Psoriasis and clinical trials

Four reasons you might try a clinical trial if you have psoriasis.

Clinical trials are an important step in the discovery of effective new drugs and treatments. They help researchers better understand how to treat and prevent diseases and conditions, including psoriasis or psoriatic arthritis.

If psoriasis symptoms keep coming back after all available and approved therapies have been tried, a clinical trial might be an option for you or someone you care about.

When should I seek a clinical trial for psoriasis?

There are many new, effective treatments available to control mild psoriasis. Clinical trials for psoriasis generally involve people with moderate to severe forms of the condition, which can be more challenging to treat.

Reasons why you might consider a clinical trial for psoriasis include:

  1. Your current treatment doesn't control your psoriasis or psoriatic arthritis symptoms and no other approved therapies are likely to help.
  2. All current or approved psoriasis treatments have potential side effects that are risky to your health.
  3. Your current treatment causes serious side effects, or the side effects will cause long-term damage to your overall health.
  4. You can't access standard or approved therapies because of location, cost or other factors.

What type of clinical trial is best for me?

There are several phases of clinical trials.

Phase 1 trials are small research studies that rely on healthy volunteers to evaluate how the body reacts to a new treatment.

If you're thinking about an experimental treatment for your psoriasis, you might ask your health care provider about phase 2 or phase 3 trials. These trials need hundreds to thousands of people with a condition or disease, such as psoriasis. They study how a treatment works — and if it's safe — compared with a currently approved treatment.

Phase 4 trials, also called post-phase trials, look at treatments after they've been approved and are on the market. These observational studies require thousands of participants. They monitor the long-term safety of a treatment and study how it affects the body over time.

Pros and cons of clinical trials

You and your health care provider likely will discuss the pros and cons of any medicines or surgeries you need. Do the same thing when considering a clinical trial.

Benefits of a clinical trial:

  • You get access to a treatment before it's approved or widely available.
  • All medical care relating to the treatment, including lab work, is free.
  • You may get paid for participating or for traveling to the trial site.
  • You play an active part in your medical care while contributing to medical research.

Some drawbacks:

  • You might not meet the requirements of the study you wish to be involved in.
  • You may have to stop all current treatments before the trial begins.
  • You might get a dummy pill, also called a placebo. Some clinical trials are randomized, which means half the participants receive the treatment and half don't. If it's a blind trial, your researcher or health care provider won't know which treatment you receive. But you will be informed if one of the treatments is a placebo before you give consent to participate.
  • As with any medicine, you may have side effects. Or the drug may not work and your symptoms might get worse.
  • Frequent checkups might be time-consuming for you.
  • You might have trouble getting the treatment after the trial if the medicine isn't on the market yet.

How to sign up for psoriasis clinical trials

Many clinical trials are currently underway for all types of psoriasis. Your health care provider may be able to give you information about psoriasis clinical trials near you.

You also can search for psoriasis clinical trials online, such as at the National Psoriasis Foundation's Clinical Trial Finder or at Mayo Clinic's Clinical Trials. Some search tools allow you to find a trial best suited to your needs, including how far you're willing to travel.

And remember, clinical trials need healthy volunteers too. Such studies aren't possible without all types of volunteers.

Feb. 15, 2023 See more In-depth

See also

  1. 5 signs a psoriasis support group is right for you
  2. 6 ways to manage itchy skin when you have psoriasis
  3. Arthritis
  4. Arthritis pain: Do's and don'ts
  5. Can psoriasis make it hard to sleep?
  6. Dry skin
  7. Ease stress to reduce your psoriasis flares
  8. Exercising with arthritis
  9. Ground flaxseed
  10. Gluten sensitivity and psoriasis: What's the connection?
  11. How to heal cracked heels
  12. How to heal cracked skin at thumb tip
  13. Is the Mediterranean diet good for psoriasis?
  14. Living better with psoriasis
  15. Psoriasis-related health risks
  16. Mayo Clinic Minute: Fingernails are clues to your health
  17. Mayo Clinic Minute: Moisturizer tips from a dermatologist
  18. Photodynamic therapy
  19. Prednisone risks, benefits
  20. Pregnancy and breastfeeding when you have psoriasis
  21. Psoriasis
  22. Psoriasis and intimacy
  23. Psoriasis and your self-esteem
  24. Identifying what worsens your psoriasis
  25. Psoriasis: Get the most out of your treatment
  26. Psoriasis: How can I protect my skin during a workout?
  27. Psoriasis treatment options
  28. Psoriasis: What if I get psoriatic arthritis, too?
  29. Psoriasis: What to share with your doctor
  30. Relaxation techniques
  31. Scalp psoriasis vs. seborrheic dermatitis
  32. Skin biopsy
  33. Skin care tips
  34. Skip flavored lip balm
  35. How to trim thickened toenails
  36. Slide show: 5 ways to thrive with psoriasis through the holidays
  37. Slide show: Caring for your skin when you have psoriasis
  38. Hand exercises for people with arthritis
  39. Joint protection
  40. Types of psoriasis
  41. Common skin rashes
  42. Time your lotions right
  43. Ward off dry skin
  44. Alternative psoriasis treatments
  45. What are the risks of vaccinations for people living with psoriasis?
  46. What's the best way to manage scalp psoriasis?
  47. White patch on skin: A cause for concern?