Etanercept for the treatment of psoriasis

Etanercept is a systemic tumor necrosis factor-α inhibitor indicated for use in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, polyarticular juvenile idiopathic arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis and plaque psoriasis. A considerable number of studies have demonstrated the efficacy and safety of etanercept in these indications, thus offering a new and promising treatment option. The drug was approved by the Food and Drug Administration in the United States and by the European Medicines Evaluation Agency in Europe for treating moderate-to-severe psoriasis in 2004. This article reviews the pharmacology, clinical efficacy and safety of etanercept for psoriasis and recent findings since its approval. The number of studies of medium- and long-term efficacy and safety is increasing steadily; these studies support the use of etanercept in a maintenance setting, with an apparently more favorable risk: benefit ratio than traditional systemic treatments.