it becomes harder and harder to work,” she says. “You know it’s inflammatory because you are on fire.”

Now with an album, DETOUR, due to drop on May 6, 2016 and a new tour with fellow 80s legend Boy George of Culture Club, Lauper is back and better than ever (and with pink hair, she’s just as bright too). Lauper spoke to Practical Dermatology® at the 2016 annual meeting of the American Academy of Dermatology in Washington, DC. She is the spokesperson for #ImPsOReady, part of the National Psoriasis Foundation and Novartis’ awareness and education campaign MoretoPsoriasis.com.

Why speak up and out? Lauper is an advocate for many issues that don’t get the attention they deserve including lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender rights and she felt that psoriasis was also flying under the radar, and as a result of this people with psoriasis—herself included—were misjudged, ridiculed, or shamed. Her son also has psoriasis, and no doubt, she also wants to make living with psoriasis less frightening for him as well.

Lauper was once stared at while getting a manicure and she had to break the tension by saying, “Don’t worry it’s not contagious. It’s psoriasis.”

And TMZ filmed her on vacation in St. Tropez, France and their cameras zoomed in on her kegs and suggested she was attacked by mosquitoes. (This was in the pre-Zika days or the article may have gone even more viral.) “It was psoriasis, and I was hoping it would get a little better in the sun or that the ocean would help heal it,” she says. “It’s hard to have confidence when you look like that.”

Creams and Epsom salt baths helped for a while, but Lauper eventually decided to go on systemic therapy. “No side effects could be worse than this,” she thought at the time of her psoriasis.

Stress certainly played a role in aggravating her condition, she says. In addition to taking medication to keep flares at bay, Lauper focuses on living a healthy life and this includes practicing yoga in the AM, getting good sleep, and avoiding alcohol, sugar, and other foods that stoke her inflammation.

“There are a lot of avenues to try, and different things work for different people,” she says. “Pick up your I-Pad, go online and get information to help yourself. Knowledge is power.”

Now clear, Lauper is looking forward to the future. “Sometimes what’s is wrong with you becomes what is right with you,” she says. “When you come out of low points, it can give you confidence. “

For more information on the campaign, visit http://www.Moretopsoriasis.com

Blood Test May ID Early Signs of Metastatic Melanoma Relapse

A new blood test may be able to detect metatstatic melanoma relapse earlier than is currently possible, according to a study published in the journal Cancer Discovery.

Scientists from the Cancer Research UK Manchester Institute studied circulating tumor DNA in blood samples from seven advanced melanoma patients at The Christie NHS Foundation Trust. They found they could see whether a patient was relapsing by tracking levels of circulating tumor DNA, and that new mutations in genes like NRAS and PI3K appeared, possibly causing the relapse by allowing the tumor to become resistant to treatment.

Around 40 to 50 percent of melanoma patients have a faulty BRAF gene and they can be treated with the targeted drugs vemurafenib or dabrafenib. But for many of these patients the treatments don’t work, or their tumors develop resistance after a relatively short time. When this happens these patients can be offered immunotherapy drugs including pembrolizumab, nivolumab and ipilimumab.

“Being able to spot the first signs of relapse, so we can rapidly decide the best treatment strategy, is an important area for research,” says Professor Richard Marais, lead author and Cancer Research UK’s skin cancer expert, in a news release. ”Using our technique we hope that one day we will be able to spot when a patient’s disease is coming back at the earliest point and start treatment against this much sooner, hopefully giving patients more time with their loved ones. Our work has identified a way for us to do this but we still need to test the approach in further clinical trials before it reaches patients in the clinic.”

Medical Professionals, Practical Dermatology® Board Members, Recognized for Outstanding Work in Psoriatic Disease Field

Nominated by patients and colleagues, recipients of the first annual National Psoriasis Foundation Medical Professionals Awards exemplify the outstanding work being done in the psoriatic disease community. Selected by a committee of National Psoriasis Foundation (NPF) medical board and leadership team members, nominees were evaluated on specific criteria for each award, and their overall effort in improving the lives of those affected by psoriatic disease. NPF is honored to recognize the following professionals.

