New psoriasis medication: Your options explained

You have more options than ever for treating psoriasis

By Chad Shaffer, MD | Feb. 20, 2024

The need for better psoriasis treatments has been long-standing for years. Now, options for effective psoriasis relief have multiplied. Due to these recent developments, 8 million Americans and 30 million people worldwide with psoriasis have reason for optimism. Patients affected by this skin disease span all ages and genders, often having a family history of the condition and many times having an associated risk factor like obesity, smoking, and alcohol use. Regardless of your circumstances, if you have psoriasis, you deserve to be introduced to the new psoriasis medication.

Current treatments for psoriasis

Psoriasis is not a uniform disease. Variants include plaque psoriasis with thick, scaly areas, guttate psoriasis with temporary outbreaks, inverse psoriasis that affects skin folds, and pustular psoriasis that can be generalized or limited to the palms and soles. Associated conditions like psoriatic arthritis can be part of the picture, too.

Treatment options are diverse as well. Topical therapies, like corticosteroids, emollients, and retinoids, have traditionally attacked this disease via anti-inflammatory mechanisms, moisturization, or inhibition of skin cell proliferation, respectively. Systemic oral and injectable treatments, like methotrexate and biologics, target aspects of the immune system to reduce inflammation.

Problems with existing psoriasis treatments

The problem with pre-existing psoriasis treatments has been that the relatively safe topical options weren’t always effective. Immunosuppressants like early biologics risked a multitude of serious side effects. Hence, the search was on for new medication for psoriasis that combined tolerability with high efficacy.

Newly approved psoriasis medication

In the past two years, new topical and systemic agents have been added to the list of options for psoriasis management. Their advantages are significant for individuals looking for a new treatment for psoriasis.

Vtama

Approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2022 for use in adults, Vtama (tapinarof) is a topical cream that treats plaque psoriasis by decreasing inflammation. It accomplishes this by modifying interleukin 17 (IL-17) cytokines, which are the immune system’s messenger proteins. Vtama offers another topical treatment option to help avoid the topical corticosteroid side effect of skin atrophy or thinning.

Zoryve

Zoryve (roflumilast) is also a topical cream for plaque psoriasis in adults. It, too, got approval from the FDA in 2022. The drug’s mechanism of action as a phosphodiesterase 4 inhibitor means it is not a steroid. This important distinction allows it to be used in skin folds, unlike topical steroids, which cannot be used due to skin atrophy side effects.

Sotyktu

By inhibiting tyrosine kinase 2, and thereby modifying cytokines like interleukin 23, Sotyktu (deucravacitinib) acts as an effective anti-inflammatory treatment for moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis. The FDA approved this oral tablet as an anti-psoriatic medication in 2022. Clinical trials leading to its approval demonstrated efficacy and safety.

Bimzelx

Bimzelx (bimekizumab) is a monoclonal antibody that inhibits IL-17 to reduce psoriasis inflammation. The treatment requires a subcutaneous injection every four weeks for 16 weeks, and then every eight weeks thereafter. FDA approval was granted in 2023 for moderate to severe plaque psoriasis in adults.

Compare new psoriasis medications

According to the medical reference UpToDate, psoriasis medications come in various formulations, with most all aiming to reduce the inflammatory cascade in psoriasis. Reviewing and comparing options may help you narrow down which new medication for psoriasis to consult your healthcare provider about.

