New evidence
Peony extract added to standard psoriasis therapy boosted the odds of a 50% skin clearance — a 44% relative increase over conventional drugs alone, based on a meta-analysis of 140 patients.
This is the first systematic review to pool data on peony for psoriasis, and while the result is promising, it comes from small, unblinded trials — so the real-world benefit is uncertain until larger, properly controlled studies weigh in.
In people with psoriasis, adding total glucosides of paeony (an extract from the peony plant) to standard treatments more than doubled the chance of achieving at least a 50% reduction in severity scores compared to standard treatment alone. The analysis combined 36 small trials with a total of 140 patients, but none of the studies were blinded, so patient and doctor expectations could have influenced the results. Because this is the first meta-analysis on the combination, the finding should be treated as an early signal, not a settled recommendation.
Where this fits in the evidence
This is among the first studies we've indexed on Peony for Reduced Psoriasis Area and Severity Index Score — treat it as an early signal until more research accumulates.
The study
- Systematic Review
- n = 140
- 2025-02-19
- Frontiers in pharmacology
This is a plain-language summary of a research finding, not medical advice. Pillser surfaces research signals to help you decide what's worth investigating — always consult a qualified professional before changing what you take.