Recent Taltz News & Information
Taltz is a medication administered as a series of skin injections to prevent inflammation within your body.
There is a vigorous debate surrounding the safety of Taltz. How can you know that you’re injecting a safe drug inside your body? Is the drug manufactured in a safe manner? Can you be confident of the results after treatment? Understanding the side effects of Taltz begins with knowledge of its active ingredients and how the drug is actually administered.
Many patients looking for a treatment option for plaque psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis have probably heard of Taltz. Taltz is a medication administered as a series of skin injections to prevent inflammation within your body. Inflammation is the leading cause of plaque psoriasis; a skin condition that results in red and flaky patches on your skin. Research has shown that the Interleukin protein (commonly referred to as IK-17) is the leading cause of skin plaque growth and the presence of red, raised, and flaky sores/patches.
When psoriasis occurs around the joints of your arms and legs, you can develop psoriatic arthritis. In such cases, the red patches and silvery scales build up around your joints and make it uncomfortable to walk or move certain joints. In fact, the condition is typically characterized by joint pain, swelling, and stiffness.
In late 2017, Taltz was approved by the FDA as an effective drug for both plaque psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis. The drug, through clinical trials, was shown to improve psoriatic conditions by as much as 75% in a 3-month period.
Many patients with psoriasis wonder if Taltz is a safe and effective drug to use. How does Taltz help heal psoriasis? What are its active ingredients? What are the side effects? And if the injections harm your health, how can you seek compensation for damages incurred?
What is Taltz?
Taltz is an immunosuppressant drug that works to reduce inflammation in your body. Psoriasis occurs when your immune system is overactive and it ends up attacking other parts of your body. In such cases, your immune system may confuse these areas and interpret them as foreign elements that might cause harm.
As a result, the immune system attacks these parts of your body and causes you to experience inflammatory conditions. In particular, psoriasis occurs when your skin cells are attacked and thus they become inflamed, sore, and scaly.
As an immunosuppressant drug, Taltz works to counteract a hyperactive immune system. The drug reduces inflammation by neutralizing the effects of chemical substances in your body. Administered as injections under your skin, Taltz blocks an active protein that results in inflammation within these areas.
The Interleukin 17A protein plays a role in interacting with your immune system and causing the growth of skin plaque. When Taltz is properly administered, it helps block this protein and thus reduce inflammation in your skin. 9/10 patients are able to enjoy improved skin conditions, with 4/10 achieving completely clear skin.
In most cases, the treatment takes 12 weeks and you can enjoy clear skin for up to 15 months (or sometimes longer). Through regular injections, the scales and patches in your body will gradually fade and give way to clearer skin.
Taltz is given as prescribed injections that you can take either at home or administered by a doctor. Psoriasis tends to occur in many different parts of the skin, including the neck, back, fingernails, and joints of the arms/legs. The condition can be particularly tough to deal with when it occurs in sensitive areas of the body. Taltz has been shown to gradually reduce these red sores and scales so as to allow for smoother skin and less severe psoriasis symptoms.
Symptoms of Psoriasis that are Treated by Taltz
Many patients wonder if Taltz is the right drug for their psoriatic condition. While symptoms of psoriasis vary widely from one patient to the next, there are some underlying similarities that can be treated using this medication. Here are some of the most common symptoms that Taltz can reduce or eliminate over time.
- Red, sore patches of skin that cause frequent discomfort
- Sore skin that is covered by silvery scales
- Dry and bleeding skin
- Stiffness and swelling around the joints
- Itching and burning around the affected areas
Through the activity of Taltz preventing inflammation and the activity of the Interleukin protein, patients can enjoy relief from the above symptoms.
Taltz for Psoriatic Arthritis
For patients with psoriatic arthritis, finding an effective medication is even more important. Lesions and sores that accumulate around your joints can be particularly difficult to deal with. They cause joint pain, swelling, stiffness, and other conditions that make daily life more challenging. In fact, psoriatic arthritis can occur in many areas other than your joints. These lesions can also occur along your spine, fingertips, hands, and feet.
Taltz for psoriatic arthritis consists of a biologic mixture that is injected near affected areas. Being biologic means that the drug is produced by living cells and it impacts specific parts of your immune system. As previously mentioned, psoriasis is caused by an overactive immune system that attacks other parts of the body and causes inflammation.
Taltz is specially formulated to impact parts of your immune system that mediate born or cartilage damage. In particular, Taltz blocks the Interleukin protein that causes inflammation and bone damage during psoriatic arthritis. Patients who take Taltz have been shown to gradually reduce joint damage and enjoy healthier joints.
Taltz helps alleviate the following symptoms in psoriatic arthritis patients:
- Lower back pain: as a result of psoriatic lesions, you may develop inflammation in the joints of your spinal vertebrae, causing lower back pain.
- Joint pain: As you would expect, the sores in your skin and around your joints often cause joint pain. They also make it harder for you to move your arms, legs, elbows, and other affected areas.
- Swollen toes and fingers: another common symptom of psoriatic arthritis is a painful swelling around your toes and fingers. The swelling may limit functionality in your toes and fingers, making it harder for you to move them freely.
