Background: Psoriasis is a chronic and disabling disease affecting patients' quality of life.
Objectives: Over the past decade, there has been significant growth in the knowledge of the proinflammatory pathways involved in psoriasis, including the role of increased levels of TNF. This knowledge has led to the increased use of biologic therapy, with such drugs as etanercept, a soluble TNF receptor fusion protein, aimed at inhibiting the actions of TNF. The goal of biologic generation is to provide selectively targeted therapy with fewer adverse events than traditional therapies.
Methods: Etanercept has been studied extensively and Phase III studies have been completed.
Conclusion: Clinical data reviewed for etanercept-treated moderate to severe psoriasis have shown good efficacy, tolerability and a low adverse event profile.