Benzinga | Nov 2, 2020 08:38AM EST

Strata Skin Sciences Highlights Publication Of Study Titled 'Therapies for Psoriasis: Clinical and Economic Comparisons'; Says Its XTRAC Technology Was 'found to deliver the fastest results with the fewest adverse events at the most economical cost'

Delivers fastest results with fewest adverse events compared to topical, traditional UV, biologic and systemic therapies

Providing a better solution for Integrated Health Systems and Capitation healthcare -- managing the patients and reducing costs for chronic skin disease

Up to 97% savings over Biologic drugs

HORSHAM, Pa., Nov. 02, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- STRATA Skin Sciences, Inc. (NASDAQ:SSKN) ("STRATA" or the "Company"), a medical technology company in Dermatology and Plastic Surgery dedicated to developing, commercializing and marketing innovative products for the treatment of dermatologic conditions, today announced the publication of a peer-reviewed health-economic study entitled: "Therapies for Psoriasis: Clinical and Economic Comparisons" in the November 2020 issue of the Journal of Drugs in Dermatology. The study was conducted by Dr. Albert Marchetti, a leading health economic researcher and an adjunct professor at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, and compared common interventions to treat plaque psoriasis. The Company's XTRAC excimer laser and its Optimal Therapeutic Dose (OTD(tm)) treatment protocol utilizing the Multi Micro Dose(tm) (MMD(r)) diagnostic tip were found to deliver the fastest results with the fewest adverse events at the most economical cost of all treatments analyzed, including topical, traditional UV, biologic and systemic therapies. In addition, patients treated with the XTRAC excimer laser and XTRAC with MMD had fewer actual treatment days compared to all other modalities and was the only therapy where patients achieved remission without a maintenance therapy.

"This study was an extraordinarily comprehensive analysis of all treatment methodologies, so it is very gratifying to note that our XTRAC excimer laser and XTRAC with MMD devices were determined to be the best of all approaches, producing clinical outcomes comparable to the most effective biologics, at a fraction of the cost. This health economic assessment is very timely in light of the COVID19 pandemic, as psoriasis patients and providers now have increased concern over the use of biologics. The clinical and cost data from the study can help practitioners select appropriate treatments for patients currently using a biologic therapy and those with comorbidities," said Dr. Dolev Rafaeli, STRATA's President and Chief Executive Officer. "With over 600 integrated health systems, managing over 100 million patients, annually, the ability to offer a cost effective solution makes XTRAC the perfect alternative to other more expensive treatment options like Biologic drugs," concluded Dr. Rafaeli.

The XTRAC system is used in multiple Integrated Health System clinics; including Mt. Sinai, Kaiser Permanente and The United States Department of Veterans Affairs, in addition to its prevalent use by private practice physicians.

The study analyzed four main psoriasis therapeutic modalities; including topicals, systemics, phototherapy, and biologics. Researchers selected eight comparators (Methotrexate for systemics, Clobetasol (CLO) and Calcipotriene (CAL) combination for topicals and Etanercept (ETA), Infliximab (INF), and Ustekinumab (UST) for biologics, narrow-band UVB (NB-UVB), XTRAC with and without MMD technology (Optimal Therapeutic Dose OTD Protocol (published in the April 2020 issue of Journal of Drugs in Dermatology) for phototherapy) that were preferentially used within each category, widely studied, and supported by high-quality published research and data to represent each of the four modalities. Each therapy was analyzed for required care days, likelihood of response, speed and completeness of response, frequency and duration of remission, adverse events and their management, resource utilization, and cost.

Dr. Marchetti noted, "We were impressed by the effectiveness of the XTRAC technology and that it showed significant savings compared to other therapies. The study conclusions highlight the superiority of the XTRAC technology for treatment of psoriasis patients as being the least expensive, fastest onset, having the fewest adverse events, and having the ability to achieve remission without the need of maintenance therapy."

The study was overseen by an advisory board comprised of Dr. Tina Bhutani, MD, MAS (Assistant Clinical Professor, Department of Dermatology, Co-Director, Psoriasis & Skin Treatment Center, University of California San Francisco, CA); Dr. Ben Lockshin, MD FAAD (Director, Clinical Trials Center at U.S. Dermatology Partners, Silver Spring, MD; Assistant Professor, Georgetown University); and Dr. Frederick Behringer, MD (Private Practitioner, Suncoast Skin Solutions, Ocala, FL).

Results of the research show:

* Clinical Effectiveness -- XTRAC produces excellent clinical outcomes with superior PASI 75 reduction in a high percentage (92% for XTRAC OTD) of patients.

* Speed of Response to Treatment -- XTRAC excimer laser and the XTRAC MMD diagnostic tip achieve visible results within 5-7 weeks as compared to systemics and biologics that require 3 months.

* Adverse Events -- Treatment with XTRAC technology is shown to be the safest of all modalities for plaque psoriasis. Adverse events are mild, temporary, localized, and well tolerated.

* Cost-Effectiveness of the XTRAC Technology -- Among patients with moderate-to-severe psoriasis, the XTRAC excimer laser and XTRAC MMD diagnostic tip produce clinical outcomes (an end point of PASI 75) that are comparable to biologics at just 3% of the cost.

* Time Spent by Patients in Treatment - Actual treatment days per year for the XTRAC excimer laser used in conjunction with the MMD accessory (18) and XTRAC (39) are significantly less than most other modalities: Etanercept (70 days), Methotrexate (62 days), NB-UVB (80 days) and, topicals (294 days), resulting in higher convenience and significantly lower patient frustration.

* Remission Without Maintenance Therapy -- XTRAC is the only treatment modality where patients can achieve 2.5 - 6 months of disease remission without the need of a maintenance therapy, providing more enjoyable treatment free days.

The full study can be accessed on page 1101 (89 of 124 on the following link): Journal of Drugs in Dermatology.