This article discusses the scientific rationale for the use of cytokine inhibitors, including ustekinumab, an inhibitor of the interleukin (IL)-12 and IL-23 pathways in psoriasis. Also addressed are the efficacy and safety data for this agent, as well as for several emerging therapies that target other cytokine pathways in psoriasis: the IL-17 inhibitors secukinumab, ixekizumab, and brodalumab, the IL-23 blocker tildrakizumab, and the small-molecule kinase inhibitors apremilast (a phosphodiesterase-4 blocker) and tofacitinib (a Janus kinase inhibitor).
Keywords: Apremilast; JAK; Janus kinase inhibitors; brodalumab; interleukin-12/23 inhibitors; interleukin-17 inhibitors; ixekizumab; phosphodiesterase-4 inhibitors; psoriasis treatment; secukinumab; tildrakizumab; tofacitinib; tumor necrosis factor inhibitors; ustekinumab.
2014 published by Frontline Medical Communications.