Published in

WB Saunders, Seminars in Cutaneous Medicine and Surgery, 1(29), p. 63-66, 2010

DOI: 10.1016/j.sder.2010.02.004

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The future of biological therapies.

Journal article published in 2010 by Richard B. Warren, Christopher E. M. Griffiths ORCID
This paper was not found in any repository, but could be made available legally by the author.
This paper was not found in any repository, but could be made available legally by the author.

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Abstract

The last decade has witnessed a significant advance in the management of refractory moderate-to-severe psoriasis. This advance is the introduction of biological therapies to clinical practice. Three classes of biological therapies have been used. Of the first 2 classes to be introduced, the T-cell inhibitors and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha inhibitors, there have been differing fates with one of the T-cell inhibitors, efalizumab, being withdrawn because of a rare, unpredictable association with a usually fatal neurological condition, progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy. In contrast, anti-TNF treatments are now firmly established offering a high level of efficacy and a good safety record across several indications, including psoriasis. A new approach involves targeting the p40 subunit, common to interleukins 12 and 23. Ustekinumab, the first drug in this class, now offers a viable alternative to anti-TNFs in the treatment of moderate-to-severe psoriasis. In this article, we discuss approaches that may be utilized to refine these existing therapies and examine future therapeutic targets for biological therapies.