Latest news with #GPP
The Sun
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Puspal denies responsibility for (G)I-DLE, Bam Bam concert cancellation
PUTRAJAYA: The Committee for Application for Foreign Filming and Performance by Foreign Artistes (JK-Puspal) has denied claims that the cancellation of the (G)I-DLE and Bam Bam Live concert in Malaysia was due to their failure to obtain the necessary approvals from the committee. In a statement today, JK-Puspal said according to their records, pre-approval for organising the concert was granted on April 28. 'The decision to cancel the concert was made based on a request from the organiser, after considering justifications and the interests of all parties involved. 'In this matter, organisers are required to make thorough preparations, including obtaining early approvals from relevant authorities before organising a concert involving prominent international artistes, as stipulated in the Puspal Guidelines (GPP),' the statement read. The statement also invited the public to obtain more information about the GPP by visiting the website at or contacting Puspal at 03-8911 5356/5384 or via email at puspal@ It was reported last Sunday that the K-Pop Big 2 Super Concert featuring (G)I-DLE and Bam Bam, scheduled for June 16, had been cancelled due to unavoidable circumstances and compliance with local laws and cultural guidelines. Following this, the organiser decided to issue full refunds.
The Star
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Star
Puspal denies responsibility for (G)I-DLE, Bam Bam concert cancellation
PUTRAJAYA: The Committee for Application for Foreign Filming and Performance by Foreign Artistes (JK-Puspal) has denied claims that the cancellation of the (G)I-DLE and Bam Bam Live concert in Malaysia was due to their failure to obtain the necessary approvals from the committee. In a statement released on Thursday (5 June), the committee stated that the concert received pre-approval on 28 April. "The decision to cancel the concert was made based on a request from the organiser, after considering justifications and the interests of all parties involved. "In this matter, organisers are required to make thorough preparations, including obtaining early approvals from relevant authorities before organising a concert involving prominent international artistes, as stipulated in the Puspal Guidelines (GPP)," the statement read. The guideline is available at It was reported last Sunday (June 1) that the K-Pop Big 2 Super Concert featuring (G)I-DLE and Bam Bam, scheduled for June 16, had been cancelled due to unavoidable circumstances and compliance with local laws and cultural guidelines. Following this, the organiser decided to issue full refunds. – Bernama
New Straits Times
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- New Straits Times
(G)I-DLE & BamBam concert scrapped at organiser's request, not the government
PUTRAJAYA: The Communications Ministry has denied claims that the (G)I-DLE & BamBam Live in Malaysia concert, scheduled for June 14, was cancelled due to rejection by the Foreign Film and Foreign Artist Performance Application Committee (JK-Puspal). In a statement, the ministry said that based on JK-Puspal records, preliminary approval for the concert was granted on April 28. "JK-Puspal wishes to stress that claims the cancellation was due to a lack of approval from the committee are completely untrue. "The decision to cancel the concert was made at the organiser's request, taking into account their justifications and the interests of all parties involved. "In this regard, organisers must make thorough preparations, including obtaining early approvals from various relevant authorities, before holding a concert featuring prominent international artistes, as stipulated in the Puspal Guidelines (GPP)," the statement read. The concert organiser, Live Universe Sdn Bhd, announced the cancellation in a Facebook post on Monday, citing regulatory complications as the reason.
