Published On: 2/27/2019

TARGET PharmaSolutions to Advance Dermatology Research, including Atopic Dermatitis, through New Collaboration

Durham, NC – (February 27, 2019) /PR NEWSWIRE/ – TARGET PharmaSolutions, Inc., a real-world clinical data solutions company, is pleased to announce that Novartis Pharma AG is the first industry partner to provide multi-year support to TARGET-DERM registry. TARGET-DERM is a global longitudinal observational study that evaluates adult and pediatric patients with immune-mediated inflammatory skin conditions (IMISCs). 

TARGET-DERM will initially focus on patients with atopic dermatitis (eczema) and will expand to include other skin conditions, including hidradenitis suppurativa (painful bumps under the skin), alopecia areata (autoimmune-related hair loss), and vitiligo (loss of skin pigment).  These chronic inflammatory skin disorders constitute a substantial financial burden on the US health care system, and are among the greatest contributors to the burden of skin disease worldwide.  Currently enrolling, the study is led by an academic steering committee chaired by Emma Guttman-Yassky, MD, PhD, The Sol and Clara Kest Professor of Dermatology and Immunology, and Vice Chair, department of Dermatology, The Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, and Diamant Thaçi, MD, PhD, Professor and Head, Comprehensive Center for Inflammation Medicine, University of Lubeck, Germany.

 “This partnership confirms Novartis’ commitment to immuno-dermatology. Better understanding of diseases such as atopic dermatitis can help bring forward innovation that can be transformative for patients, their families and health care systems,” said Eric Hughes, Development Unit Head, Immunology, Hepatology and Dermatology.

“We are very excited for Novartis to join as the first industry partner in TARGET-DERM,” said Meg Powell, PharmD, Chair of the Board of TARGET PharmaSolutions. “We have received strong interest from many stakeholders in the dermatology community regarding the need for high-quality, longitudinal, real-world data on patients with eczema and other inflammatory skin conditions related to immune response.  Real-world data gathered from TARGET-DERM will be a valuable resource for our collaborators as they work to better understand and to combat these complex skin diseases, and could have life-altering implications for the millions of people around the world who suffer from them.” 

TARGET-DERM is the sixth disease category spearheaded by TARGET PharmaSolutions since 2015. Ongoing real-world TARGET studies include nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) and chronic hepatitis B (HBV).

The TARGET model organizes a community of stakeholders, including key scientific leaders, regulatory agencies, pharmaceutical manufacturers, and patient advocacy groups, around a specific disease to generate real world evidence about the natural history of the given disease, current treatment paradigm, and patient outcomes.  This model enables TARGET’s stakeholders to answer critical strategic and planning questions.  TARGET PharmaSolutions also provides regulatory grade data and analysis that may be used throughout the pharmaceutical development and commercialization process, including expanded indications and fulfillment of post-market studies. 

Novartis is a global healthcare company that provides innovative healthcare solutions that address the evolving needs of patients and societies. Immuno-dermatology, including atopic dermatitis portfolio, is one of the key therapeutic areas of research and development for Novartis.