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Spotlight on Ustekinumab in Moderate To Severe Plaque Psoriasis

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Abstract

Ustekinumab (Stelara®) is a human monoclonal antibody that binds to the p40 subunit common to both interleukin (IL)-12 and IL-23. It is indicated in the US for use in adult patients with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis who are candidates for phototherapy or systemic therapy. In the EU, it is indicated for those who failed to respond to, have a contraindication to, or are intolerant of other systemic therapies or phototherapy. In well designed, randomized clinical trials, regimens of subcutaneous ustekinumab 45 or 90 mg provided a rapid and durable improvement in Psoriasis Area and Severity Index scores for patients with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis. Treatment with ustekinumab 45 or 90 mg also improved healthrelated quality-of-life scores from baseline. More limited data indicate that ustekinumab also improves the symptoms of arthritis in patients with plaque psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis. Subcutaneous ustekinumab was generally well tolerated in clinical trials; most adverse events were mild in intensity and did not require dosage adjustment. A pooled analysis of clinical trial data indicated no specific patterns of infection for recipients of ustekinumab and that infection rates remained stable following cumulative exposure to the agent. Thus, subcutaneous ustekinumab provides an effective and well tolerated alternative for the symptomatic treatment of patients with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis.

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Acknowledgments and Disclosures

The full text article[19] from which this spotlight was derived was reviewed by: L.R. Espinoza, Louisiana State University Health Science Center, New Orleans, LA, USA; S. Feldman), Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA; M. Lebwohl, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA; D. Zaghi, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA. The manufacturer of the agent under review was offered an opportunity to comment on the original article[19] during the peer review process; changes resulting from comments received were made by the author on the basis of scientific and editorial merit. The preparation of the original article and this spotlight was not supported by any external funding.

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    Jamie D. Croxtall

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Correspondence to Jamie D. Croxtall.

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Croxtall, J.D. Spotlight on Ustekinumab in Moderate To Severe Plaque Psoriasis. Am J Clin Dermatol 13, 135–137 (2012). https://doi.org/10.2165/11208650-000000000-00000

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