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Biologics for Psoriasis: What's A Good Treatment Plan?

Psoriasis Psoriasis Treatment

Gaining Experience with Biologics for Psoriasis

Summary & Participants

Biologics are a new way to treat psoriasis via the body's immune system. As more people begin these treatments, the more we learn about what they can achieve. Hear what we now know about biologics.

Medically Reviewed On: July 11, 2008

Webcast Transcript

ANNOUNCER: Always wearing long sleeves. Covering up at the beach. For years people with psoriasis had to suffer embarrassment and discomfort. Today doctors are excited about a new entry into the psoriasis arsenal of treatments: Biologics. And the more experience we have with them, the more we learn.

ROBERT GREENBERG, MD: These new biological agents are very special to us in dermatology. The previous therapies with the methotrexates, cyclosporins provided many side effects and low tolerability. The biologic agents have very minimal side effects.

PAUL YAMAUCHI, MD: It just targets a specific triggering cause in the immune system that causes psoriasis and it just calms down that part of the immune system that triggers psoriasis.

ANNOUNCER: This new therapy is geared to the people who need it most.

ROBERT GREENBERG, MD: Long-term biological therapy is indicated for certain subsets of patients. Patients who have disease covering large portions of their body. Patients who have incapacitating psoriasis, like on the bottom of their feet or on their hands. Patients who have more psychological problems, such as depression and inability to function because of their psoriasis.

ANNOUNCER: We know that psoriasis is a life-long condition, which is why partnering with biologics may work best in the long run.

ROBERT GREENBERG, MD: The results for the biologic agents seem to improve the longer the patient is receiving the medication. The initial responses are what the majority of the studies have been done on, but the longer the patient seems to be treated with these medicines, the responses seem to get better over time.

ANNOUNCER: Biologic treatment involves brief injections, but how they're given, for how long, and what patients can expect will differ.

PAUL YAMAUCHI, MD: The patient who receives Amevive comes to the doctor's office once a week to get a shot in the muscle. So patients on Amevive receive a twelve-week course once a week and then they are off of it for a minimum of twelve weeks before the doctor decides whether they receive another twelve-week course.

We've had quite a few patients who have received Amevive and, after one course, got a pretty good response. But with this drug, when you're off of it, the psoriasis continues to improve, which we saw in our patients. But when patients received a second or a third course of Amevive, the results were more dramatic. The more courses of Amevive they receive, the better response rate, the better the longer the remission.

ROBERT GREENBERG, MD: Raptiva is a medicine that is given on a weekly injection by the patient at home. Raptiva is given on an ongoing basis by the patient. Raptiva is not stopped while they're responding to the therapy.

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