Medscape
29-05-2025
- Business
- Medscape
Spesolimab Provides Sustained Improvement of GPP and QOL
In a secondary analysis of phase 2b spesolimab data in generalized pustular psoriasis (GPP), nearly two-thirds of patients who received 300 mg monthly doses maintained clear or nearly clear skin through 48 weeks' follow-up, and nearly one quarter of treated patients maintained minimal GPP impact on quality of life (QOL). Nevertheless, investigators said, the presence of moderate QOL impairment despite clear or nearly clear skin at baseline highlighted the chronic nature of GPP and patients' need for effective long-term treatment. Similar observations emerged from a separate study that characterized GPP flares and treatment patterns. Skin Symptoms and QOL In the post hoc analysis of Effisayil 2 data, investigators led by Kenneth B. Gordon, MD, professor of dermatology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, found that overall, 20.0% of patients who received monthly subcutaneous spesolimab 300 mg (after a 600 mg subcutaneous loading dose) had sustained improvement in both GPP Physician Global Assessment (GPPGA) and Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) scores through week 48 compared with 3.2% of the placebo cohort. Regarding skin manifestations, 63.3% of patients treated with spesolimab experienced sustained improvement, which investigators defined as having a GPPGA score of 0/1 at all Effisayil 2 study visits through week 48 without other investigator-prescribed medications. The corresponding figure among patients on placebo was 29.0%. The study recently appeared in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology ( JAAD ). As for QOL, 24.1% of spesolimab-treated patients maintained DLQI scores of 0/1 through week 48 vs 3.2% for placebo. Patients reported at baseline that GPP's biggest impact on QOL stemmed from itch, soreness, and pain; embarrassment; and the disease's effects on social activities and clothing choices. Although patients in Effisayil 2 had GPPGA 0/1 at baseline, Gordon and colleagues noted that the mean baseline DLQI scores of 11.1 and 7.2 in the 300 mg monthly and placebo groups, respectively, indicated that despite patients' having clear or nearly clear skin, moderate QOL burden persisted. Spesolimab, a monoclonal antibody that blocks interleukin (IL)-36 signaling known to be involved in GPP, was first approved by the US Food and Drug Administration in 2022 for treating flares in adults with GPP. Approval was expanded in 2024 for the treatment of GPP in adults and in pediatric patients aged ≥ 12 years who weigh ≥ 40 kg. Real-World Data In a separate study also recently published in JAAD , investigators found that among 638 eligible patients with GPP from the OMNY Health real-world data platform, 63% experienced at least one GPP flare between January 2017 and January 2023. The mean annualized flare rate was 0.91 per patient per year, with a mean inter-flare interval of 5.9 months. Patients who experienced flares were more likely to be women, younger than 65 years, non-White, Hispanic, or Latino, and had moderate or severe GPP and a history of infectious or parasitic disease. Treatment strategies were diverse, nonstandardized, and off-label, with patients frequently switching or discontinuing biologics and/or nonsteroidal systemic treatments. 'GPP patients continue to experience frequent flares with traditional off-label therapies in the real-world setting,' wrote authors led by Jamie W. Rhoads, MD, MS, of the University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City. Among patients who experienced multiple flares, they added, 66% had a second flare within 6 months of their first. Together, said James G. Krueger, MD, PhD, the D. Martin Carter professor in clinical investigation and co-director of the Center for Clinical and Translational Science at The Rockefeller University, New York City, the two papers examine how patients view their health status between flares and what the frequency of reflaring might be. He was not involved with the studies but provided comments in an interview with Medscape Medical News . Fear of Flaring Patients worry about GPP flares, said Krueger, because such flares constitute a medical emergency with potentially severe, life-threatening symptoms that could require hospitalization for weeks while receiving traditional immunosuppressants. And GPP is so rare that a practicing dermatologist may see only a few cases in their career. 'Given that almost no center takes in this type of patient,' he added, 'there's a lack of knowledge about the natural course of GPP and how best to manage patients with this disease.' James G. Krueger, MD, PhD Before spesolimab's approval for GPP, he said, broadly acting immunosuppressants targeted GPP indirectly. The fact that doctors could quell flares using such medications did not mean that patients' inflammation had resolved, Krueger added. 'It means their inflammatory state may have been suppressed to the point that they didn't need hospitalization. But many of these patients report significant symptoms or quality-of-life issues between flares.' Mechanistically, Krueger said, only around one quarter of patients with GPP possess a genetic mutation in a control protein called the IL-36 receptor antagonist, which normally would prevent the overblown IL-36 response that characterizes GPP. Nevertheless, he said, the mutation spotlights the IL-36 cytokine family as the most important, consistent aberration in causing GPP. 