Biotech on the Rise: The Treatment of Psoriasis with Biological Drugs

Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory skin disorder affecting 1–3% of the general population worldwide. Up to one-third of psoriatic patients have concomitant psoriatic arthritis (Gerdes et al, 2009). Multiple studies and clinical trials support an important role for dysregulation of the immune system in the development of psoriasis. In recent years, the improved understanding of the molecular basis underlying psoriasis has led to the introduction of biological drugs, providing a new effective treatment option for this disease. Biologics target key steps in the pathogenesis of psoriasis, and can be classified into three main categories: TNF inhibitors, T cell inhibitors and IL-12/IL-23 inhibitors (Weger, 2010). In this chapter we discuss the state of the art of biological therapies for psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis and give a brief overview of the new biological approaches that are currently undergoing evaluation for the treatment of both diseases.