Management of Moderate to Severe PlaquePsoriasis (Part II)- Clinical Update on T-CellModulators and Investigational Agents

This second part of a 2-part review on the use of biologics for treatment of patients with psoriasis is focused on currently approved therapies that work through modulation of T cells: alefacept, a leukocyte function - associated antigen 3-immunoglobulin G fusion molecule; and efalizumab, an anti-CD11 humanized antibody. Efficacy and safety data from pivotal clinical trials are summarized and new data are presented for these biological agents, and considerations for optimal therapeutic selection are discussed. Clinical data from investigational agents currently in development are also reviewed. One of these new agents is ustekinumab, a humanized antibody that targets interleukins 12 and 23 and inhibits the differentiation of Th17 cells, a recently identified subset of CD4+ T-helper cells.