Researchers complete first psoriasis study solely on patients of color
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A recently completed clinical trial to study psoriasis solely in people of color can serve as a stepping stone to study how other conditions impact nonwhite people, researchers say.
Why it matters: Psoriasis is one of the most common dermatological issues in the U.S., but research has mostly focused on how it impacts white people — a common criticism of medical trials in the U.S.
- The trial, carried out by pharmaceutical company Janssen, recruited people of color to better understand the condition in more skin types. Janssen is part of Johnson & Johnson.
Details: Researchers studied the differences in how plaque and scalp psoriasis can appear on various skin tones, and how people of color respond to one of Janssen's treatments, known by its brand name as Tremfya.
- Latinos were the most represented ethnic group in the study, followed by Asian, Black, Middle Eastern and multiracial participants.
- The trial is providing additional data showing the safety and effectiveness of the Food and Drug Administration-approved drug in a variety of people, so more patients can have "more awareness of the condition and the treatment options," says Adrian Rodriguez, a Nashville-based dermatologist who was in the trial's steering committee.
- The trial's initial results were presented this weekend at a dermatological convention, though participants will be enrolled through 2025 for treatment and follow-ups.
What they're saying: "We're helping open the door to meet this need, to gather even more information, to expand into other cultural communities," Rodriguez tells Axios Latino.
- A group of racially and ethnically diverse researchers designed the trial's protocol and conducted direct, bilingual community outreach to find participants.
- Rodriguez says he hopes the experience can lead other organizations to use a similar approach "because unmet needs (are) not only in psoriasis … there are many diseases where we need more data on course, states or severity."
Between the lines: The trial will also serve to create a photo bank of scalp and plaque psoriasis signs in the different skin colors.
- These will complement new, diverse medical illustrations and images.
- The images will help doctors better advise or diagnose patients, while allowing patients to see their condition on skin like theirs, says Rodriguez.
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