May-June 2009 Briefing

For a second update in a row, the May-June FlakeHQ interview is with a new executive at the National Psoriasis Foundation (the last update featured Catie Coman Director of Communications at the Foundation). Bruce Bebo assumed the research helm at the Foundation in 2008. He brought with him a most-welcome background  in immunology (academic and post-academic).

As regular readers know, I've had a burr under my saddle for some time about the immunological aspects of psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis being "beyond the kin" of dermatology as practiced for psoriasis. I've wondered in writing why it's so hard to find an "immunologist doctor." I'm not linking you back to those tirades because Dr. Bebo answers those questions in this interview. (My grandfather used to say, "Someone who reveals your own stupidity, but does so without malice, is a friend." So ... Bruce Bebo is likely to get a Christmas card from me.)

In his interview, Bebo describes what the medical and research office at the National Psoriasis Foundation does and that information made me feel good. He talks about the Foundation's direct contribution to research-toward-a-cure and that made me feel even better.

I hope you will enjoy reading the interview as much as I enjoyed receiving the answers to my questions. Either start at the Interviews home page, or go directly to the Bebo interview.

Not surprisingly, FlakeHQ received a number of emails over the past half-dozen weeks about Raptiva’s removal from the U.S. market. Three exchanges are reproduced here. Daryl C. remembers thinking about biologics but not actually trying them. Nonetheless, he’s followed headlines for awhile and theorizes 3 “points of view” regarding biologics. Josh J. lost his 46 year old father who had been taking Raptiva since 2005. He believes the massive infection that killed his father flourished because his immune system function was too suppressed by his years of using the biologic. Sharlene V. has been on Raptiva for over 3 years with complete clearing as a result. She finds the announced unavailability of Raptiva after June 8th devastating. She wonders how bad her rebound is likely to be.

Evidently FlakeHQ.com is one of the few sites on the net where depression as a side effect of methotrexate is taken seriously. Numerous posts on this subject are in the Archive and manage to draw more as concerned folks around the world search the web using “methotrexate and depression” as their search criteria. Two more exchanges in this update expand the boundaries of our growing collection about methotrexate’s psychological impact. Kat B. combined methotrexate and Prednisolone — as prescribed — and became suicidal. KJK’s husband has experienced anxiety, panic attacks and thoughts of suicide while using methotrexate.

On a different note, Richard K. is pleased to point out the American distributor of Taclonex (betamethasone dipropionate and calcipotriene) has a steep discount program available for folks who are likely to walk away from three-digit co-pays. Read the mail here.