A recent short term trial reached the conclusion that an experimental drug called Ustekinumab, produced by Centocor, is better than the released drug Enbrel for treating moderate and severe cases of psoriasis.

The disorder affects the skin causing some red scaly patches, called psoriatic plaques which are areas of inflammation and excessive skin production.

The tests were conducted over a period of 12 weeks on 903 patients, which were either given ustekinumab (in a higher or lower dose) or Enbrel. The patients on ustekinumab received a shot at the beginning of the study and another one four weeks later. The patients on Enbrel got two shots every week throughout the whole study.

Enbrel’s maker, Amgen, could only come up with one response/ explanation/ defence, by saying that the study does not provide any long-term safety guarantees. "The big question with any new therapy, especially one targeting a new pathway, is not short-term efficacy; it's long-term safety. This 12-week study doesn't address that question," said Sonia Fiorenza, Amgen’s director of corporate communications, as quoted by WebMD. She then referred to her company’s product which "continues to have a consistent safety profile," with a 16-year history and a 80 percent success rate, which makes it "the number one prescribed biologic in psoriasis."

The results were presented at the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology Congress in Paris and even though the response was positive, once a long-term observation will be conducted, it will be clear for everyone which remedy is truly better for dealing with the disorder.