Raptiva and Other Psoriasis Treatments

Psoriasis is a chronic autoimmune disease that affects approximately 7.5 million Americans.

Psoriasis patients experience rapid skin cell turnover that results in itchy or sore patches of thick red skin with silvery scales.

It is the immune system of these patients that causes their skin cells to be replaced in just days instead of the usual month long skin cell turnover cycle. While psoriasis is not currently a curable condition, there are different treatment options that can help patients manage its lifelong effects.

Doctors and patients often consider the following when determining treatment options:

1. The seriousness of the psoriasis. Doctors may consider factors such as the severity of the patches, the number of the patches on the body, and how often the patches occur;

2. The type of psoriasis. There are five types of psoriasis: plague, guttate, inverse, pustular, and erythrodermic; and

3. How the patient responds to different treatments.

There are many different treatment options available for psoriasis patients. Patients often benefit from more than one type of treatment and often rotate treatments to maximize their efficacy.

Topical Psoriasis Treatment Options

Milder form of psoriasis may respond well to over-the-counter topical medications. Psoriasis patients may use different bath products, moisturizers, and itch relief creams to treat their symptoms. Common products such as aloe vera, oatmeal and creams containing salicylic acid or coal tar may be topically applied to the patient's skin. Over-the-counter medications generally carry a lower risk of serious side effects than prescription medications. So, if over-the-counter medications adequately control a patient's psoriasis symptoms then they are usually recommended.

However, patients with more advanced forms of psoriasis may need prescription topical medications to treat their symptoms. There are six different types of prescription topical psoriasis medications. The topical prescription medications range from synthetic vitamins to topical steroids. While they carry a greater risk of side effects than nonprescription treatments, the topical prescription medications that are used to treat psoriasis are generally considered to be safe.

Ultraviolet Light Therapy

Ultraviolet (UV) light therapy should always be conducted under a doctor's supervision, whether that be at the doctor's office, a clinic or at home. The typical method of treating psoriasis with ultraviolet light therapy involves exposing the affected skin to UVB rays at regular and consistent intervals. UVB rays slow the growth of skin cells and thereby reduce the symptoms of psoriasis.

Ultraviolet light therapy is often recommended for patients with moderate to severe psoriasis who have thin scales in the affected areas and who are responsive to natural sunlight. It has proven to be highly effective with minimal side effects. The side effects that are known to exist include increased irritation to the psoriasis patches prior to improvement and sunburn. Further, patients should be aware that UVB rays from sunlight are known to cause skin cancer, but there has been no direct link between UVB treatment for psoriasis and skin cancer.

Systemic Oral or Injected Drug Treatment Options

Oral and injectable medications also exist to treat psoriasis. They are usually used for patients who have tried other forms of therapy that have proven unsuccessful. These medications affect the entire body as opposed to topical solutions and light therapy that are focused on the areas affected by psoriasis.

There are currently five injectable medications that are known as biologics because they are made from human or animal proteins rather than synthetic chemicals. However, one of the popular forms of biologics, Raptiva, has been recalled and is being phased out of the United States market due to one of the possible Raptiva side effects. The specific reason for the recall is a link with a deadly viral disease called progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML).