Biologic therapy for psoriasis--the first wave: infliximab, etanercept, efalizumab, and alefacept.

Over the last several years, a new generation of therapies for psoriasis has been in development. These biologic therapies target the activity of T lymphocytes and cytokines responsible for the inflammatory nature of this disease. In this review, we present an update on the progress of the four biologic agents in the forefront: infliximab, etanercept, efalizumab, and alefacept. The mechanism of each drug will be reviewed, as well as the most recent efficacy and safety data.