Psoriasis is a chronic life-ruining disease with significant unmet clinical need in the management of patients. It affects between 1%-3% of the population worldwide and is accompanied by substantial physical and psychosocial distress.
Patients with moderate-to-severe plaque-type psoriasis often require lifelong therapy to control their disease. Traditional approaches such as PUVA, cyclosporine or methotrexate are problematic for long-term use because of inconvenience, organ toxicity, broadband immunosuppression, drug interactions and a loss of efficacy over time.
Hence, there has been a demand for new therapeutic approaches that are more convenient, effective, safe, and immunologically selective. Numerous biological agents that modulate T cell and cytokine action at various steps along the pathogenic sequence have been developed and studied in clinical trials for the treatment of psoriasis. Additionally, it is now becoming evident from recent published work that chronic inflammation has additional implications on organ systems other than the skin. Delegates will hear about the management of other common chronic inflammatory diseases and how these learnings can be applied to psoriasis.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
After participating in this symposium, the participants will have an updated knowledge in:
- Recent evolution of psoriasis management
- Treatment of chronic inflammatory systemic diseases
- Impact of biologicals on co-morbidities
- Development of long-term safety profiles for biologicals
- Future developments in psoriasis
- Integration of biological treatments into daily clinical practice
