The Naked Truth Revealed: World Class Photographic Exhibit Captures the Reality Behind Living with Psoriasis

Amsterdam (ots/PRNewswire) -

- Psoriasis Patients from Around the World Come together to Bare
Their Skin and Share Their Stories for New Pan-European Educational
Programme

AMSTERDAM, March 26 /PRNewswire/ --

Psoriasis: The Naked Truth, a new pan-European educational
programme to expose the physical and emotional impact of living with
psoriasis, launches today. The centerpiece of the programme is a
photo exhibit that captures the experience of living with psoriasis
through portrait photography by award winning photographer Ralf
Tooten and features the personal stories of men and women living with
the disease.

To view the Multimedia News Release, please click:

http://www.prnewswire.com/mnr/wyeth/37531/

Psoriasis is a chronic skin condition characterised by red,
scaly, patches of skin.1 People with psoriasis feel stigmatised which
can lead them to feel isolated, depressed and experience a low
quality of life.2 Sometimes people with psoriasis can suffer for long
periods of time without adequate treatment. In fact, recent research
among nearly 350 psoriasis patients in Europe found many were only
moderately satisfied with their current medications. In addition,
awareness for newer treatment options was low.3 While psoriasis
cannot be cured there are treatments available that can help control
the disease,1 enabling people with psoriasis to live full lives
despite the disease.

The Exhibition

The Psoriasis: The Naked Truth exhibition features 19 men and
women from 14 different countries across three continents who all
bared their skin and a part of themselves to help others realise that
psoriasis does not have to dictate your life.

"I was diagnosed with psoriasis from the age of seven, and from
that point on, the disease ruled my life - my job, my relationships,
hobbies, where I went on holiday. But I have faced these challenges
and found a treatment that has given me control over my life." said
Astrid Sibbes, an active member of Psoriasis Vereniging Nederland and
photo shoot participant from The Netherlands. "I joined this effort
to let people know that psoriasis is more than just a skin disease,
that there are treatments that work and to give other people like me
hope that it is possible to have a great life, in spite of the
condition."

Renowned photographer and Hasselblad Masters Award winner Ralf
Tooten captured the men and women beneath the disease.

"The challenge for me as a photographer is to get beyond my
subject's skin and to show the person inside," said Ralf Tooten,
exhibit photographer. "This was a very special project because I was
photographing a group of people who have spent a large part of their
life covering up and being characterised by their skin. These images
capture their achievements and their defiance. Psoriasis does not
define them and in these photographs, their spirit shines through."

The Documentary

The photographic exhibition is accompanied by a short documentary
film capturing the "behind the scenes" journey of the programme
participants and Ralf Tooten. The documentary further contextualises
the images by delving deeper into the personal stories of four of the
participating patients.

About psoriasis

Psoriasis affects approximately 5.1 million people across
Europe,4 a third of which will see the first signs of the condition
before the age of 16.5 Thirty to forty percent of patients will also
develop psoriatic arthritis, a painful condition where the joints
become inflamed.1

Treatments are available that give people with psoriasis the
opportunity to experience clearer skin and in turn potentially
address feelings of depression and anxiety over their condition. It
is important for people with psoriasis to discuss the level of impact
the disease is having on their quality of life.

"There are a number of effective treatments available for
psoriasis, from the more traditional creams and ointments which are
suitable for treating mild psoriasis, to the newer biologics which
may be more appropriate for people with severe disease," said
Professor Jörg Prinz, the Department of Dermatology at the
Ludwig-Maximillians University in Munich, Germany. "Whatever the
degree of psoriasis, it is important that psoriasis patients talk
with their dermatologist about the range of treatment options
available to find the best treatment for them."

Following the launch of the exhibition in Amsterdam, the
Psoriasis: The Naked Truth exhibit will travel to various locations
throughout Europe. The exhibit, a behind-the-scenes documentary and
information about the programme can be viewed at
http://www.psoriasisthenakedtruth.com.

Wyeth created and funded Psoriasis: The Naked Truth.

For more information on the programme, psoriasis and the
treatments available, visit http://www.psoriasisthenakedtruth.com

References

1. Gottlieb, A. Psoriasis: Emerging therapeutic therapies, Nat
Rev. 2005; 4:19-34.

2. Richards HL et al. The contribution of perceptions of
stigmatization to disability in patients with psoriasis. J Psychosom
Res. 2001; 50:11-15.

3. Synovate Healthcare European Psoriasis Therapy Monitor Q2 and
Q4 2008.

4. Christophers E. Psoriasis - Epidemiology and clinical
spectrum. Clin Exp Dermatol2001;26:314-320.

5. Paller, AS et al. Etanercept treatment for children and
adolescents with plaque psoriasis. N Engl J Med 2008;358:241-51.

ots Originaltext: Wyeth Pharmaceuticals
Im Internet recherchierbar: http://www.presseportal.de

Contact:
Wyeth: Gill Markham, Communications - Europe, Middle East and Africa,
Direct Tel: +44-1628-692536, markhagl@wyeth.com; OgilvyHealthPR: Avra
Goldstone, Direct Tel: +44-207-108-6512, avra.goldstone@ohpr.com