Clinical testing of new drugs for lesional skin diseases such as psoriasis A new delivery system.
OBJECTIVE
Efficacy evaluation of new antipsoriatic drugs is difficult in the absence of good animal models. In the experimental treatment of psoriasis plaques, the administered dose of new drugs has to be kept at a minimum for safety reasons. The object is to introduce an extracorporeal system for experimental drug application based on the Alzet osmotic pump.


METHODS
The system consists of four Alzet pumps from which the drug is delivered intradermally to lesional skin via a 21-gauge needle. Infusion may be continued for up to 2 weeks. Infusion sites are evaluated clinically by the scoring of scaling, erythema and thickness. Evaluation is also based on scoring of the cardinal microscopic features of psoriasis on a 0 to 19 weighted scale.


CONCLUSIONS
The delivery system was screened using a number of drugs and found useful. The system is cheap and easy to operate.
Psoriasis Research Institute, Palo Alto, CA, USA.
E M
EM
Farber
Psoriasis Research Institute, Palo Alto, CA, USA.
D I
DI
Wilkinson
Psoriasis Research Institute, Palo Alto, CA, USA.
D J
DJ
Trozak
Alzet pump; delivery system-intradermal; psoriasis