Ustekinumab – Stelara

What is Stelara?
Stelara is a biologic medication approved by the European Medicines Agency (EMEA) for the treatment of moderate to severe psoriasis.

Key Features;
• Approved for treating moderate to severe psoriasis
• After initial doses at week 0 and 4, patients are given an injection under the skin once every 12 weeks
• Patients must continue to take the treatment to maintain results
• Patients should be screened for latent (hidden) tuberculosis (TB) before taking Stelara

How does it work?
Stelara slows down the activity of interleukin 12 (IL-12) and interleukin 23 (IL-23), chemical “messengers” in the immune system that signal other cells to cause inflammation. This inflammation stimulates the development of psoriatic lesions.

Who is it for?
Stelara is indicated for the treatment of moderate to severe plaque psoriasis in adults who failed to respond to, or who have a contraindication to, or are intolerant to other systemic therapies including ciclosporin, methotrexate and PUVA.

Who should not take Stelara?
• People who are allergic to ustekinumab or any of the other ingredients of Stelara
• People with active serious infections
• People requiring live vaccines (inactivated or non-live vaccines, speak to your doctor if you have any concerns on this topic)
• Children – the medication has not been approved for children
• Caution is advised for the elderly, due to the already increased risk of infection for this age group
• Pregnant women, or women trying to become pregnant (Stelara must be stopped for 15 weeks before conception)
• If you are breast-feeding or if you plan to breast-feed while using Stelara, your doctor will decide whether you should use this medicine.

How is it used?
Stelara is administered by injection under the skin. Patients can choose to have Stelara administered by a healthcare professional or they can be trained to self inject.

What are the side effects?
Like all medicines, Stelara can cause side effects, although not everybody gets them. Most side effects are mild to moderate however some patients may experience severe side effects and may require treatment. The most common side effects that were noticed in clinical trials of Stelara were infections of the throat or airways (this affected more than one in 10 people who used Stelara). Common side effects included depression, feeling dizzy, headache, sore throat, blocked or stuffy nose, diarrhoea, itching, back or muscle pain, feeling tired and redness of the injection site. Inflammation of tissue under the skin is also common and the signs include warmth, swelling, redness and pain.

How do I get Stelara?
Stelara can only be prescribed by a healthcare professional in a hospital dermatology department. It will only be prescribed for those patients for whom other systemic treatments (including Methotrexate, Ciclosporin and PUVA) have not worked or cannot be used.