The Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC) has today published advice accepting four new medicines for use in NHS Scotland.

Two of these medicines are for the treatment of psoriasis and a third has been accepted for psoriatic arthritis. The other new medicines accepted are the latest of several promising new therapies for hepatitis C.

Apremilast (Otezla) is the first in a new class of medicine for the treatment of plaque psoriasis, an inflammatory skin condition causing red scaly patches (known as plaques) on the skin. A patient group submission highlighted that plaque psoriasis is a lifelong condition which can be very embarrassing for patients, with symptoms including itchy, flaky skin which sheds continuously. The highly visible nature of the condition means patients may avoid social situations which can affect their social life and employability. Apremilast has been accepted for the treatment of patients who cannot tolerate or do not respond to the main therapies used currently, including disease-modifying drugs or ultra violet light therapy. As an oral tablet, apremilast is more convenient for patients than many other treatments used at this stage of therapy and may also mean fewer appointments at outpatient clinics.

The committee also accepted apremilast for treating a related condition, psoriatic arthritis. This is an inflammatory disease of the joints which is present in around 20% of patients with psoriasis.

For more details, go to: http://www.scottishmedicines.org.uk/About_SMC/Latest_news/News_Articles/June_2015_decisions_news_release?iru=2ICSSBDQBC