, a wholly owned subsidiary of New Brunswick-based Johnson & Johnson has reported that the Phase III testing of its developmental psoriasis drug has shown encouraging results.

Over two-thirds of about 1,200 patients with the most common type of psoriasis experienced at least 75 percent betterment within 12 weeks after having two daily dosages of ustekinumab.

Additionally, after getting an added amount of the medicine at the 16th week, patients continued to have a positive effect through the 28th week. The information was showed at the World Congress of Dermatology in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The research was headed by the St. Louis University Medical School.

Dr. Jerome A. Boscia, senior vice president of clinical research and development at Malvern, Pa.-based Centocor, said, “These findings show that…we may be able to offer dermatologists and patients a new, promising biologic therapy with an infrequent dosing regimen for the treatment of psoriasis.”

Current psoriasis medications on the market comprise another J&J product known as Remicade, and Amgen’s Enbrel.