The FDA has approved ixekizumab (Taltz – Lilly), an injectable humanized interleukin (IL)-17A antagonist, for treatment of adults with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis who are candidates for systemic therapy or phototherapy. Ixekizumab is the second IL-17A antagonist to be approved for this indication in the US; secukinumab (Cosentyx – Novartis) was the first.

The FDA has expanded the Emergency Use Authorizations (EUAs) for the mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccines manufactured by Pfizer/BioNTech (Comirnaty) and Moderna (Spikevax) to include administration of a third dose in persons ≥12 years old (Pfizer/BioNTech) or ≥18 years old (Moderna) who have undergone solid organ transplantation or have a condition that compromises the immune system to a similar extent (see Table 1).

Infliximab, a monoclonal antibody that inhibits tumor necrosis factor, has received an accelerated approval from the FDA for intravenous treatment of moderate to severe Crohn's disease refractory to other medical treatment.

Secukinumab (Cosentyx – Novartis), an injectable human interleukin (IL)-17A antagonist, has been approved by the FDA for treatment of moderate to severe plaque psoriasis in adult patients who are candidates for systemic therapy or phototherapy. It is the first IL-17 inhibitor to be approved for any indication in the US.

The FDA has approved brodalumab (Siliq – Valeant), an injectable human interleukin (IL)-17A receptor antagonist, for treatment of adults with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis who have failed to respond to other systemic therapies. Brodalumab is the third IL-17A antagonist to be approved in the US for this indication; secukinumab (Cosentyx) and ixekizumab (Taltz) were approved earlier.

The injectable interleukin (IL)-23 antagonist risankizumab-rzza (Skyrizi – Abbvie), previously approved by the FDA for treatment of Crohn's disease (CD), has now been approved for treatment of moderately to severely active ulcerative colitis (UC) in adults. Risankizumab is the first IL-23 antagonist to be approved for treatment of both CD and UC. It is also approved for treatment of plaque psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis.

The FDA has approved the subcutaneous IL-17A antagonist secukinumab (Cosentyx - Novartis), which was first approved in 2015 for treatment of plaque psoriasis, for treatment of psoriatic arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis in adults.1 Secukinumab is one of the most effective drugs available for treatment of plaque psoriasis.2FDA approval of secukinumab for treatment of psoriatic arthritis was based on two randomized, double-blind trials with a primary endpoint of at least a 20% improvement in the American College of Rheumatology response criteria (ACR20) at 24 weeks. In both trials, ACR20...

View the Comparison Table: Some Drugs for Plaque Psoriasis

View the Table: Some Drug Interactions with Drugs for IBD

Alefacept (a le' fa sept; Amevive - Biogen) has been approved by the FDA for parenteral treatment of adults with moderate to severe chronic plaque psoriasis.