Pediatric psoriasis: updates in biologic therapies

Abstract

Psoriasis is not a rare disease in the pediatric population. Early recognition and treatment is necessary to improve the physical and psychological symptoms of psoriasis and minimize its adverse effects on future health. In moderate-to-severe cases, treatment is challenging. There is no Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved systemic treatment for children and adolescents with moderate-to-severe plaque-type psoriasis other than topical corticosteroids, and current treatment is limited to the ones that are used in adults, which may have more severe side effects in children. Recently, there have been advances in the use of biologic therapies, specifically tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha blockers, for pediatric autoimmune diseases and pediatric psoriasis. The present review will summarize the data on TNF inhibitors for pediatric psoriasis, as well as detail studies that led to the approval of biologics in other pediatric autoimmune diseases.