Almirall launches the campaign “Me & My Inner Circle” to acknowledge the vital role of friends and family for people living with psoriasis

·       Approximately 60 million people worldwide live with psoriasis. For half of them, the impact extends beyond physical symptoms significantly affecting their mental health and emotional well-being^1,2

·       According to the IFPA (the International Federation of Patient Associations), 80% of psoriasis patients reported that the disease has significantly affected their relationships, particularly with their partners and family.²

·       The campaign is closely connected to IFPA’s 2024 theme “Psoriasis Disease and the Family”

Campaign video

BARCELONA, Spain. October 29th, 2024 – Psoriasis is a chronic skin disease affecting around 60 million people worldwide¹ and approximately 3% of the population in Europe³.  Beyond the physical symptoms, this chronic condition often has a considerable negative impact on people's wellbeing², with eight out of ten people living with psoriasis reporting that the disease has affected their relationships, especially with their partners, as well as their family life², according to the International Federation of Psoriasis Associations (IFPA).

To raise awareness about the broad impact of the condition on the occasion of the 2024 World Psoriasis Day, on October 29th, Almirall has launched the campaign “Me & My Inner Circle” with the support of the global patient organization IFPA. The campaign features Alma, representing a patient with psoriasis, and is aimed at drawing attention to the vital role that family members play in the lives of those affected by psoriasis. It acknowledges that the challenges faced by psoriasis patients often extend beyond the individual to include their loved ones, who often have to adjust their lives to provide necessary care and support for the patient. For many patients their families are a crucial source of strength and encouragement as they deal with the impact of their disease.

“Their connection to what this condition means is essential to ensure I don’t lose hope,” says Alma. She shares the challenges faced by families of psoriasis sufferers and expresses her gratitude for the unconditional support she receives from her mother, partner, dermatologist, friend, and child in managing her condition. “My family’s empathy and the help they provide are essential for my physical and psychological balance,” she notes.

Even though the impact of psoriasis on wellbeing has been recognised for many years, it had not been addressed in clinical studies up until recently. Almirall is a pioneer in incorporating a measurement of patient wellbeing into clinical studies, having gathered data through the POSITIVE study, which involved 782 adult patients with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis from across Europe. The results revealed, for the first time, the disease's impact on the social and emotional wellbeing of patients and their families, underscoring the unmet needs in managing not only psoriatic patients but also their loved ones⁴.

“By launching the 'Me & My Inner Circle' campaign Almirall is committed to addressing the full impact of psoriasis on people, which goes beyond the skin and physical symptoms. Psoriasis, like many chronic diseases is affecting their overall wellbeing and that of their families and loved ones”. We hope this initiative will help addressing patients’ needs, as well as offer support to their families and friends said Dr. Volker Koscielny, Chief Medical Officer at Almirall.

The company is also actively supporting IFPA's ‘Family’ campaign for World Psoriasis Day, aimed at raising awareness about the impact of psoriatic disease on family dynamics. This year’s theme underscores that people affected by psoriatic disease – either directly or indirectly - deserve unwavering support, acknowledging the challenges not only faced by patients but also by their loved ones.

About Psoriasis

Psoriasis is a common, non-contagious, chronic skin disease, with no clear cause or cure. The negative impact of psoriasis on people’s lives can be immense as it affects the appearance of the skin with red, scaly plaques. Psoriasis affects people of all ages, and in all countries. The reported prevalence of psoriasis in Europe varies from 0.6% to 6.5% with an average of approximately 3% of the population³, making psoriasis a serious global problem with about 60 million individuals affected worldwide¹. The flares of psoriasis can be unpredictable and significant comorbidities are common, including arthritis, cardiovascular diseases, metabolic syndrome, inflammatory bowel disease and depression.

About Almirall

Almirall is a global pharmaceutical company dedicated to medical dermatology. We closely collaborate with leading scientists, healthcare professionals, and patients to deliver our purpose: to transform the patients' world by helping them realize their hopes and dreams for a healthy life. We are at the forefront of science to deliver ground-breaking, differentiated medical dermatology innovations that address patients´ needs.

Almirall, founded in 1944 and headquartered in Barcelona, is publicly traded on the Spanish Stock Exchange (ticker: ALM, total revenue in 2023: €898.8 MM, 1900 employees globally). Almirall products help to improve the lives of patient every day and are available in over 100 countries.