Outstanding Educator in Psoriatic Disease:

Alice Gottlieb, MD, PhD

Dr. Gottlieb is chair of dermatology and dermatologist-in-chief at Tufts Medical Center. A board-certified dermatologist and rheumatologist, Gottlieb is internationally recognized as a leading psoriatic disease educator and has presented at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the National Academy of Sciences and at nearly 200 conferences around the world. Beyond the classroom, Gottlieb’s research efforts have led to some of the most important outcomes in psoriatic disease, including the role of lymphocyte in the development of psoriasis, which has led to the development of modern biologic therapy.

Outstanding Physician-Clinician: Jerry Bagel, MD

Dr. Bagel is director of the Psoriasis Treatment Center of Central New Jersey. Bagel has devoted his career to the care of psoriasis patients. Having written more than 50 articles, and conducting many psoriatic disease-related clinical trials, Bagel is acknowledged as a leading resource for his fellow clinicians. Additionally, Bagel developed the NPF President’s Council, a group of 100-plus medical professionals who support the research and advocacy efforts of the Foundation. He is a member of the editorial board of Practical Dermatology® magazine and co-author of the Clinical Focus column.

NPF Health Professional Volunteer of the Year:

Wilson Liao, MD

Supporting NPF since he was a medical student at Harvard University, Dr. Liao is an associate professor of dermatology at the University of California, San Francisco School of Medicine. Playing an active role in the NPF Northern California Community Division, Liao volunteers as the physician advisor, and has participated as a patient education speaker. A leading fundraiser for the Foundation, Liao was the honorary medical chair for both the Team NPF Walk in San Francisco and the Commit to Cure Gala honoring Dr. John Koo.

Outstanding Allied Health Professional:

Abby Jacobson, PA-C

Ms. Jacobson is a physician assistant at Family Dermatology in Reading, Pennsylvania. Knowledgeable about psoriatic disease, Jacobson assists her patients in navigating the overwhelming world of psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis. The first physician assistant to be nominated to the NPF Medical Board, and a current member of the NPF Emeritus Board, Jacobson is recognized as a leader in the allied health field, often sharing her expertise with other providers through various speaking engagements. She is a member of the editorial board of Practical Dermatology®.

Vitiligo Working Group Launches Public Awareness Campaign

The Vitiligo Working Group (VWG) is drawing attention to the many faces of vitiligo with a new public awareness campaign. This initiative rolled out at the 74th Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) in Washington, DC.

Called Step Up For Vitiligo, the campaign is built around an educational video called “Vitiligo: Truth, Hope and Change” that features a wide range of vitiligo patients of many different races, ethnicities, skin types, and ages.

The new video was shown at a vitiligo symposium at the AAD Annual Meeting. As part of the video premiere, the longer form of the video will also be shared with fellow dermatologists at the annual meetings of the VWG and the Skin of Color Society.

Following the rollout of the videos, a multi-platform social media campaign will kick off on Twitter and Facebook. Leading up to World Vitiligo Day on June 25, vitiligo experts from the VWG will engage with their communities and local media to help heighten awareness and understanding of a disease that affects nearly 70 million people across the world.

ALASTIN Skincare Announces New Scientific Advisory Council

ALASTIN Skincare, Inc., announced its new eight-person Scientific Advisory Council. The Council includes Vivian Bucay, MD; Doris Day, MD; Sabrina Fabi, MD; Jeannette Graf, MD; Alexander Rivkin, MD; Amy Forman Taub, MD; Randy Waldman, MD; and Heidi Waldorf, MD.

The Scientific Advisory Council will work with ALASTIN Skincare management on a variety of scientific topics related to both the currently marketed ALASTIN Procedure Enhancement System, as well as new products in development – starting with the ALASTIN Anti-Aging and Rejuvenating line that will be introduced in Q2 2016.

Galderma Launches Three New DTC Campaigns

Galderma is rolling out three new direct-to-consumer creative campaigns designed to educate consumers and support Dysport and Restylane Silk.