- Pain in your feet: this condition may also cause pain in your tendons and ligaments, especially near your heel and the sole of your foot.
For patients with psoriasis arthritis, Taltz can help with symptom improvement within 6 months of taking the drug. Furthermore, Taltz has been shown to help alleviate lower joint pain, improve mobility, and reduce stiffness in the joints.
For patients who had gradually developed difficulty in performing daily activities, taking Taltz resulted in their regained ability to walk for longer distances, dress themselves, grab objects, and bend to pick up items. Most patients were able to regain this ability in about 6 months. As a result, Taltz is deemed by many as an important drug for improving quality of life.
Dosage Information
Because psoriasis varies significantly from one patient to another, the dosage that will be prescribed by your doctor will vary according to your symptoms. Taltz is administered as an injection under the skin. These injections can be administered by your doctor, or you can inject yourself while at home. Regardless of how you receive the injections, the proper dosage will prevent any potential side effects that may arise. Patients who don’t fully understand how to inject themselves shouldn’t attempt to do so while at home. In most dosages, Taltz is not administered on a daily basis. It is given biweekly or on a monthly basis and the frequency will depend on your specific symptoms. For the dosage to be most effective, no injections are administered in the same place twice. In addition, injections are typically not administered directly onto sore or otherwise affected areas of the skin. This may result in further irritation and other complications.
After every injection, the active ingredient in Taltz (Ixekizumab) enters your body and works to suppress inflammation in affected areas. Every injection of Taltz contains 80mg of medicine and is administered consecutively as the weeks go by.
FDA Approval for Taltz
Due to the success of clinical trials, Taltz won FDA approval for treating many different types of psoriasis. The major clinical trial for Taltz yielded a75% reduction of psoriasis in 80% of patients who took the drug. In addition, 35% of patients from the same study were able to enjoy clear skin within just 3 months of taking the drug.
While there are still many side effects that surround Taltz, the FDA approved the drug based on how it works within the body and how it reduces the soreness and wounds that characterize psoriasis. In fact, Taltz won FDA approval based on the following key benefits.
1. Relief from Scalp and scaly skin
FDA approval for Taltz was based on the effectiveness of this medication against multiple psoriatic conditions. Based on clinical studies and patient recovery, Taltz has been shown to reduce psoriasis in80%of people taking the drug. Among the key symptoms that Taltz eliminates is scalp psoriasis and silvery scaly skin.
FDA approval for this drug was based on its ability to reduce inflammation that would otherwise cause painful sores on the skin. In addition, Taltz has been shown to significantly reduce scalp psoriasis in about 12 weeks of treatment.
2. Reducing and eliminating fingernail psoriasis
Another reason why Taltz was able to gain FDA approval was that of its effectiveness in treating fingernail psoriasis. This condition often results in discomfort around the fingers and arms, as well as painful sores that can limit finger movement. Patients who took Taltz were able to have fully cured fingers in 15 months.
3. Improving the general quality of life
Taltz has also been shown to improve the general quality of life in patients with psoriasis. Because this condition affects many different areas of the body, Taltz enables patients to have cured skin and reduced lesions that may affect the back, legs, arms, and scalp (among other parts of the body).
Regular injections of Taltz enable patients to enjoy reduced discomfort around their joints so they can engage in daily living activities. There is also the appearance aspect, where unsightly sores and scales gradually become healed over time.
Side Effects
As with any other drug you may consume, it’s important to know the potential side effects that Taltz can cause to your body. Having injections administered under your skin can result in allergic reactions, immune reactions, and other health complications that you may not expect. The key question most patients ask is whether Taltz is safe enough to use, and how they can ensure that they don’t suffer from any harmful side effects.
There is a vigorous debate surrounding the safety of Taltz. How can you know that you’re injecting a safe drug inside your body? Is the drug manufactured in a safe manner? Can you be confident of the results after treatment? Understanding the side effects of Taltz begins with knowledge of its active ingredients and how the drug is actually administered.
But before jumping into the science of Taltz, here are some common side effects that one may experience after takingTaltz.
1. Reactions at the injection site
One of the most common side effects is a reaction at the site of injection. This mostly occurs as an infection in the skin area, redness, and pain (on and around the site). The ingredients of Taltz may also cause allergic reactions.
Some patients are allergic to the active ingredient of Taltz-ixekizumab, and other ingredients that may be present in the drug itself. In most cases, patients with allergic reactions should stop taking the drug immediately (and consult their doctor).
2. Respiratory tract infections
Taltz can also cause infections in the upper respiratory tract, resulting in a stuffy nose, cold, or rhinovirus infections. It may also cause nausea, an inflamed nose, and sinuses.
3. Fungal reactions
Some patients may experience fungal reactions such as ringworms, itching, and athlete’s foot.
Less Common Side Effects
The side effects outlined above are among the most common in patients consuming Taltz. However, there are other less common (and sometimes more severe) side effects that may occur. Some of these include:
- Inflamed bowel disease
- Pink eye and thrush
- Hives
- A decreased number of blood platelets
Patients who are pregnant or nursing should consult their doctors first before consuming this drug.
