Efficacy and safety of ustekinumab and etanercept for the treatment of psoriasis.

IMPORTANCE OF THE FIELD

TNF-alpha inhibitors such as etanercept have been used for psoriasis for years. A fairly well defined efficacy and safety profile has developed. A new biologic agent, ustekinumab, an IL-12 and IL-23 inhibitor, has recently been released in the US for the treatment of moderate-to-severe psoriasis. The purpose of this article is to compare the efficacy and safety profiles of ustekinumab and etanercept.

AREAS COVERED IN THIS REVIEW

We examined safety and efficacy data regarding ustekinumab and etanercept from clinical reports, a head-to-head trial, review articles, and databases and registries from the last 20 years.

WHAT THE READER WILL GAIN

Evidence is reviewed about the efficacy for the treatment of psoriasis as well as the safety profiles for both agents, ustekinumab and etanercept.

TAKE HOME MESSAGE

Both drugs have data to confirm efficacy and safety in patients with moderate-to-severe psoriasis in the short-term. The limited long-term data on the safety profile of ustekinumab requires careful judgment on the clinician's part, weighing well-defined benefits and potential unknown risks.