Feeling Comfortable in Your Skin: Taking Control of Plaque Psoriasis

(BPT) – For more than 25 years, Jane Nastasi struggled to find reliable relief from her plaque psoriasis. Tired of feeling embarrassed and having to explain that the raised, reddish patches on her body weren’t contagious, Jane spoke to her dermatologist to try to find a psoriasis treatment that could soothe her symptoms.

“My life is so much more than my psoriasis — I have such a large, lovely family and I’m the president of my social club — I wanted my skin to reflect that, not to hold me back from the activities and the people I love,” said Jane.

In the United States, about 7.5 million people have psoriasis.1 Plaque psoriasis is the most common type of psoriasis, a chronic, non-contagious skin disease that alters the life cycle of skin cells, causing them to build up rapidly on the surface of the skin.2,3,4

“At my practice I see many patients with psoriasis, and I work with each of them to determine a customized course of treatment,” said Jane’s dermatologist, Stefan C. Weiss, MD in Boca Raton, FL. “Not every treatment is right for every patient. Jane had failed several psoriasis therapies. I recommended that she try SILIQ, since it works differently than her previous treatments — by blocking the receptor of a specific group of proteins at the site of inflammation.”5

Depending on the severity of the psoriasis and type, the condition can be treated with a topical treatment, oral drug, or injectable.6 SILIQ™ (brodalumab) injection is a prescription medicine used to treat adults with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis who may benefit from injections or pills (systemic therapy) or phototherapy (treatment using ultraviolet light treatment), and who have tried other systemic therapies that didn’t work or stopped working.5 It is not known whether SILIQ is safe and effective in children.

“When I first saw Dr. Weiss, psoriasis affected the majority of my body,” Jane said. “Since being treated with SILIQ, my skin has almost completely cleared. I’m no longer daunted by the idea of wearing short sleeves or going to the pool with my family.”

If you have psoriasis, talk to your health care provider about potential treatment options. For more information about SILIQ and complete prescribing information, visit www.siliq.com.

Important Safety Information

What is SILIQ?

SILIQTM injection is a prescription medicine used to treat adults with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis:

• who may benefit from injections or pills (systemic therapy) or phototherapy (treatment using ultraviolet light treatment)

and

• who have tried another systemic therapy that didn’t work or stopped working

It is not known if SILIQ is safe and effective in children.

What is the most important information I should know about SILIQ?

Suicidal thoughts or behavior: Some patients taking SILIQ have had suicidal thoughts or ended their own lives. This risk is higher if you have a history of suicidal thoughts or depression. It is not known if SILIQ causes these thoughts or actions.

Get medical help right away if you or a family member notices that you have any of the following symptoms:

• new or worsening depression, anxiety, or mood problems
• thoughts of suicide, dying, or hurting yourself
• attempt to commit suicide, or acting on dangerous impulses
• other unusual changes in your behavior or mood

Your healthcare provider will give you a SILIQ patient/wallet card about symptoms that need medical attention right away. Carry the card with you during treatment with SILIQ and show it to all of your healthcare providers.

Serious Infections: SILIQ may lower the ability of your immune system to fight infections and may increase your risk of infections.

• Your healthcare provider should check you for tuberculosis (TB) before starting treatment with SILIQ and may treat you for TB before starting SILIQ if you have TB or a history of it
• You and your healthcare provider need to watch closely for signs and symptoms of infection during treatment with SILIQ, including fever, sweats, chills, shortness of breath, stomach issues, muscle aches, cough, sore throat or trouble swallowing, warm/red/painful skin sores, burning while urinating or more frequent urination

Who should not use SILIQ?

Do not use SILIQ if you have Crohn’s disease. Tell your healthcare provider if you develop diarrhea, bloody stools, stomach pain or cramping, sudden or uncontrollable bowel movements, loss of appetite, constipation, weight loss, fever or tiredness as these may be symptoms of Crohn’s disease.

Before starting SILIQ, tell your healthcare provider if you:

• have a history of mental health problems, including suicidal thoughts, depression, anxiety, or mood problems
• have an infection that does not go away or keeps coming back
• have TB or have been in close contact with someone with TB
• have recently received or are scheduled to receive an immunization (vaccine). You should avoid getting live vaccines while being treated with SILIQ
• are or plan to become pregnant, or are breastfeeding or plan to do so. It is unknown if SILIQ can harm your unborn or newborn baby

Tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines you take, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements.

How should I use SILIQ?

See the detailed “Instructions for Use” that come with your SILIQ for information on the right way to store, prepare, and give your SILIQ injections at home, and how to properly throw away (dispose of) used SILIQ prefilled syringes. Use SILIQ exactly as your healthcare provider tells you to use it.