Psoriasis affects about 2.1%  of the US population, with 150,000 to 260,000 new cases diagnosed each year. Approximately 10-15% of new cases begin in children younger than ten years. The median onset age is 28 years. The market for psoriasis treatments was estimated at US$5.1 billion in 2003.

Psoriasis is a chronic skin disease where the immune system provides faulty signalling which accelerates the growth of skin cells in an inflammatory cycle. T lymphocytes - white blood cells that usually fight infection - are mistakenly activated and migrate to the skin in unusually large numbers, where they trigger inflammation and over-stimulation of skin cell growth. Because the body cannot shed the skin cells quickly enough, patches (psoriasis lesions) form on the skin's surface. As the epidermal layer of the skin thickens, blood vessels expand and blood flow to the skin increases, creating redness. Symptoms include patches of raised red skin covered by a flaky white build-up, some with a pimplish or burned appearance and potentially causing severe itching and burning. Psoriasis can also have a severe impact on emotional health.

Patients suffering from psoriasis experience different forms and degrees of severity of the skin disorder. About 30% of those with the condition are considered to have moderate to severe disease and most of these patients report that their disease has had a large impact on their daily lives, leading them to change or stop their usual daily activities and affecting how they sleep, what they wear or how often they bathe.

There is no cure for psoriasis. Existing treatments do not provide full or continuing relief and only a proportion of patients report up to 75% improvement on indices that measure the severity of symptoms. Moreover, the condition recurs without continued application of most treatments.

Existing treatments fall into two broad categories: creams and injectables, neither of which is both targeted and effective. Cortico-steroid creams can be applied locally, but only treat the symptoms and cause undesirable side effects such as thinning of the skin. Other creams, which are coal-tar based, only address symptoms and are less effective. Injected or drip treatments provide better symptom relief, but are not targeted to the affected area and risk suppressing the immune system.

Apollo's skin formulation for psoriasis offers an alternative approach to subcutaneous injection that is both targeted and effective. The product is innovative in its ability to deliver a large protein across the upper skin layer (epidermis) and target the inflammatory reactions which cause the painful and disfiguring lesions. It should be easier to administer and deliver the active ingredient to the site where it is needed, potentially creating fewer side effects. Patients will benefit from no longer requiring injections. Greater therapeutic effectiveness may also reduce the dosage requirements, meaning reduced side effects.