Fluence Therapeutics Inc.

• Fluence Therapeutics, Inc., in partnership with Dr. Kevin Cooper, Chair of the Dermatology Department at Case Western Reserve University Scool of Medicine and University Hospitals Case Medical Center, is commercializing a unique new treatment that is expected to transform the psoriasis market.

• 125 million people around the world suffer from psoriasis, including 7.5 million in the US alone.  Yet there is currently no therapy available to treat the vast majority of sufferers with difficult cases that can deliver efficacy without unwanted side effects and prohibitive costs.

• Fluence Therapeutics is repurposing the cancer therapeutic compound Pc 4 - developed with $32 million of NIH-funded research - to treat psoriasis.  This unique new Pc 4-based photodynamic therapy will provide effective relief from moderate to severe psoriasis without harmful side effects or exorbitant costs. 

• The psoriasis drug market is expected to grow from $3.4 billion in 2009 to $6.8 billiion in 2019.  $1.4 billion is currently spent on systemic prescription biologicals, such as Enbrel, despite the increased risk of cancer or potential infections associated with immunosuppressants. 

• Current treatment typically falls within two categories:  light therapy or systemic prescription medications.  Existing light therapies require repeated exposure to ultraviolet (UV) light, which is a known carcinogen and leads to premature photoaging.  Systemic pharmaceuticals have varying efficacy rates depending on the patient, are contraindicated in many cases and have been shown to increase the risk of infection and certain cancers such as lymphomas.