Rapid and significant relief of moderate-to-severe psoriasis symptoms has been reported in trials of the new Novartis drug AIN457, the pharmaceutical company says.

In one study, 81 percent of patients receiving AIN457 subcutaneously once a month showed at least a 75 percent improvement – compared to just 9 percent improvement by the group receiving a placebo after 12 weeks.

"We are encouraged by these positive Phase II results and look forward to receiving the results of larger-scale and longer-term Phase III studies with AIN457 which began this year," said John Hohneker, global head of development for integrated hospital care at Novartis.

AIN457 is a human antibody designed to suppress the inflammation involved in a number of immune-mediated diseases, including psoriasis.

Psoriasis is a common hereditary disease characterized by thick skin lesions called plaques. Symptoms associated with the lesions including itching, scaling, and pain. Psoriasis affects about 2 percent of the world’s population.