Psoriasis Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Psoriasis, including details on treatment, prevention, medication, causes.

Etanercept.

Ducharme E, Weinberg JM

St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital Center, Department of Dermatology, 1090 Amsterdam Avenue, Suite 11D, New York, NY 10025, USA.

BACKGROUND: In some patients with psoriasis the inflammatory process fueling skin lesions also afflicts their joints in a condition called psoriatic arthritis. TNF-alpha has been shown to play a central role in the pathogenesis of both cutaneous and joint disease. Etanercept is a soluble fusion protein that binds TNF-alpha, rendering the molecule inactive and making etanercept an effective, targeted therapeutic option for many TNF-mediated inflammatory diseases. OBJECTIVE: To review the key clinical trials which evaluated efficacy of etanercept for the treatment of psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis, discuss various off-label uses for this therapeutic agent and describe the adverse events associated with its use. METHODS: A search of Medline for relevant articles on etanercept and psoriasis. RESULTS/CONCLUSION: Etanercept has demonstrated efficacy in the treatment of skin and joint manifestations of psoriatic disease, thus gaining FDA approval for use in both. A growing number of off-label dermatological uses for etanercept have been proposed, with variable success reported in individual cases or small series. Since its introduction little over a decade ago, etanercept has maintained a favorable safety profile.

Published 20 March 2008 in Expert Opin Biol Ther, 8(4): 491-502.
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