'This is one of the instances where a rare disease has a known genetic association, and that genetic problem can be fixed to a large extent by a therapeutic antibody. This antibody essentially replaces the function of the missing protein by binding to a receptor for IL-36 in a way that prevents it from being activated.' Accordingly, said Krueger, spesolimab approximates a molecular replacement therapy for GPP. 'And I believe that's why spesolimab works remarkably fast.' Ultimately, Krueger said, both articles mainly address medical dermatologists at referral centers who treat patients with more complicated GPP flares. 'The general practitioner should be aware that there are care pathways for acute and chronic GPP that may keep people under enough control that they can avoid recurrent emergency visits to either a dermatologist or an emergency room.' The new information about the likelihood that a patient will have lifelong disease 'helps with getting into the mindset that you're going to need to manage most of these patients over a long time period, not episodically,' he added. The spesolimab study was supported by Boehringer Ingelheim, maker of spesolimab; authors reported financial relationships with many companies that manufacture psoriasis drugs, including AbbVie, Boehringer Ingelheim, Celgene, Eli Lilly, and others. The second study was also supported by Boehringer Ingelheim. Rhoads had received consulting fees from Boehringer Ingelheim, Eli Lilly, and Genentech. Another author of the second study is an employee of OMNY Health, a contractor to Boehringer Ingelheim for the real-world study, and had received consulting fees from Boehringer Ingelheim, Eli Lilly, and Genentech. Two authors are Boehringer Ingelheim employees, and another author had received research grants and is a consultant to and had received honoraria from Boehringer Ingelheim. Krueger has been a consultant and lecturer for Boehringer Ingelheim and has analyzed biopsy samples from Effisayil 1 and 2 for future publications, but he is not an Effisayil author.
New Straits Times
20-05-2025
- Health
- New Straits Times
#HEALTH: More than skin deep
FOR the longest time, Lua Eng Leh felt like her body was at war with 39-year-old, who works as a procurement manager at an electrical manufacturing company in Johor Baru, has struggled with Generalised Pustular Psoriasis (GPP) for nearly her whole life. It has largely been a lonely and challenging she was 2 years old, her parents noticed pustules beneath her fingernails while clipping them. Concerned, they took her to a doctor who informed them it was a fungal nail infection and prescribed anti-fungal expected, this did not help and her parents continued to seek answers to their daughter's perplexing condition over the years, even visiting traditional Chinese medicine practitioners. However, none of these interventions Lua was 10, she was finally referred to a dermatologist who accurately diagnosed her with GPP."He told my mother that while my symptoms were still mild, they would likely worsen with age, especially during the onset of puberty."Lua soon discovered this herself. Her condition worsened once she entered puberty. At 17, the symptoms escalated, with pustules spreading across her entire body, with red blisters and accompanied by a burning this time, she had to take six months off school because she could barely sleep due to the constant pain and scratching only aggravated the condition, she had to rely on creams to soothe her skin and spent a long time carefully applying moisturisers and medicated creams after showering."Back then, little was known about GPP. We did not know what triggered my flares, so my parents put me on a strict diet of only meat and vegetables because they believed that shellfish and seafood could cause flare-ups. However, my flare ups remained frequent and unpredictable."Later, Lua would learn that stress, minor infections or a fever — and even changes in weather — could trigger with a condition that visibly affects her appearance has naturally had a huge impact on her social life. THE STRUGGLE FOR NORMALITY "I did not have many people to talk to when I struggled with my illness," she Lua was first diagnosed 20 years ago, there was no access to online support groups or forums where she could share her problems. In 2020, when she enrolled in a clinical trial designed for the treatment of GPP flares using biologics, her condition was finally brought under control."From the first time since I was 17, I could lead my life like a normal, healthy person."However, Lua has made a decision to remain people don't understand what GPP is, she says, and constantly having to explain her condition to others can be frustrating."I have decided not to pursue any romantic relationships as I do not want to put myself in a position where I have to explain my daily struggles to someone who may not understand or even be repulsed by it."She has also ruled out having children as she doesn't want to risk passing on her for Yuzlina Che Yaacob, 46, the first sign that something was not right happened when she was expecting her first her second month of pregnancy, she noticed a cluster of rashes on her right thigh, about the size of a 50 sen assumed it was a mild allergy or rash related to her pregnancy and pierced the