Emerging Therapies in Psoriasis: Clinical Pearls

Bruce Strober, MD, PhD

What’s new in the field of psoriasis? Dr Strober provides us with some clinical pearls…

1. TNF-inhibitors cause weight gain.
2. Ustekinumab does not cause weight gain.
3. IL-23 inhibitors block p19 and are more specific than IL-12/23 inhibitors, which block p40.
4. Apremilast achieves PASI75 in approximately 30% of patients after 16 weeks.
5. IL-17 pathway inhibitors achieve PASI75 in approximately 80% of patients after 12-16 weeks.
6. IL-17 pathway inhibitors may slightly increase the risk of mucocutaneous candidiasis.
7. JAK kinase inhibitors will require monitoring for liver function, renal function, lipids and creatinine phosphokinase.
8. JAK kinase inhibitors might increase the risk of varicella zoster infection.
9. Apremilast treats psoriatic arthritis.
10. Apremilast does not need laboratory monitoring.