WHO: Improved Access to Psoriasis Treatments Needed

Key stakeholders including policy makers, physicians and patients must come together to turn the corner on psoriasis, according to the World Health Organization’s (WHO) new Global Report on Psoriasis.

In 2014, the WHO Member States recognized psoriasis as a serious non-communicable disease.  A byproduct of this resolution, the new report calls for the development of guidelines, improved access to affordable treatments possibly including biosimilars and better studies on the link between psoriasis and cardiovascular disease.

“There is a great need to develop guidelines regarding the diagnosis of psoriasis and its treatment,” the new report states. “Furthermore, certain standards relating to medical care such as adequate assessment of progress of therapy, using uniform tools to assess the severity of the disease and patient quality of life should be implemented.”

Psoriasis patients should have access to comprehensive, individually adapted treatment, the report states. “At a minimum, public and private facilities should provide the drugs included on the WHO Model List of Essential Medicines including systemic therapies.  Universal health coverage schemes should cover the costs of these treatments. For newer biological therapies, more needs to be done to reduce the price of these medicines if they are to present a sustainable and affordable treatment option for patients with psoriasis.”

The development, approval and availability of biosimilars may drive costs down, the report authors note.

There is some debate about whether psoriasis is on the rise, the report states. “However, an apparent upward trend is observed in several countries. The prevalence of psoriasis in China in 1984 was 0.17 percent, while 25 years later, another study found it to be 0.59 percent. The prevalence in Spain in 1998 was 1.43 percent, while 15 years later it was reported as 2.31 percent,” the report states. Data on the prevalence in the United States from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey indicated an increase in prevalence from 1.62 percent to 3.10 percent from 2004 to 2010.”

However, different methodologies were used to conduct these trials which makes it hard to draw any conclusions.

Additionally, prospective, controlled studies are needed to further clarify the association between psoriasis and cardiovascular disorders on a pathogenic level and to substantiate the beneficial effect of treatment for skin/joints and associated disorders, “In clinical research, there is a need for comparative effectiveness research in order to identify the benefits and efficiency of treatments."

“The Global Report on psoriasis … is a milestone for the global psoriasis community,”  says International Federation of Psoriasis Associations President Lars Ettarp, in a news release.