Viewpoint about biologic agents for psoriasis: are they immunosuppressants or immunomodulators?

Abstract

Over the past two decades, promising advancements have emerged in the field of psoriasis management. Most notably, highly effective targeted biologic therapies that offered significant breakthroughs in the management of psoriasis have been developed. One of the most challenging components of marketing and prescribing these biologic therapies has been in classifying them as immunomodulators or immunosuppressants. The purpose of this narrative review was to discuss the features that distinguish immunomodulators from immunosuppressants to successfully categorize the biologic therapies used for psoriasis management and subsequently enhance patient and physician understanding of the risks associated with the use of these drugs.