Treating articular psoriasis is an investment that benefits the economy of countries
Cairo witnessed a press conference held by Janssen Egypt – the pharmaceutical arm of Johnson & Johnson international companies – to announce the launch of the drug “Trimvaya” for the treatment of articular psoriasis. The Egyptian drug was late in registering the drug “Trimvaya”, just 8 months after it was registered by the US Food and Drug Administration, where the drug proved highly effective in controlling the symptoms of the disease.
It is also worth noting that, according to international statistics, approximately 170,000 Egyptian patients suffer from articular psoriasis 1, and the disease causes severe pain 2 and disability in heartburn 2, and its danger lies in its association with other diseases such as high blood pressure 3 , increased blood fat 3 , depression and deterioration The psychological state of the patient 3, and the disease affects different parts of the body, which affects the productivity of patients and thus the economy of countries..
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Dr. Ayman El-Garf, Professor of Rheumatic Diseases at Cairo University and President of the Egyptian Society of Rheumatic Diseases, pointed out that articular psoriasis affects approximately 170,000 Egyptian patients1 and affects men and women in close proportions, and the age of infection ranges between 30 and 50 years 15. He also added that articular psoriasis causes severe swelling in the joints15, in addition to difficulty in movement15.
Dr. Ayman Ali stressed the importance of early treatment, as delaying treatment leads to severe deterioration and complications that may reach the patient’s inability to move, pointing out that articular psoriasis is not limited to the skin and joints only, but may cause general inflammation in the entire body 3, indicating that The danger of joint psoriasis disease lies in that 42% of patients develop other comorbidities, as statistics indicate that 34% of patients with articular psoriasis develop high blood pressure 3, 27% suffer from excess weight 3, and 24% suffer from increased blood fats 3, 20% suffer from depression and poor mental state3
For his part, Dr. Basil Al-Zarqani, Professor and Head of the Department of Rheumatic Diseases, Faculty of Medicine, Kasr Al-Ainy said that articular psoriasis affects the joints and leads to arthritis 9, and has symptoms outside the joints in tendons 3, muscles 3, and other places 3, and that 75% of these patients first develop skin psoriasis 10, And it is from the nature of articular psoriasis that it affects a certain number of joints and in specific places and in a certain way 12,13, and it is also characterized by infections that can occur in the whole finger or in the tendons, as it may lead to damage to the joints 12,13, and injury to the spine 12,13, It causes tibialis 12, a disease common in young and middle age, the periods when the patient is most productive.
.jfif "Janssen Egypt launches Trimvaya to treat articular psoriasis (1)")
Regarding the impact of the disease on the quality of life, he indicated that it leads to inflammation, pain and swelling in the joints, difficulties in movement and sleep, with symptoms outside the joints such as inflammation of the eyes and intestines, in addition to 20% of patients suffering from depression and severe tension 3.
Some studies have also shown that approximately one-third of patients with articular psoriasis may miss work frequently, and nearly one-third of patients have not been able to work fully, in addition to that the employment rate of these patients is approximately 30% lower than other people14.
He added that rheumatoid arthritis is common between rheumatoid disease and articular psoriasis, but the normal incidence of rheumatoid disease usually affects most joints of the body and the affected joints are consistent between the two halves of the body. Evidence of inflammation and the absence of rheumatoid factor 16.
He explained that the treatment of these diseases benefits the economy of countries, pointing to the emergence of modern treatments that are able to control these diseases, control their symptoms and improve the patient’s quality of life, especially modern biological treatments that combine effectiveness and safety.
And despite the misconception of its high cost, the burden related to the disease is much greater, as the patient is exposed to joint damage, which leads to his inability to work and lack of production and to refer him to early retirement14, which represents a heavy burden on the state, while these modern treatments enable this patient of work and production, which reflects positively on the country’s economy18
Dr. Adel Mahmoud, Professor of Internal Medicine and Rheumatology and Head of the Department of Rheumatology, Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University, explained that biological treatments have made a real leap in the treatment of rheumatic and immune diseases, especially the treatment of articular psoriasis and psoriasis. Inhibition of the immune protein “interleukin-23”, which plays a major role in the incidence of articular psoriasis 4, adding that in the event of infection, the immune cells inside the body secrete larger amounts of the immune protein “interleukin-23”, and here comes the role of the drug “Trimvaya”. Which inhibits the immune protein “interleukin-23”, which leads to a rapid improvement in the patient’s condition, as the symptoms of arthritis and psoriasis 4 are largely controlled, and the treatment has high safety rates 5, which is reflected on the patient’s quality of life and his ability to productivity and work 6,7 And reduces the burden on the patient and his family, and the economy and income at the state level.
He also stressed the need to use the drug at the right time and for an appropriate period, as a scientific study proved that the labor productivity of patients who received the drug “Tremvaya” is twice as high compared to patients who were not treated with it8, and therefore the treatment of articular psoriasis is beneficial to the economy of countries.
Dr. Adel also added that the drug “Trimvaya” has proven its effectiveness in controlling the symptoms of the disease for long periods, explaining that more than 70% of the patients experienced an improvement in the symptoms of the joints, and that more than half of the patients obtained complete clarity of the skin for extended periods, and about 90 19.20% of the patients who were randomly selected to receive the drug “Tremvaya” in the study continued their treatment for two years, pointing out that the drug “Tremvaya” is characterized by taking it by subcutaneous injection once every two months (after the stimulating dose) 4, or once a month in sometimes 4 ; This provides comfort to the patient, according to the results reported by patients21
For his part, Dr. Ramez Mohsen, CEO of Janssen Company for Egypt, North East Africa and Jordan – the pharmaceutical arm of Johnson & Johnson International – confirmed that he is very proud of making the drug available to the Egyptian patient after a few months of its availability in the United States, which proves the huge efforts made by the Egyptian state and Competent health authorities. He pointed out that the health insurance system, comprehensive health insurance, and treatment at the state’s expense have made unprecedented leaps in treating patients, as the latest advanced biological drugs have been included in their treatment protocols, which puts Egypt in the ranks of countries that provide these treatments to patients free of charge.
He also added that Janssen, as a leading company in the treatment of immune diseases, is interested in raising awareness of rheumatic and immune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, and articular psoriasis, and shedding light on their early symptoms because of its positive impact on the speed of diagnosis of these diseases. The company is also interested in providing modern treatments at the right time and for an appropriate period in accordance with international protocols, which is one of the company’s most important priorities because of its positive impact on improving the patient’s condition, and thus his productivity, effective participation in his society and his productivity. He also referred to the company’s efforts in sponsoring scientific activities in cooperation with the Egyptian Society of Arthritis and Rheumatology, which would serve the Egyptian doctor through training in the latest methods of diagnosis and treatment worldwide.
