A Nuanced Look at Biologic Therapies in Moderate to Severe Plaque Psoriasis

Joel M. Gelfand, MD, MSCE

Disclosures

August 13, 2021

For patients with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis, there exists a variety of treatment strategies, ranging from topical medications and phototherapy to oral agents and injectable biologic therapies.

Data from a growing number of head-to-head trials comparing biologic therapies for psoriasis provide a nuanced look at how different classes of these drugs perform.

In this ReCAP, Dr Joel Gelfand, from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, explains biologics targeting TNF alpha; IL-17, IL-12/23, and IL-23 have distinct characteristics and safety profiles. Understanding more about the durability, speed of onset, and efficacy differences between the classes can help clinicians land on the right therapy for each patient.

Dr Gelfand also provides an explanation of the latest guidance from the National Psoriasis Foundation's COVID-19 Task Force, of which he is co-chair. He discusses vaccine-related recommendations for patients with psoriatic disease who are taking systemic therapies, and reports on comorbidities linked to psoriasis that can complicate COVID-19 illness.

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