New drugs and treatment targets in psoriasis

Abstract

In recent years, the increased understanding of the pathophysiology of psoriasis has resulted in several new treatments. The success of ustekinumab proved the importance of the IL-23/T helper cell 17 axis in psoriatic diseases. Several new biologics targeting this axis will reach the clinic in the next years. Biologics are costly, require injections, and some patients experience tacaphylaxis, thus, the development of orally available, small-molecule inhibitors is desirable. Among small-molecules under investigation are A3 adenosine receptor agonists, Janus kinase inhibitors, and phosphodiesterase inhibitors. We review published clinical trials, and conference abstracts presented during the last years, concerned with new drugs under development for the treatment of psoriasis. In conclusion, our psoriasis armamentarium will be filled with several new effective therapeutic options the coming years. We need to be aware of the limitations of drug safety data when selecting new novel treatments. Monitoring and clinical registries are still important tools.