Saturday, August 2, 2014

Treatments for Psoriasis: Expert Q&A

What are the latest advances in treatments for psoriasis?
It has been a difficult condition to treat, but we're fortunate that in the last several years, there have been some exciting new [very effective] treatments for psoriasis.

What are they?
The newest class of medication is called "biologics," because they're bioengineered proteins that address the inflammation and overactive immune system in the skin. They actually dampen or suppress the immune system, which [improves] psoriasis symptoms.

In 2004, the first biologic for psoriasis was approved, and patients and physicians have gradually become more comfortable using them.

Are there drawbacks to biologics?
There's always a risk of infections when you dampen someone's immune response. Long-term, anything that suppresses the immune system - including biologics - may raise the risk of cancer.

There are also some rare and unusual side effects. Biologics are given by injection or intravenously, [so] you could have pain at the injection site. And there have also been reports of multiple sclerosis-like symptoms, such as weakness, numbness, tingling or blurred vision, after taking the drugs.

In the past, we could [suppress the immune system] with drugs such as cyclosporine or methotrexate. Cyclosporine was first used with organ transplant patients. Methotrexate was first used in rheumatoid arthritis and cancer patients.

However, these older drugs are more toxic to the liver and kidneys. So biologics are an improvement.