Biologic Response Modifiers
Recently, attention has been given to a group of drugs called biologics, which are made from proteins produced by living cells instead of chemicals. They interfere with specific immune system processes which cause the overproduction of skin cells and inflammation. Some examples of biologics used as
psoriasis medication are:
These psoriasis medications are injected (sometimes by the patient). Patients taking these
psoriasis treatments need to be monitored carefully by a doctor. Because these psoriasis medications suppress the immune system response, patients taking these psoriasis medications have an increased risk of infection. These psoriasis medications may also interfere with vaccines.
Some of these psoriasis medications have been associated with other diseases (like central nervous system disorders, blood diseases, cancer, and lymphoma), although their role in the development of or contribution to these diseases is not yet understood. Some are approved for adults only, and their effects on pregnant or nursing women are not known.
Antibiotics
These medications are not indicated in routine psoriasis treatment. However, antibiotics may be employed when an infection, such as that caused by the bacteria Streptococcus, triggers an outbreak of psoriasis, as in certain cases of guttate psoriasis.
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