Clinical Trial Dates

I just had a phone call from the dermatology clinic in regards to my appointments. I've been booked in for Monday afternoons until at least the end of the year, except for next week, they were booked solid.

My electronic diary (which they provided so I can do my daily and weekly questionnaires) has been updated with all of the days I need to go in. Thankfully some visits are weekly, some fortnightly and next year they will become a monthly visit from March until the end of the study.

The final date for my visits, at this stage, is September 30 2019.

Clinical Trial - Baseline Visit - Week 0

On Monday I had an appointment at the Dermatology clinic in Melbourne. I was to find out whether I qualified for the clinical trial. Basically I had to wait for the blood test results to find out if I could proceed with the trial. I had already been given clearance in regards to the mental health side of things.

I made it! I am in the trial! All of my blood test results were okay. The doctor did point out that my BGL (blood glucose level) was high, 8.2 mmol, but I pointed out that I am a type 2 diabetic and that I had eaten about 2 hours before my bloods were taken. So it was still within my allowed rage.
They really test for everything! It's good to know that I don't have TB or hepatitis or HIV. I do however have extra red blood cells. Not too sure what that means but the doctor said it wasn't anything to worry about at this stage.

My skin was checked again to get my new PASI (Psoriasis Area Severity Index) score and my BSA (Body Surface Area) score.

                                PASI              BSA
27 Jul 2017             21                   ----
13 Aug 2018           16                   35 %
3 Sept 2018             29                   51 %

I knew my skin would flare due to stopping the methotrexate four weeks before this baseline visit and stopping all medicated creams/ointments two weeks before but I had no idea that my skin would change as much as it did. I guess it shows that even small amounts of medicated creams, that aren't as effective as they use to be, are still helping keep my skin in better condition than I realised.

I have no idea whether I am receiving bimekizumab or adalimumab. I guess it doesn't matter really just as long as it works. All I know is that I received two injections and I have a bruise the size of a 50 cent piece (approximately the size of a 1 inch circle).

For now I am just using QV moisturiser on my skin and a moisturiser that has lanolin in it. I am not sure which one is helping the most but my skin is nowhere near as dry, red and angry looking as it was a week ago when I began using them.

Let's hope that I have some good results from this!

Clinical Trial - Assessment Appointment

I was meant to be starting cyclosporin a few weeks ago. The day after I saw my derm I received a phone call in regards to a new clinical trial that was about to start. I would be guaranteed either humira or bimekizumab. I thought why not try it. What have I got to lose?

Yesterday was the screening appointment. It took longer than expected and it made for a very long day travelling in to the city from the country. I have a new pasi score of 16.3 (down from 21). I had an ECG, chest x-ray and blood tests done. I also gave a detailed medical history. I really thought that they may have wanted to know when I had my last poop

All I need to do is wait for the results of the tests, provide a mental health evaluation (due to having depression and there were some concerns) and I should find out in a couple of weeks whether I made it into the trial.

I stopped taking methotrexate earlier this month and next Monday I will need to stop using any medicated lotions and potions as there needs to be a 2-4 week wash out. My skin is flaring, red, angry and sore right now so I am really hoping that I make it in to this trial. If not then I start the cyclosporin and resume seeing my dermatologist as previously planned.

Update: Psoriasis Clinical Trial

I received an email on Wednesday in regards to the psoriasis biologic trial. It's a lot more involved and longer than I was told it would be but that's okay.

Each visit (29 of them) may take up to 4 hours  some of them will involve a complete medical examination. I will be required to complete a daily diary on how my skin & mental health is going & there's a weekly questionnaire as well. There are some restrictions on medications, prescribed and OTC, that I can take and some that I may need to stop whilst on this trial.

However this is all subject to my passing the screening visit, which wont be for another couple of weeks. There will be only three patients accepted at this particular clinical trial It's a global study that has 100 other clinics participating. So I may not even qualify.

There is a small bonus though if I make it on to the trial, I will be entitled to some compensation in regards to my travel. As my Mum would have said, Every little bit helps said the little old lady as she widdled in to the ocean

Oops almost forgot the biologics involved are bimekizumab and adalimumab (humira).