Biologic therapies for the treatment of chronic plaque psoriasis

Psoriasis is a chronic, inflammatory dermatologic disease that can have a significant physical and psychological impact on affected patients. Traditional therapies have provided varying degrees of efficacy in psoriasis management. The most effective treatments have been characterized by underutilization, inconvenience, and adverse events, making long-term management challenging. Ideally, psoriasis therapy should be easily administered and should result in the tolerable and efficacious management of symptoms, while reducing the time and costs associated with visits to health-care providers. Several new classes of biologic therapies designed to block the function of specific molecules involved in the psoriatic inflammatory process have come closer, to achieving these goals.