Canadian Psoriasis Network launches on World Psoriasis Day

National organization will advocate for the one million Canadians who live with psoriasis

ST. JOHN'S, Oct. 28, 2013 /CNW/ - The Canadian Psoriasis Network (CPN), a Canadian-based patient network for those living with psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis will launch on World Psoriasis Day on October 29^th.

Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory, genetic disease of the immune system that appears most visibly on the skin, causing it to crack, itch and bleed. It also greatly elevates the risk of cardio vascular disease, diabetes, depression and obesity. It is the most common autoimmune disease in the country, affecting as many as 1 million Canadians. Up to 30 percent of people with psoriasis develop psoriatic arthritis, which causes pain and swelling of the joints. If left untreated, psoriatic arthritis can cause irreversible joint damage.

The Canadian Psoriasis Network has become a voice and source of information for psoriasis sufferers. Andrew Gosse, who has lived with psoriasis for 25 years, founded the organization.

"I created the Canadian Psoriasis Network to speak up for people living with this disease," says Andrew Gosse, Founder, Canadian Psoriasis Network. "As someone who has lived with and suffered from psoriasis for many years, I know that it's crucial to be informed about the disease. There are successful treatment options available and there are brighter days ahead. I don't want anyone living with this disease to feel as hopeless as I did for many years."

The CPN has developed a Bill of Rights and Responsibilities to help psoriasis patients get the care they need by encouraging doctors to take psoriatic disease more seriously and to keep informed about treatment options. The bill emphasizes the rights for psoriatic patients to receive medical care from a healthcare provider who understands that psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis are serious autoimmune diseases which are often undertreated or ignored.

"For decades, psoriasis was treated as a cosmetic condition," said Dr. Wayne Gulliver, Dermatologist and Head of the Advisory Committee Medical Board, Canadian Psoriasis Network. "Psoriatic patients have a right to be treated by a specialist who understands the severity of the condition. This unfortunately is not always the case."

The CPN Board of Directors is comprised of skin health care professionals and psoriasis patient advocates who understand firsthand the devastating effects of psoriasis on the physical, emotional and social elements of life. Together they have combined their experience in an effort to change the way psoriasis is perceived, understood and treated.

About the Canadian Psoriasis Network
The Canadian Psoriasis Network is a nonprofit organization serving people with psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis in Canada. Its mission is to find a cure for psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis and to eliminate the devastating effects of psoriasis through research, advocacy and education. To learn more please visit http://www.canadianpsoriasisnetwork.com

SOURCE: AbbVie