National Psoriasis Foundation Urges Congress to Address the Needs of Millions of People Living with Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis

Organization Recognizes Congressional Advocates who have Demonstrated Their Commitment to the Psoriatic Community

Portland, OR, February 27, 2006 - Members of the National Psoriasis Foundation are in Washington, D.C., today to educate legislators about the need for access to quality care for people living with psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis. In meetings with congressional representatives, the Foundation is urging members of the House and Senate to generate awareness about the serious physical and emotional impact of these diseases. With continued advocacy efforts, the National Psoriasis Foundation and patient advocates hope to secure much-needed funding to accelerate the discovery of additional safe and effective treatments and, ultimately, a cure.

According to Gail M. Zimmerman, president and CEO of the National Psoriasis Foundation, it's important to keep psoriatic disease at the forefront of governmental discussion. "Psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis are chronic, potentially disabling diseases that are often misunderstood. Capitol Hill Day offers the chance to educate members of Congress and to continue to advocate on behalf of those living with these diseases."

Additionally, while in D.C. today, the National Psoriasis Foundation will officially recognize several congressional leaders for their commitment to enhancing federal level support of psoriatic disease education and legislation, including Senator Gordon H. Smith (R-OR), Senator Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ), Representative Tim Murphy (R-PA), Representative Stephen F. Lynch (D-MA) and Representative Jim Gerlach (R-PA). Last year, Senators Smith and Lautenberg spearheaded the Senate resolution that designated August 2005 as Psoriasis Awareness Month.

More than 100 volunteers with psoriasis and/or psoriatic arthritis are participating in the National Psoriasis Foundation's third annual Capitol Hill Day. Capitol Hill Day is an annually organized advocacy effort that motivates people living with psoriasis and/or psoriatic arthritis to speak out about their conditions. Patient volunteers from the National Psoriasis Foundation will convene at the offices of congressional leaders to tell their personal stories of living with psoriatic disease and to shed light on the life-altering impact of these conditions.

Building on momentum of past Capitol Hill Day events, today's program is specifically designed to allow members of the psoriatic community to lobby Congress to increase federal funding for psoriatic research, address the lack of access to effective treatments, and become personally involved in educating themselves and others about psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis as "champions" who directly impact the future of psoriatic disease.

About Psoriatic Disease

Psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis are chronic, inflammatory diseases that result from faulty signals in the immune system. The symptoms of psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis can significantly impact quality of life. People diagnosed with psoriatic disease may exhibit strong feelings of anger, helplessness, self-consciousness and embarrassment because of the appearance of their skin and the pain and discomfort they often endure. While there are treatment options available to help improve the symptoms of psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis, there is no cure, and many people still struggle to find a treatment that can lead to significant levels of skin clearance and decrease their pain.

About the National Psoriasis Foundation

The National Psoriasis Foundation is a patient-driven nonprofit organization working to improve the quality of life of as many as 7.5 million Americans with psoriasis and/or psoriatic arthritis and their families. We work to educate people about these diseases and their treatments, raise public awareness and support ongoing research toward a cure. The organization is headquartered in Portland, Ore. For more information, please call the Psoriasis Foundation at 800.723.9166 or visit www.psoriasis.org.

The National Psoriasis Foundation gratefully acknowledges Centocor, Inc. for its support of awareness efforts in conjunction with Capitol Hill Day. Centocor is a leading biotechnology company dedicated to advancing dermatologic research and science through the development of novel therapies for the treatment of psoriatic disease.

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