Plaque psoriasis in children and adolescents – the role of etanercept

que psoriasis in children and adolescents – the role of etanercept Review (1330) Total Article Views Authors: Ricceri F, Tripo L, Pescitelli L, Prignano F Published Date June 2012 Volume 2012:2 Pages 25 - 28 DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.2147/PTT.S26032 Received: 12 April 2012 Accepted: 07 May 2012 Published: 11 June 2012 Federica Ricceri, Lara Tripo, Leonardo Pescitelli, Francesca Prignano Division of Clinical, Preventive and Oncology Dermatology, Department of Critical Care Medicine and Surgery, University of Florence, Florence, Italy Background: Childhood-onset psoriasis affects approximately one-third of the psoriatic population. Among many potential treatments of childhood psoriasis, biological agents are emerging as a valuable option in the management of this disease. In Europe, etanercept has recently been approved for children aged 6 years and over. Data from a well-designed clinical trial indicate that in children, etanercept effectively reduces psoriasis symptoms, with beneficial effects evident as early as 4 weeks after the onset of therapy. The treatment is generally well tolerated; mild injection site reactions are the most common adverse events reported in the literature. Published data of etanercept use in children show promising results, but further clinical studies are necessary to confirm its long-term efficacy and safety.