Drug firm Eli Lilly on Tuesday said it has forayed into the dermatological space in the country with the launch of a product to treat moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis. The company has launched Copellor in the market after getting approval from the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI).

The drug is designed to specifically target a protein that plays a role in triggering and maintaining inflammation in psoriasis.

“Our foray into the dermatology segment strengthens Lilly’s promise of bringing innovative medicines to India. Global Studies show that the impact psoriasis has on a patient’s quality of life is comparable to that of ‘serious’ diseases such as cancer and heart failure,” Eli Lilly and Company – India & India Subcontinent Managing Director Vineet Gupta said in a statement.

The availability of a new treatment like Copellor (Ixekizumab) will now empower healthcare providers with another option to successfully treat adults with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis and adult patients with active psoriatic arthritis, a huge unmet need in the country, he added.

Copellor is a prescription medicine to be used only on the advice of a dermatologist or rheumatologist and under medical supervision, the drug firm stated. Psoriasis is a chronic auto-immune disorder of the skin in which prolonged inflammation leads to dry, thick, raised, red patches on the skin that continuously shed silvery scales.