Almirall : launches AKASI App, an innovative calculator to assess actinic keratosis severity in the head

Barcelona,
November 9^th 2018

Almirall, S.A. has developed the AKASI Calculator App, an application designed in collaboration with the main authors of the innovative AKASI (Actinic Keratosis Area and Severity Index) scoring system¹, to help healthcare professionals to manage the disease evolution, offering them an easy way to assess the severity of actinic keratosis in the head. AKASI Calculator App has obtained the CE Mark as a Medical Device, which means dermatologists and general practitioners now have a reachable and reliable tool.

The AKASI Calculator App was available recently at the 27^th EADV (European Academy of Dermatology and Venerology), Congress in Paris, and at the 14^th EADO Congress in Barcelona. The AKASI Calculator is an easy to use tool that gathers all the information of the AKASI scoring system through an intuitive platform. Within the application, the users can identify in which range of the AKASI score is the patient, introducing the numerical values of the clinical signs according to the scales provided. With this information, the platform calculates the degree of actinic keratosis severity of the head in a simple, intuitive and fast way.

'Individual actinic keratosis lesions cannot be counted, that's why we need a score to review the entire area affected and differentiate the properties of AK lesions, like erythema, thickness and distribution. For this reason, we have developed an accurate scoring system that does not only evaluates AK lesions, but also helps us when deciding treatment options. Regarding the AKASI Calculator app, I believe it is a very important tool because it requires less than one minute to calculate the AKASI score. It can be used on mobiles and today everybody has a phone on their hands', explained Dr. Thomas Dirschka, Professor of Dermatology at the Witten-Herdecke University (Germany) and main author of the AKASI Scoring system.

This multi-device app can be used on mobiles (iOS and Android) and desktop and it can be downloaded for free.

To learn more about how the AKASI app works, go to AKASI app

AKASI scoring system. The Science behind the app

The AKASI scoring system is based on a review of other severity scoring systems in dermatology, like atopic dermatitis, acne, psoriasis, vitiligo, amongst others. The authors identified the common characteristics of these scoring systems which typically evaluate the extent of disease, the intensity or morphology of lesions.¹

To determine the AKASI score, the head was divided into four areas (scalp, forehead, left and right face). For each area, the percentage of it affected by AKs, was estimated and a numerical value of 0-6 assigned. Then, the severities of three clinical signs of AK (distribution, erythema and thickness) were assessed on a scale from 0 (none) to 4 (maximum). An AKASI sub score was calculated for each of the four areas of the head, which were then added together to give a total AKASI score for the entire head. Total scores ranged from 0 (no AK) to 18 (AK of the severest possible degree).²

About actinic keratosis

Actinic keratosis or solar keratosis is a skin disease that manifests as spots or raised lesions of rough and squamous appearance in areas of the body exposed to the sun, which can be pink, red, brown or of the same color as the skin².

Chronic sun exposure is the cause of almost all actinic keratosis. Sun damage to the skin is cumulative, so even a brief period in the sun adds to the lifetime total³.

Actinic keratosis, has been reported to affect approximately one out of three men over 70 years of age (18% of women), it is a precancerous skin disease caused by continued exposure to the sun, and some scientists interpret AK as the earliest form of squamous cell carcinoma3. 40-60% of squamous cell carcinomas begin as untreated actinic keratosis and may advance to invade the surrounding tissues. About 2 to 10% squamous cell carcinomas can spread to the internal organs and can become life-threatening⁴

About Almirall

Almirall is a leading skin-health focused global pharmaceutical company that partners with healthcare professionals, applying Science to provide medical solutions to patients and future generations. Our efforts are focused on fighting against skin health diseases and helping people feel and look their best. We support healthcare professionals by continuous improvement, bringing our innovative solutions where they are needed.

The company, founded almost 75 years ago with headquarters in Barcelona, is listed on the Spanish Stock Exchange (ticker: ALM). Almirall has been key in value creation to society according to its commitment to major shareholders and through its decision to help others, to understand their challenges and to use Science to provide solutions for real life. Total revenues in 2017 were 755.8 million euros. More than 1,830 employees are devoted to Science.

For more information, please visit almirall.com linkedin.com/company/almirall

References

¹ A proposed scoring system for assessing the severity of actinic keratosis on the head: actinic keratosis area and severity index

T. Dirschka,1,2,* G. Pellacani,3,*,a G. Micali,4 J. Malvehy,5,6 A.J. Stratigos,7 A. Casari,3 L. Schmitz,1,8

G. Gupta,9,10 Athens AK Study Group.

² Skincancer.org. (2016). Actinic Keratosis (AK) - SkinCancer.org. [online] Available at: http://www.skincancer.org/skin-cancer-information/actinic-keratosis [Accessed 10 Jun. 2016].

³ Stockfleth E, Kerl H, Zwingers T, Willers C. Low-dose 5-fluorouracil in combination with salicylic acid as a new lesion-directed option to treat topically actinic keratoses: histological and clinical study results. Br J Dermatol. 2011;165(5):1101-8.

⁴ Fartasch M, Diepgen T L, Schmitt J, Drexler H. The Relationship Between Occupational Sun Exposure and Non-Melanoma Skin Cancer: Clinical Basics, Epidemiology, Occupational Disease Evaluation, and Prevention. Dtsch Arztebl Int 2012; 109 (43): 715-20