Raptiva®, a biological therapy to treat chronic psoriasis, generated strong sales growth.
Sales of Raptiva® (efalizumab) increased by 37% to €76 million. Raptiva® is now approved in 64 countries around the world. Used to treat chronic moderate to severe plaque psoriasis, Raptiva® is the only biological psoriasis therapy for which compelling long-term data demonstrate enduring efficacy over a three-year period. It is suitable as a therapy for chronic stable plaque psoriasis, either as induction or as long-term maintenance therapy in responders. Patient quality of life is noticeably improved, also thanks to its ease of use: Raptiva® is administered once weekly via subcutaneous injection and can be self-administered by patients at home.
The use of Raptiva® points to new benefits in treating more difficult forms of psoriasis, for example disease affecting the hands and feet or the scalp.
According to estimates, 2% of the world’s population suffers from psoriasis. Treatment with targeted biotherapeutics could be an option for around 25% of these patients. Merck Serono is therefore working to educate dermatologists on the use of Raptiva® to treat psoriasis and to convince payers to reimburse the costs of this innovative biotech therapy.
Since psoriasis is often considered only a cosmetic problem, public awareness campaigns are necessary. Merck Serono is working together with professional associations and patient organizations in this area. Due to Raptiva’s unique mechanism of action, Merck Serono is considering the submission of this biotherapeutic for approval in other dermatological diseases, such as atopic dermatitis.
