Psoriasis treatment advances

"There has been a boon in advances for the treatment of psoriasis, spanning an arsenal of new biologic therapies. As a group, biologics are already the most prescribed systemic medications for the treatment of psoriasis, according to Mark Lebwohl, M.D., Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York City, who discussed many on the market.

He states that alefacept in combination with methotrexate is more effective than methotrexate alone for the treatment of psoriatic arthritis.

In other news, etanercept is available in a pre-drawn syringe, no longer requiring that patients draw or reconstitute it, themselves.

Also, some dermatologists are also using infliximab as an off-label option in the treatment of psoriasis.

"There are places for all of the treatments that have been developed for psoriasis, and it is good that we have this increasing armamentarium of therapies so that you can use the best treatment available for appropriate patients," Dr. Lebwohl says.