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Try Skin Cap - Clear up your psoriasis!

How many of you, like me, have:

• Tried every topical steroid under the sun to clear your psoriasis?
• Smeared disgusting smelly, greasy tar all over you, only to have the joy of staining all of your clothing and bedsheets?
• Had steroid injections DIRECTLY INTO the lesions? Wasn't that fun??
• Been married to a light box 2-3 times a week for months on end, risking skin cancer?

Now I'm sure you've read the warnings about the possible dangers of using Skin Cap. But there are some more things that you, as a psoriasis sufferer, need to know:

• NONE of these studies involved patients. They were not tests to see if Skin Cap causes side effects.
• Glaxo Wellcome Inc. produces a prescription psoriasis treatment called Temovate. Supposedly, it was Glaxo who notified the FDA and The National Psoriasis Foundation as to the 'dangers' of Skin Cap. Do you think it's in their best interest to get the general public to stop using Skin Cap? (interesting aside: a source tells me Glaxo caused the Skin Cap controversy to squash Cheminova because Cheminova has a product which can cure herpes with an 80% effectiveness rate, which would *really* put a damper in Glaxo's business -- I have no idea whether this rumor has any truth to it)
• Glaxo's study found undisclosed (and probably trace) amounts of clobetasol propionate in Skin Cap. This is not necessarily cause for alarm. In fact, Temovate contains .05% clobetasol propionate.
• If you use Temovate for too long, it could eat a hole in your skin. I would know, because it happened to me. Using Temovate for too long means using it for more than two weeks. I, and many others, have been using Skin Cap for over a year without ANY side effects. It is difficult to understand how Skin Cap could have prescription amounts of a steroid as potent as that which is in Temovate (cp) without the side-effects being glaringly obvious.
• Numerous sources have indicated that Glaxo is a major funder for the NPF. (The NPF denies this, indicating that support from all drug companies consistitutes less than 4% of the total.)
• Has anybody thought it at all strange how well orchestrated this ban has been? How often do YOU see information about psoriasis treatments in the news? I wonder who paid for all those press releases and articles printed -- do you think it could be a drug company with alot of money? It's rather odd how much attention this has been getting, don't you think?

Numerous sources indicate that Skin Cap is currently available throughout Europe -- and that the US and Canada are the only places where it is still banned.

Cheminova insists that there are not and have never been any steroids in the product. In a letter to the FDA, Cheminova explains that the Clobetasol peak encountered in United States tests was related to the denaturant used in Spain. The denaturant is what the distillers use to make alcohol in a product undrinkable. Prior to the controversy, Cheminova had been using 96 percent denatured alcohol as a component in Skin Cap. Cheminova was able to eliminate the Clobetasol peak in tests simply by switching to 99.5 percent denatured alcohol. Although 99.5 percent alcohol is more expensive, in order to eliminate confusion, the company has decided to only use 99.5 percent alcohol in Skin Cap formulations. They withdrew all 96 percent alcohol formulated Skin Cap from all markets.

But no matter what the 'truth' ends up being regarding the contents of Skin Cap, we all know Skin Cap works. Amazingly. And while alot of people have been saying there are dangers of side-effects, as most of you know, it's pretty difficult to find anyone who has personally experienced any negative side effects. Look at all of our other treatment options out there -- doesn't using Skin Cap seem far less risky than our alternatives?

The overwhelming majority of people who have contacted me want to be able to use Skin Cap whether or not it contains steroids. It has been the single most effective product they've ever used to treat their psoriasis, it has drastically changed their lives for the better, and they haven't experienced any side effects. Keeping Skin Cap available is what this site is about.

That said, here is what we currently know:

• Cheminova provides detailed explanation to the FDA for what they claim are false test results.
• Cheminova says there are NO STEROIDS in Skin Cap. Want details?
• Glaxo Dermatology, the FDA, and the Mayo clinic all have conducted studies which indicate the presence of clobetasol propionate in Skin Cap.

Spain authorities have ordered Cheminova to cease production of Skin Cap. I called Cheminova to verify this and was told that this was the result of tremendous international pressure, and that they were taking the necessary steps to try to rectify the situation.

The Vilana Company (a distributor) says tests are presently being conducted by the University of North Carolina and Utah (recognized laboratories by the FDA) in conjuction with Cheminova, to be presented to the FDA proving there are no steroids in Skin Cap. In an email received on September 16th, they informed me that "the tests have been concluded, but the results haven't been published yet to anybody and that we will have an definite answer by the end of next week. If you believe in it, this is the time to light the candles and hope for the best."

In a 9/11/97 usenet post, John Kender states that "There is no evidence that any testing by UNC or Utah has taken place. The chemists I have talked to who are experts in such testing say that such alleged MALDI-TOF results would have been laughed out of court anyway; the method is not only unreliable for such a purpose, it is never used for it". Yet, strangely, in a post made one day earlier he said, "I called Exor Laboratories, the former Nova Medical Laboratories, at their 1-800-61-SPRAY number today, twice, talking to two different people. Both independently indicated to me that the FDA has notified them that the results of the private testing requested and arranged by Nova confirm the earlier results announced a month ago: there were steroids in the preparation.

"These tests were supposedly performed at the University of North Carolina and the University of Utah. According to earlier representations of the company, these universities were selected because only their MALDI-TOF machines ("there are only three in the US") were sensitive enough not to be fooled by what the company claimed were "false positive" indications of steroids by other tests."

As far as the study in the Netherlands goes, SOS Skin (a distributor) states that, "Cheminova Laboratories, has taken all legal measures in this matter and was successful in proving that the test was in error. According to the General Manager of Cheminova Mr. Aly Santa MArta, The Dutch Authorities allowed immediate return of Skin Cap to the Dutch market."

In a 9/19 Skin Cap Update, the NPF said they contacted the Netherlands Ministry of Health and were informed that the original tests were not found in error and that the formulations teststed contained clobetasol proprionate.

My opinion? Let the FDA straighten it out with the producers of the product, but don't make the patients suffer. It's the first cure we've ever had. What's the worst case scenario? That the FDA determines that all the hype is true and Skin Cap really does have steroids? What should that mean? Not that they should take the product away! Do what they have to do to make it legal, but make sure it's still available. The overwhelming majority of people who've written to me simply don't care if it has steroids. They're just glad it works for them without side effects.

Statement From Cheminova America Regarding Press Reports On Skin Cap

Cheminova America maintains that steroids are not present in Skin Cap. This is based on preliminary independent testing conducted by the Company which was negative for the presence of steroids and revealed that the way the product is manufactured may lead to false-positive tests. The Company is actively pursuing further testing to confirm this and is cooperating with the FDA in resolving this issue. In the meantime, it has agreed with the FDA to cease distribution until the matter is conclusively resolved to the satisfaction of both the Company and the FDA.

It should be noted that the same issue arose in Holland, when the Dutch Health Department believed they had found clobetasol propionate in the Skin Cap formula. Upon meeting with Cheminova officials, Holland authorities have now allowed Skin Cap back onto the market in that country. The Company notes that Skin Cap has been sold in the U.S. market for four (4) years and to-date, is not aware of any consumer complaint regarding the safety of Skin Cap, or its alleged side effect problem.

Cheminova America Corporation notes that Skin Cap has not been recalled, nor has it been asked by the FDA to recall existing retailer or wholesaler stock of Skin Cap.

The company is now completing laboratory testing with a well-known and respected U.S. university which it believes will confirm the experience of Skin Cap users — there are no steroids in the Skin Cap formula — as evidenced by the personal experience of thousands of Skin Cap users, as well as the finding of the Holland Government's Health Department.