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IL-23 Inhibitors for Psoriasis

  • Psoriasis (J Wu, Section Editor)
  • Published:
Current Dermatology Reports Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose of Review

The purpose of this article is to review current understanding of the role of IL-23 in psoriasis and the available results to date on clinical trials establishing the efficacy and safety of IL-23 inhibitors for use in adults with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis.

Recent Findings

Interleukin-23, a cytokine involved in activation and maintenance of the T-helper 17 pathway, plays a key role in the immunopathogenesis of psoriasis. While antibodies to IL-12 and IL-23 have been approved in psoriasis treatment for several years, robust evidence on the key role of IL-23 has led to the newest class of biologics for the treatment of psoriasis specifically targeting only IL-23. Guselkumab, tildrakizumab, risankizumab, and mirikizumab are fully human (guselkumab) or humanized (tildrakizumab, risankizumab, and mirikizumab) monoclonal antibodies that bind to the unique p19 subunit of IL-23. Guselkumab was recently approved for use in psoriasis, while the three others remain under investigation in clinical trials.

Summary

Early data from clinical trials shows high efficacy and low short-term safety risks of IL-23 inhibition.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Dermatology, University of California, San Francisco, 515 Spruce Street, San Francisco, CA, 94118, USA

    Kristen M. Beck, Eric J. Yang, Sahil Sekhon & Tina Bhutani

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  1. Kristen M. Beck
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  2. Eric J. Yang
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Correspondence to Kristen M. Beck.

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This article does not contain any studies with human or animal subjects performed by any of the authors.

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This article is part of the Topical Collection on Psoriasis

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Beck, K.M., Yang, E.J., Sekhon, S. et al. IL-23 Inhibitors for Psoriasis. Curr Derm Rep 7, 119–124 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13671-018-0216-y

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