Addressing Unmet Needs in Plaque Psoriasis

This episode, titled "Addressing Unmet Needs in Plaque Psoriasis," features panelists discussing the remaining gaps in plaque psoriasis care despite the significant advances in available therapies.

The panel identifies several key areas of unmet need. Managing concurrent skin and joint disease with a single therapy remains a significant challenge, as achieving adequate control of both domains simultaneously can require multiple treatment adjustments and close collaboration with rheumatology. Difficult to treat areas including the scalp, nails, groin, and genital region are also highlighted, with the scalp presenting a particular challenge due to patient noncompliance with topical regimens despite favorable drug penetration in that area. The panel notes that even small amounts of residual disease in these high impact areas can significantly affect patient satisfaction and quality of life.

The discussion also touches on the broader challenge of convincing payers and patients to pursue advanced systemic therapy for what may appear to be limited residual disease, particularly in high impact areas. The aspirational concept of off-treatment remission is introduced, with the panel acknowledging that while only a small subset of patients may achieve it currently, earlier intervention and optimized dosing strategies may make it more attainable in the future.

The panel concludes by reinforcing the need to broaden the definition of systemic therapy candidacy beyond the 10% BSA threshold, in alignment with International Psoriasis Council recommendations, and stresses the importance of early intervention, addressing psoriatic arthritis, and centering treatment decisions around individual patient goals and disease burden.

In the next episode, "Understanding the Psoriasis Treatment Landscape and Available IL-23 Inhibitors," panelists will continue their discussion on psoriasis and highlight the current treatment landscape for moderate to severe plaque psoriasis, with a focused overview of the three FDA approved IL-23 inhibitors, their efficacy profiles, dosing schedules, and practical considerations for treatment selection.