Opinion
Video
Using Deucravacitinib in Clinical Practice for Plaque Psoriasis Management
Author(s):
April W. Armstrong, MD, MPH, shares her experience using oral systemic treatments in clinical practice for the management of plaque psoriasis.
This is a video synopsis of a discussion involving April W. Armstrong, MD, MPH, Professor and Chief of Dermatology at UCLA, and Chair Emeritus of the Medical Board of the National Psoriasis Foundation. Dr. Armstrong specializes in psoriasis and atopic dermatitis.
Dr. Armstrong discusses her approach to prescribing deucravacitinib for patients with psoriasis who have not previously received systemic or biologic treatments. She highlights the medication's efficacy and safety profile, noting that patients find it well-tolerated with minimal gastrointestinal (GI) side effects, a rarity for oral medications. Clinical trial data corroborates this observation, showing similar GI complaints between deucravacitinib and placebo.
For patients who are suitable candidates for oral therapy, Dr. Armstrong recommends Deucravacitinib, confident in its ability to achieve clear or almost clear skin with proper patient selection. She notes that patients who initiate deucravacitinib tend to continue with the treatment.
In challenging cases, Dr. Armstrong combines deucravacitinib with biologic medications for added efficacy. This reflects a shift in treatment paradigms towards combining multiple therapies to achieve optimal outcomes, moving away from older options like methotrexate towards newer agents like deucravacitinib and apremilast.
Patients often express excitement and satisfaction with their clear skin when returning for follow-up visits, indicating a preference for deucravacitinib over other oral systemic medications. Dr. Armstrong observes significant changes in the field, emphasizing the decreasing use of methotrexate in favor of more modern options like deucravacitinib and apremilast as chronic oral prescriptions for psoriasis management.
Video synopsis is AI-generated and reviewed by HCPLive® editorial staff.