The campaigns, which feature unretouched photography, will be supported by significant print, digital, and co-op advertising investments. Each campaign tells stories of everyday women who have acted on their desire to look their best.

The Dysport Don’t Freeze Me campaign speaks to women who want to lose their frown lines, but don’t want to lose themselves.

The Restylane Silk Living Lines speaks to women who’ve done a little living but are ready to smooth those lines with results that look natural. If every line tells a story, Restylane Silk allows for some creative editing.

The Restylane Silk Get Real campaign lets women know that subtle lip enhancement results are possible.

Grooming Habits, Products May Affect Alopecia Risk

Environmental factors —including weathering and grooming habits—may play a role in causing age-related alopecia, according to a new report in the International Journal of Women’s Dermatology.

The report, called What Ages Hair?, suggests that aging of hair is determined by an interplay of many factors including weathering, grooming habits, UV exposure, hair color, androgenetic alopecia (AGA) and other age-related thinning. Authors included an advisory board of 12 experts in hair fibers and hair loss.

“Choice of hair care products is important to the overall health of scalp and hair,” they write. “Currently, there is no evidence-based data to suggest that hair care products are efficacious for more than healthier hair fibers [and] further study should be done to determine if use of these products can provide healthier scalp conditions, slow the progressive hair loss process, due to AGA and/or age-related thinning.”

In particular, report authors point out Minoxidil foam and solution has proven efficacy for AGA and advisors and may be useful treatment option for age-related thinning as well.

Steps that promote healthy hair and may help stave off hair loss include:

• Shampoo daily with mild shampoo which is less irritating to the shaft
• Apply shampoo to soaked hair with fingertips and rub gently
• Avoid frequent perming
• Avoid frequent application of permanent dyes
• Avoid frequent bleaching
• Comb hair root to tip when dry
• Use wide-toothed combs and brushes with rounded tips
• Avoid frequent use of hair dryers n

Take 5

With Laurent Combredet, President and CEO, Senté

Senté has been catching the industry’s attention of late. This privately held skincare company just closed a $5 million financing round, and appointed Allergan vet Laurent Combredet as its new President and Chief Executive Officer. The product line is based on the science of glycosaminoglycans. Senté products are formulated with HSA, a patented low molecular weight heparan sulfate analog.

1. Standing on the Shoulders of Giants

“Our founders and board members all have a wealth of experience in biotech, in science and in building strong commercial businesses. I am very impressed with all of them and the notion of being able to anchor the SENTÉ brand in real biotech knowledge and technology is very unique in the industry. I believe we have a very compelling and unique story to tell our physicians that is again rooted in real clinical evidence and real science. “

2. The Proven Power of HSA

“SENTÉ is the first and only skincare regimen powered by the benefits of HSA (Heparan Sulfate Analog), which is a vital component of the skin. For the first time, Heparan Sulfate can now be introduced into the skin topically where it has a profound impact on the overall appearance, feel and ultimately health of the skin. Heparan Sulfate has been extensively studied for the last 30 years and there have been more than 15,000 publications on its role in providing structural support to the extracellular matrix, and its biologically active capability to proliferate and hydrate from deep within. It is the master molecule for age management and skin health and helps the skin function at optimal natural and healthy levels.  Our technology offers a completely new and novel concept in treating aging and photo-damaged skin.”

3. Customer-Centric Philosophy

“SENTÉ is a very customer-centric organization that seeks to connect to deeply understand the needs of physicians to deliver great service to their practice. SENTÉ products are available through its network of physicians and medically supervised spas.”

4. Robust Pipeline

“We will expand our portfolio of clinical evidence to further validate the patient benefits of our exclusive Heparan Sulfate technology. We also plan on expanding our product portfolio with innovative new concepts that build on the benefits of Heparan Sufate such as deep and long-lasting hydration, firmer skin with greater elasticity, and more even skin tone. “

5. Money Talks

“This recent round of financing will help fuel expansion and escalate continued company growth. The company realized growth of close to 300 percent last year and will use this financing to further increase its field presence and practice support, support the launch of innovative products, and invest behind meaningful new technologies. “