Montgomeryville, PA--PhotoMedex, a leader in the development of proprietary excimer laser and fiber optic systems for dermatological applications, announced the results of a pilot study indicating that the company's XTRAC Excimer Laser is effective in treating patients with moderate to severe cases of psoriasis.
Psoriasis is a non-contagious, common and chronic condition that usually causes patches of itchy, scaly and sometimes inflamed skin. The XTRAC Laser was previously proven to be very effective in patients with mild to moderate cases of psoriasis.
"This is welcome news for both doctors and patients in treating moderate to severe psoriasis," said John Koo, M.D., Professor and Vice Chairman of the University of California, San Francisco Department of Dermatology where the study was conducted. "The XTRAC Excimer Laser is breaking new ground in the safe, effective, convenient treatment of this difficult skin condition."
According to Photomedex, the XTRAC Excimer Laser has the highest UV power delivered of any medical excimer laser on the market today for the treatment of psoriasis and vitiligo. It is being used very effectively for the treatment of mild and moderate psoriasis, however the unique ability of the XTRAC laser to deliver high power UV also allows for faster treatment of large surface areas. The ability to deliver high therapeutic doses of energy is necessary in order to quickly and conveniently treat large areas of psoriasis as commonly seen with severe psoriasis.
Dr. Koo's study measured patients at the beginning and end of a 12-week period of average twice-weekly treatment with the XTRAC Excimer Laser. Appropriate patients for XTRAC Laser use were determined to be those representing typical moderate to severe psoriasis, having a Body Surface Area (BSA) with the disease of 10% to 20% and Fitzpatrick skin type >1. The study concluded that, at week 12, more than 77% of those patients exhibited a greater than 75% improvement in their Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) score, a measure which involves BSA as well as other factors. The study also concluded that, at week 12, 44% of the patients studied exhibited a greater than 90% improvement in PASI score. Clearing was achieved with approximately 10 treatments with the XTRAC Excimer Laser versus the 30 to 40 treatments often needed for traditional phototherapy.
According to the study, the XTRAC Excimer Laser may be appropriate for the majority of moderate to severe psoriasis sufferers. It also allows dermatologists to treat those patients with a high level of safety, as opposed to the use of many systemic products. Other phototherapy treatments such as broadband or narrow band UVB can also be used; however, undesirable aspects of these treatments include exposure of healthy skin to UVB light, and the inconvenience of extended treatment periods, which are often necessary for moderate to severe patients.