SkinBioTherapeutics eyes EU market with upcoming psoriasis supplement launch in Italy

29 Jun 2023 --- The life science company, SkinBioTherapeutics, has received approval from Italian regulators to issue AxisBiotix-Ps, a food supplement to alleviate the symptoms associated with psoriasis, onto the nation’s market. The gut-skin microbiome supplement is launching next month, with no exact date given.

“Italy is the EU market leader for food supplements, accounting for 29% of the continental market and over half of Italians using food supplements in some form,” Stuart Ashman, CEO of SkinBioTherapeutic, tells Personal Care Insights. 

“A recent consumer study showed 72% of participants reporting their skin felt better after taking Axisbiotix-Ps for 28 days.”

The announcement follows the launch of the supplement in Spain, building on the initial launch in the UK, where customer retention rates have remained above 80%. The company’s proprietary platform technology, SkinBiotix, is based on discoveries made by Dr. Catherine O’Neill, chief scientific officer at AxisBiotix and Andrew McBain, professor at the University of Manchester.

Entering EU markets
The launch of AxisBiotix-Ps into another EU market continues SkinBioTherapeutics’ commercialization strategy. Between 2-3% of Italians report being affected by psoriasis, which keeps with the global prevalence rate and is similar to those reported in Spain and the UK.

Additionally, over half of Italians use food supplements to improve their health and well-being. This gives SkinBioTherapeutics confidence that the introduction of its product to the Italian market will be met positively.

“We have seen high customer retention rates, and we anticipate that Italian consumers will follow this trend due to their positive attitude to food supplements,” says Ashman. 

SkinBioTherapeutics to launch supplement for psoriasis in Italy.Psoriasis is a lifelong condition with no known cure. There are existing treatments, such as steroids or immuno-suppressants, however, these cannot be used in the long term. SkinBioTherapeutics says AxisBiotix-Ps is a long-term solution. 

Gut-skin axis
Ashman explains that “dermatologists don’t yet know exactly how psoriasis is caused, but several studies have indicated a compromised gut barrier could be a potential cause, although further research is needed.”

“Unlike topical creams or steroids, which aim to reduce symptoms directly at the affected areas, Axisbiotics-Ps addresses the microbiome balance in the gut. It contains four specific strains of live bacteria and stabilizing agents designed to protect the gut from harmful bacteria that can negatively impact skin health.”

As a food supplement, AxisBiotix-Ps is based on scientific data regarding the gut-skin axis, re-introducing missing bacteria into the gut and redressing the balance to improve skin health.

“It is designed to address the high levels of the circulatory inflammatory agent Interleukin-17, strengthening the gut barrier to reduce inflammation and the symptoms of psoriasis, such as redness, itchiness, flaky skin and dryness,” says Ashman. 

The following target country to launch the supplement is France. Talks with French regulators are underway, and commercialization is anticipated in the second half of the year. “We have applied for regulatory approval in France, which we hope to receive later in 2023.”

Similarly, Arctiva recently developed a steroid-free psoriasis cream that was evaluated by a third-party consumer panel which showed that 92% of users experienced calmer, more moisturized skin and significantly reduced psoriasis symptoms after using the cream. 

By Sabine Waldeck