Modeling Efalizumab Pharmacokinetic and Pharmacodynamic Aspects in Psoriasis

Title: Pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic-efficacy analysis of efalizumab in patients with moderate to severe psoriasis.
Authors: Ng CM, et al.
Publication: Pharm Res. 2005 Jul;22(7):1088-100. Epub 2005 Jul 22.

Efalizumab is a human anti-CD11a antibody that has demonstrated efficacy in psoriasis treatment. The author wanted to determine the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic efficiency of efalizumab and its interaction with CD11a T cells.

To do this, the authors analyzed a total of 6,329 blood samples taken from 240 patients in five Phase I and II clinical studies. The authors used:

  • The plasma or blood concentration of efalizumab to measure its pharmacokinetic aspect
  • Amount of CD11a before treatment to measure the drug’s pharmacodynamic aspect
  • Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) as a measure of the efficacy of treatment.

The authors found that the rate of psoriasis lesions is directly proportional to the amount of free surface CD11a on T cells, which is offset by the rate of skin healing. The authors were able to develop a pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic model which suggested that administering less efalizumab more frequently would result in better convenience with similar efficacy.


Editor’s Note: pharmacokinetic refers to the process by which a drug is absorbed, distributed, metabolized and then eliminated from the body. Pharmacodynamic refers to the action or effects of drugs in the body.

T cells are a subset of white blood cells that mature in the thymus and regulate the body’s immune system by recognizing specific antigens.







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