From Psoriasis To Behçet's: The Evolution Of Biologics In Dermatology

By Marlis Sarkany

Over the last two decades, biologics have improved the management of patients with psoriasis and advanced melanoma, many of whom either did not respond to traditional treatments or experienced severe side effects from them. With their success in deadly forms of melanoma and more common chronic inflammatory conditions such as psoriasis, drug developers are now targeting rarer indications with their biologics.

Also called biopharmaceuticals, biologics include a wide range of medical products that are produced from or contain components of living organisms and modify natural cellular and intracellular processes. There are several types of biologics such as vaccines, blood and blood components, insulins, cytokines, somatic cells, stem cells, growth factors, gene therapy, tissues, and recombinant proteins. The more contemporary connotation of the term “biologics” is drugs produced by biotechnology, often using recombinant DNA methods.

There is a clear shift in dermatology drug development towards biologics, targeted treatments, and rare skin diseases and away from topicals and symptomatic treatments. Learn more about the number of indications that are in development.