Common psoriasis medications
Drug name	Drug class	Form	Safety & side effect highlights	SingleCare savings
Clobex (clobetasol) 0.05% liquid	Corticosteroid	Topical	Skin atrophy with extended use	Get Clobex coupon
Vanos (fluocinonide) 0.1% cream	Corticosteroid	Topical	Skin atrophy with extended use	Get Vanos coupon
Sorilux (calcipotriene) foam	Vitamin D analog	Topical	Skin irritation	Get Sorilux coupon
Calcitriol ointment	Vitamin D analog	Topical	Skin irritation	Get calcitriol coupon
Psoriasin (tar)	Coal tar	Topical	Can stain skin, hair, and clothing; unpleasant odor	Get Psoriasin coupon
Tazorac (tazarotene) cream	Retinoid	Topical	Skin irritation, sun sensitivity, avoid in pregnancy and breastfeeding	Get Tazorac coupon
Tacrolimus 0.1% ointment	Calcineurin inhibitor	Topical	Avoids skin atrophy but has an FDA boxed warning about lymphoma risk, although studies have not confirmed the risk	Get tacrolimus coupon
Elidel (pimecrolimus) 1% cream	Calcineurin inhibitor	Topical	Avoids skin atrophy but has an FDA boxed warning about lymphoma risk, although studies have not confirmed the risk	Get Elidel coupon
Vtama (tapinarof) 0.1% cream	Aryl hydrocarbon receptor-modulating agent	Topical	Skin rash, headache	Get Vtama coupon
Zoryve (roflumilast) 0.3% cream	Phosphodiesterase 4 inhibitor	Topical	Diarrhea, headache	Get Zoryve coupon
Methotrexate tablets	Folic acid antagonist	Oral	Multiple FDA warnings, including liver toxicity, lung toxicity, intestinal toxicity, reduced clearance with kidney disease, increased infection risk, and severe skin and allergic reactions	Get methotrexate coupon
Acitretin capsules	Retinoid	Oral	Multiple FDA warnings including liver toxicity, strict avoidance in pregnancy, strict precautions against pregnancy in women of childbearing age, avoidance of alcohol by women while taking, and avoidance of blood donation during and for at least 3 years after treatment	Get acitretin coupon
Neoral (cyclosporine) tablets	T cell immune suppressant	Oral	Multiple FDA warnings including kidney toxicity, increased infection and cancer risk, and hypertension risk	Get Neoral coupon
Otezla (apremilast) tablets	Phosphodiesterase 4 inhibitor	Oral	Diarrhea, nausea, headache, depression, and weight loss	Get Otezla coupon
Enbrel (etanercept) injection	TNF-alpha inhibitor	Subcutaneous injection	FDA warnings regarding increased infection and cancer risk	Get Enbrel coupon
Remicade (infliximab) injection	TNF-alpha inhibitor	Intravenous infusion	FDA warnings regarding increased infection and cancer risk	Get a SingleCare discount card
Humira (adalimumab) injection	TNF-alpha inhibitor	Subcutaneous injection	FDA warnings regarding increased infection and cancer risk	Get Humira coupon
Cimzia (certolizumab) injection	TNF-alpha inhibitor	Subcutaneous injection	FDA warnings regarding increased infection and cancer risk	Get Cimzia coupon
Cosentyx (secukinumab) injection	IL-17A inhibitor	Subcutaneous injection	Diarrhea, infection risk, low immune cell count, severe eczema, inflammatory bowel disease	Get SingleCare discount card
Taltz (ixekizumab) injection	IL-17A inhibitor	Subcutaneous injection	Nausea, infection risk, low immune or clotting cell count, inflammatory bowel disease	Get SingleCare discount card
Siliq (brodalumab) injection	IL-17A inhibitor	Subcutaneous injection	FDA warning about suicidality, diarrhea, infection risk, inflammatory bowel disease	Get Siliq coupon
Bimzelx (bimekizumab)	IL-17A and IL-17F inhibitor	Subcutaneous injection	FDA warning about suicidality, headache, infection risk, inflammatory bowel disease	Get Bimzelx coupon
Stelara (ustekinumab) injection	IL-23 inhibitor	Subcutaneous injection	Infection risk, cancer risk, headache, diarrhea	Get SingleCare discount card
Tremfya (guselkumab) injection	IL-23 inhibitor	Subcutaneous injection	Infection risk, headache, joint pains	Get Tremfya coupon
Ilumya (tildrakizumab) injection	IL-23 inhibitor	Subcutaneous injection	Infection risk, diarrhea	Get SingleCare discount card
Skyrisi (risankizumab) injection	IL-23 inhibitor	Subcutaneous injection	Infection risk, joint pain, headache, anemia	Get Skyrizi coupon
Sotyktu (deucravacitinib) tablets	Tyrosine kinase inhibitor	Oral	Infection risk, muscle enzyme elevation, triglyceride elevation	Get Sotyktu coupon

Ask your healthcare provider about new psoriasis medication

The plethora of new treatments for psoriasis is impressive when compared with the options available twenty years ago. Considering how the drugs are administered and what side effects are risked can make it easier to narrow down the list to a few options that you might feel comfortable trying. Have a conversation with your healthcare provider to review more details about the new psoriasis medication on the market and make the best choice together.