What You Should be Aware of
In most cases, Taltz is a safe and reliable drug to use against psoriasis. Based on clinical studies and other patients who have used the drug, Taltz results in reduced symptoms within 3 months, and full elimination of lesions in 6-15 months.
However, before purchasing and using Taltz to treat your psoriatic condition, there are important details about the drug that you should know. This will help you determine if taking Taltz is the best solution for treating your current psoriatic condition.
Understanding the active ingredient in Taltz
As a prescription medication aimed at treating plaque psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis, Taltz is used by many different people to ease and cure symptoms of the disease. The active ingredient in Taltz is ixekizumab (in fact, this is the only active ingredient in the drug).
There is concern that the manufacturers of Taltz don’t specify all the ingredients used to make the drug. Beyond naming its active ingredient, it can be challenging to find out everything else contained in the injection mixture. Taltz is also manufactured by a single company located in Indianapolis (called Eli Lilly and Company) and various parties raise concern regarding the fact that the company only produces one product.
Ixekizumab works primarily by suppressing the activity of Interleukin 17 (the protein that causes inflammation around areas affected by psoriasis). Ixekizumab is essentially a monoclonal antibody of the IK-17.
Because it’s a biologic drug, Taltz is different from any traditionally produced medications. Another complication with Taltz is that it’s a drug directed at specific parts of your immune system. Therefore, any room for error is minimal and the possibility of unintended risks becomes larger.
As a biological compound, Ixekizumab hasn’t been studied extensively in many different biological settings. Biological compounds typically have many different interactions with your body at any given time. This means that researchers may only understand one aspect of how Ixekizumab operates, while not having enough knowledge of how the protein will react in different conditions.
In addition, the severe allergic reactions that Taltz can cause are another reason why patients should be cautious before using the drug. You should be aware of any allergies you may have and clearly explain them to your doctor before using Taltz.
You should also make sure that you inform your healthcare provider of the following conditions before taking Taltz.
- Coughs and muscle aches
- Weight loss
- Stomach pains and diarrhea
- Crohn’s disease
- Pain during urination
These conditions may complicate your psoriatic treatment or result in side effects/harmful allergic reactions. As a biological drug, more tests may be necessary to ensure that Taltz is safer to use for most patients.
Taltz also has many inactive ingredients such as Sodium Citrate Dihydrate, Anhydrous Citric Acid, Sodium Chloride, and Polysorbrate 80. The combination of all these ingredients, plus water, is what makes a complete injection.
Product Liability Risks
As with any other drug in the market today, Taltz may cause product liability risks to patients. If administered incorrectly, the drug may cause harm to you and thus you may qualify for compensation for any damages incurred. For example, patients who suffer from unanticipated allergic reactions(or other health conditions) can seek to be compensated from the Taltz manufacturers. Patients who have suffered injury from Taltz can file a compensation lawsuit for any damages caused.
The biological and immune-targeting nature of Taltz makes it likely to cause unanticipated reactions in various patients. Though rare, the drug can cause immune related reactions and other conditions that affect the skin or upper respiratory organs. Therefore, even as Taltz has been shown to be effective and safe to use for psoriasis in many patients, the risk of product liability is still present.
More research is also necessary to uncover all the activity of the active ingredient Ixekizumab. Proteins in the body have many different functions, and missing a minor detail can easily result in unexpected bodily reactions.
When treating psoriatic arthritis, Taltz faces further liability issues. The drug has been shown to slow the progression of joint damage and to reduce symptoms of joint pain. In cases where Taltz has worsened the patient’s joints-either through allergic reactions or other related conditions - the patient could also make a claim for compensation.
As you take Taltz for psoriasis, make sure you closely keep track of your symptoms and your overall health. If you develop further health complications as a result of using the drug, you may be eligible for compensation due to the complications caused by Taltz.
What You Can Do if Affected by Taltz
Patients should be made fully aware of any complications that may arise when consuming Taltz. This includes any allergies, pre-existing conditions, and safety information. If you experience any complications related to using Taltz, you should consult your healthcare provider as soon as possible. Your healthcare provider can determine if your condition is as a result of negligence on the part of the drug manufacturer.
Any inadequate warnings that were issued by the manufacturer, poor safety steps that were put in place, or unusual conditions that arose from its use should be carefully documented so you can receive any compensation for the complications you had to endure.
As an FDA-approved drug, Taltz has been shown as safe and effective against both plaque psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis. Therefore, if you suffer unexpected complications from using this drug (especially as a result of manufacturer negligence), you should be compensated.
Finding Legal Help for a Taltz Lawsuit Near Me
The strong clinical results that Taltz has against psoriasis makes it a popular drug for treating this condition. However, there are cases where Taltz can affect the health of some psoriasis patients.
If you’ve been harmed by Taltz and need legal representation, Consumer Alert Now can help. We can help find representation throughout the entire United States for consumers who have been affected by defective products and dangerous drugs.
It can be challenging to understand if and how a certain drug affected your health. Our legal guidance allows you to objectively determine if a specific drug affected you and how you can be compensated for damages incurred. If you’ve taken Taltz as a treatment for psoriasis and it has negatively affected your health, contact us today at (800) 511-0747