pustules with a needle. It disappeared soon after, but it wasn't long before it reappeared on her numerous hospital visits and consultations with a dermatologist, she was diagnosed with GPP in 2006."When I have a flare-up, my skin becomes extremely dry, inflamed, painful and sometimes covered with pustules, making even simple movements very uncomfortable."Mornings are especially difficult for Yuzlina. Getting out of bed takes extra effort because her skin feels tight and particularly severe days, she has to adjust her daily routine by limiting physical activities and avoiding anything that might trigger further irritation to her skin."Pregnancy is a big trigger for me. My first symptoms appeared during my first pregnancy and worsened with each subsequent pregnancy. The flare-ups were so intense that they covered my entire body, making it difficult to walk or even wear clothes."Instead of the pregnancy glow that most women experience, she had to live with her face covered in pustules and the skin looking reddish-purple."I felt like a monster and it made me self-conscious. Whenever I was pregnant, I felt a mix of emotions. I felt sad and ugly, while at the same time excited at expecting a new child."When it comes to managing her symptoms, reducing stress is a priority. This was one of the reasons her husband encouraged her to give up her teaching career as the work stress was worsening her or emotional stress is a major trigger. In 2011, while the family was in Indonesia, Yuzlina tragically lost her 1-year-old daughter in an accident."Bringing her body back to Malaysia was heartbreaking for me. It was one of the lowest points in my life."Due to the severe emotional stress, her psoriasis flared up badly and her entire body was covered in flare-ups, Yuzlina slows down her activities, cancels plans and avoids social gatherings as she doesn't want to deal with questions or people staring at are days when she feels very self-conscious and emotionally drained, but she tries to stay positive by surrounding herself with understanding people, especially her husband and can be tough, but with the right treatment and lifestyle adjustments, it is manageable, she says bravely."The key word here is manageable. There is no cure. Be patient with yourself, educate yourself about your condition and connect with support groups for the disease." UNDERSTANDING GPP Generalised pustular psoriasis (GPP) is a rare and severe variant of psoriasis and typically manifests as a widespread rash with numerous pustules, forming what is often described as a "lake of pustules" explains Gleneagles Hospital Kuala Lumpur consultant dermatologist, Dr Peter Ch'ng. Early intervention with appropriate therapies is critical to improving patient survival and preventing long-term complications. "The exact cause of generalised pustular psoriasis is not yet fully understood, but we do know that a proportion of GPP cases have an underlying genetic component." Long-term management of GPP focuses on preventing flare-ups, maintaining disease remission, and ensuring overall well-being, he adds. Since infections, stress (both psychological and physical), lack of sleep, and even environmental factors can trigger GPP, patients are advised to take proactive steps to minimise these risks. Lifestyle modifications play an important role in reducing the likelihood of GPP flares. Patients should avoid smoking and alcohol, as these can negatively impact immune function and overall skin health. Regular exercise, a balanced diet, and stress management techniques can help maintain overall well-being and reduce inflammation. "Proper skincare is also essential, for example keeping skin well-moisturised can prevent excessive dryness, which has been known to trigger psoriasis flares," says Dr Ch'ng. MANAGING GPP In the long-term, patients who have access to the newer biologics may not require any additional medication once their flares are under control, he adds. However, for patients on conventional therapies, long-term maintenance therapy along with careful tapering of dosage under medical supervision is necessary to manage GPP and minimise side effects. Ensuring that patients adhere to the prescribed treatment is crucial to control the disease and prevent complications, he adds. One of the main misconceptions surrounding GPP is that it is contagious. In reality, the pustules are sterile, meaning they do not contain bacteria, and the condition cannot be transmitted through contact. The stigma surrounding psoriasis and GPP often leads to patients avoiding public spaces such as swimming pools or even the barber, fearing they may be turned away, further adding to the burden that patients already carry given their condition. gn4id:60911517 GPP - psychological impact *Emotional distress Patients often struggle with self-esteem and negative body image due to the highly isible nature of the condition, leading to feelings of frustration, anxiety, and depression. Social isolation Many patients withdraw from social interactions, avoiding friends and public spaces due to embarrassment or fear of judgment. Strain on personal relationships Many patients lose interest or are unable to have intimacy in their relationships or marriage due to the pain, discomfort and emotional distress. Family members often struggle to provide care to patients, while managing their own emotions, which can lead to stress and even burnout.
