title: Use of etanercept in the dermatology setting. A review.
abstract: As psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis are chronic in nature, ideal treatment should have sustained efficacy, with minimal short- and long-term toxicities to allow lifelong treatment. Traditional therapies used for psoriatic arthritis or psoriasis, including phototherapies and systemic agents, do not satisfy these criteria. Ninety percent of patients surveyed in 1998 by The National Psoriasis Foundation were not satisfied with their treatment options. Several observations have supported the introduction of the tumor necrosis factor (TNF) antagonist etanercept as a treatment for psoriatic disease, including the failure of traditional therapies to meet patient needs, evidence that TNF plays a fundamental role in the inflammatory processes underlying psoriatic arthritis and psoriasis, and the safety and efficacy of this agent in other inflammatory, immune-mediated diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Etanercept prevents initiation of the proinflammatory cascade by competitively binding TNF. First indicated for RA, etanercept is also approved for the treatment of psoriatic arthritis, juvenile RA, ankylosing spondylitis, and most recently psoriasis. Etanercept provides dermatologists with a safe, effective, and convenient treatment option for patients with psoriatic arthritis and psoriasis, which can be used continuously with or without traditional therapies. The self-administered injections provide a distinct advantage over traditional therapies that often require frequent office visits and laboratory monitoring, and other biologic agents that require administration in the doctor's office. Dermatologists should be aware of the ongoing research with etanercept in psoriasis and other dermatologic conditions.
authors.affiliation: Mount Sinai Medical Center, New York, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Mark G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Lebwohl
mesh_terms: D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015535:Arthritis, Psoriatic / Q000188:drug therapy; D000068800:Etanercept; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D018579:Patient Selection; D011565:Psoriasis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D018124:Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors
chemical_list: D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D018124:Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D000068800:Etanercept