Psoriasis Health Center

Psoriasis Treatment: What’s in the Future?

New Psoriasis Treatments on the Horizon

Increased understanding of immune system problems has opened a pipeline of new drug development for psoriasis. Most of these medicines are in the early stages of testing. A few are in late-stage clinical trials and may be available soon. Some noteworthy drugs include:

• ISA247 (voclosporin) is an immune-suppressing drug similar to cyclosporine, one of the oldest immune suppressing medicines. Cyclosporine works for treating psoriasis but carries significant risks when used long-term. In studies, oral ISA247 so far appears safe for longer-term treatment of psoriasis. Final FDA approval is still pending. 
• Apremilast is an experimental biologic agent in pill form. The drug is years away from U.S. use but shows promise in early studies. Taken as a daily oral tablet, apremilast could provide an alternative to injection psoriasis treatments.

In addition, many drugs are under development for rheumatoid arthritis and other autoimmune diseases. If approved by the FDA, some of these medicines could be used to treat psoriasis, too.