R.I. Hospital testing new psoriasis treatment

PROVIDENCE – Rhode Island Hospital is recruiting volunteers for a clinical research study of an injectable drug to treat moderate to severe plaque-type psoriasis, a skin disease in which the top layer of the skin is inflamed and thickened, leading to scaly plaques.
According to the National Institutes of Health, as many as 7.5 million Americans have psoriasis. Plaque psoriasis is the most common type and can involve just small lesions or moderate to large areas of skin. Psoriasis most commonly appears on the scalp, knees, elbows and torso, but can develop anywhere, including the nails, palms, soles of feet and face.
The study at Rhode Island Hospital will involve patients ages 18 and older receiving injections of an investigational drug. They will be examined by board-certified dermatologists and have five follow-up clinic visits over 12 weeks. The drug will be provided at no cost to participants, and qualified participants will also receive compensation for time and travel.
Recruitment for the study is ongoing and is expected to continue through December. For more information, call 444-7853.
Rhode Island Hospital is the largest teaching hospital of The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University and a member of the Lifespan health system. It is a major trauma center for southeastern New England and is actively involved in medical research, with nearly $27 million in annual awards from the National Institutes of Health alone. For more information, go to www.rhodeislandhospital.org.