Soothes the skin

An experimental drug for the treatment of psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis, based on the research of Weizmann Institute scientists, and applied by the "Serono" company, achieved a significant improvement in the patients' condition, without side effects

Psoriasis is an incurable chronic skin disease that affects approximately 4.5 million people in the US and 5.7 million people in Europe. About 10% of patients with this disease also develop chronic arthritis known as psoriatic arthritis. In clinical trials in which an experimental drug based on a discovery by Prof. David Valach from the Department of Biological Chemistry, Weizmann Institute of Science was tested, it was found that the condition of those suffering from these diseases improved significantly. The drug had no side effects. These findings were described in a press release by the "Serono" company, which produces the drug under a license from the "Yade" company of the Weizmann Institute of Science, through its subsidiary in Israel, "Interferm". Interferm, celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, was established by Sarono with the aim of developing and producing medicines based on discoveries made by Weizmann Institute scientists.

The drug, called Unrecept, or 1-TBP, significantly improved the condition of the patients according to the PASI (Psoriasis Area and Severity Index), which is accepted worldwide for measuring the effectiveness of drugs in this field. After 12 weeks of treatment, there was an improvement of at least 75% according to the PASI index in the condition of 54% of the patients treated with the drug. Improvement to such an extent was observed only in 12% of the patients who received a dummy drug ("placebo"). During this period, those treated with the drug experienced a significant improvement in quality of life, based on the standard indices in this field, Short Form 36 (SF-36) and Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI).

Serono plans to start the third phase of the drug's clinical trials this year.

The drug inhibits the activity of a protein called TNF ("tumor necrosis factor") produced by the immune system in response to inflammation or damage to body tissues. In several inflammatory diseases, this protein is produced in excessive amounts, which causes the destruction of healthy tissues in the body. In their search for natural factors that could inhibit TNF, a group of researchers from the Weizmann Institute of Science, led by Prof. David Welch from the Department of Biological Chemistry, succeeded in isolating two proteins that are able to bind to TNF in a uniquely selective manner, thus inhibiting its activity. One of them, called TBP1, forms the basis of the drug currently being tested by Serono. The second protein, TBP2, is the basis of a drug called Enbrel ® , which is produced on a large scale by Amgen, Inc. and is used to treat rheumatoid arthritis. Anti-TNF antibodies, first created in Prof. Welch's laboratory at the Weizmann Institute of Science, are marketed by several companies (such as Centocor, Inc. which makes the antibodies as a drug called Remicade ® ), for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, as well as for the treatment of intestinal infections, Crohn's disease and colitis.