Anti-interleukin-17 treatment of psoriasis.

Psoriasis is a chronic, immune-mediated, inflammatory dermatosis, affecting 2-3% of the US population. While first-generation cytokine antagonists targeting tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α)-dependent pathways have produced favorable responses in the treatment of psoriasis, higher levels of efficacy in a greater proportion of patients have been shown in trials with antibodies targeting interleukin (IL)-17A and the IL-17 receptor subunit. This examines the role of IL-17 inhibitors in the treatment of plaque psoriasis. The efficacy and safety results from the phase-3 trials with monoclonal antibodies targeting IL-17RA (brodalumab) and IL-17A (ixekizumab and secukinumab) validate IL-17 as a highly effective therapeutic target for the treatment of plaque psoriasis.