Raptiva®

Raptiva® (efalizumab), is one of the first of a new type of psoriasis treatment known as targeted biological therapies. A novel humanized therapeutic antibody, Raptiva offers new hope in the treatment of chronic plaque psoriasis. Raptiva® combines enduring disease reduction with a favourable safety profile in the form of a once-weekly subcutaneous injection that can be self-administered at home by the patient.

Raptiva® was the first biological therapy to receive EU approval in September 2004 for the treatment of adult patients with moderate to severe chronic plaque psoriasis who have failed to respond to, or who have a contraindication to, or are intolerant to other systemic therapies including ciclosporin, methotrexate and PUVA.

Raptiva® selectively and reversibly blocks the activation, reactivation and trafficking of T-cells that lead to the development of psoriasis symptoms. As demonstrated in clinical trials, the long-term treatment with Raptiva® of responding patients with moderate-to-severe psoriasis results in enduring control of the disease with a good safety profile.