Research Initiatives
Drugs in Development: Drug Pipeline
The research pipeline identifies drugs currently being tested for psoriasis and/or psoriatic arthritis. The information in this pipeline chart comes from public sources and is as comprehensive as we understand it at the time of update.
The pipeline includes drugs that are in progress through phase II and phase III of clinical trials. The pipeline lists the name of the drug, the drug company, how it is administered, its mechanism of action (or how it works), the phase of study, and the indication (psoriasis or psoriatic arthritis).
Sometimes drugs have two names—the name that is used in the trial and then the brand name for when it is approved. Often the name in the trial is a combination of letters and numbers to indicate the compound's name during development at the drug company.
TOPICALS are applied to the skin, available either as a prescription or over the counter. They are most commonly used to treat mild psoriasis.
| Name |
Company |
Mechanism of action |
Phase |
Indication |
| Desoximetasone |
Taro Pharmaceuticals USA |
anti-inflammatory (steroid) |
III |
Psoriasis |
| AN2728 |
Anacor Pharmaceuticals Inc. |
anti-inflammatory (phosphodiesterase-4 inhibitor) |
II |
Psoriasis |
| Alitretinoin |
Basilea Pharmaceutica |
skin cell inhibitor (retinoid) |
II |
Psoriasis (pustular) |
| AS101 |
BioMAS Ltd. |
anti-inflammatory (integrin inhibitor) |
II |
Psoriasis |
| CT 327 |
Creabilis Therapeutics |
skin cell inhibitor (Trk kinase blocker) |
II |
Psoriasis |
| E6201 |
Eisai Ltd. |
anti-inflammatory (ME K kinase inhibitor) |
II |
Psoriasis |
| INCB18424 |
Incyte |
anti-inflammatory (JAK kinase inhibitor) |
II |
Psoriasis |
| LAS41004 |
Almirall, S.A. |
anti-inflammatory/skin cell inhibitor (proprietary) |
II |
Psoriasis |
| LEO 80185 (Taclonex) |
LEO Pharma |
anti-inflammatory/ skin cell inhibitor
(vitamin D/steroid) |
II |
Psoriasis (adolescents) |
| LEO 90100 |
LEO Pharma |
proprietary |
II |
Psoriasis |
| M518101 |
Maruho Co. Ltd. |
anti-inflammatory/ skin cell inhibitor (proprietary) |
II |
Psoriasis |
| PH-10 |
Provectus Pharmaceuticals |
skin cell inhibitor (Rose Bengal) |
II |
Psoriasis |
| Tofacitinib (CP-690,550) |
Pfizer Inc. |
anti-inflammatory (JAK kinase inhibitor) |
II |
Psoriasis |
| WBI-1001 |
Welichem Biotech Inc. |
anti-inflammatory (proprietary) |
II |
Psoriasis |
| MK-0873 |
Merck |
anti-inflammatory (phosphodiesterase-4 inhibitor) |
I |
Psoriasis |
| Oral treatments in the pipeline |
| Name |
Company |
Mechanism of action |
Phase |
Indication |
Apremilast
(CC-10004) |
Celgene Corporation |
anti-inflammatory
(phosphodiesterase-4 inhibitor) |
III |
Psoriasis and Psoriatic arthritis |
| CF101 |
Can-Fite BioPharma |
anti-inflammatory
(adenosine A3 receptor inhibitor) |
III |
Psoriasis |
Tofacitinib
(CP-690,550) |
Pfizer Inc. |
anti-inflammatory (JAK kinase inhibitor) |
III |
Psoriasis and Psoriatic arthritis |
| Voclosporin (ISA247) |
Isotecknika |
immune suppressant (calcineurin blocker) |
III |
Psoriasis |
| ACT-128800 |
Actelion |
immune suppressant (S1P1 receptor blocker) |
II |
Psoriasis |
| AEB071 |
Novartis |
anti-inflammatory (protein kinase C blocker) |
II |
Psoriasis |
| ASP015K |
Astellas Pharma Inc. |
anti-inflammatory (JAK kinase inhibitor) |
II |
Psoriasis |
| BMS-582949 |
Bristol-Myers Squibb |
anti-inflammatory (p38 MAP kinase blocker) |
II |
Psoriasis |
| FP187 |
Forward-Pharma GmbH |
anti-inflammatory (fumaric acid) |
II |
Psoriasis |
| Hectoral (Doxercalciferol) |
Genzyme |
skin cell inhibitor (vitamin D derivative) |
II |
Psoriasis |
| LEO 22811 |
LEO Pharma |
anti-inflammatory (proprietary) |
II |
Psoriasis |
| SRT2104 |
GlaxoSmithKline |
anti-inflammatory (sirtuin activator) |
II |
Psoriasis |
| VB-201 |
VBL Therapeutics |
anti-inflammatory (oxidized phospholipid) |
II |
Psoriasis |
INJECTABLES are either subcutaneous (given just under the skin) or intravenous (given into the vein). Both are most commonly used to treat moderate to severe psoriasis.
| Injectable treatments in the pipeline |
| Name |
Company |
Mechanism of action |
Phase |
Indication |
| AMG 827 |
Amgen |
anti-inflammatory (IL-17 receptor blocker) |
III |
Psoriasis |
| Briakinumab (ABT874) |
Abbott |
anti-inflammatory (IL-12/-23 blocker) |
III |
Psoriasis |
| Cimzia (Certolizumab Pegol) |
UCB Inc. |
anti-inflammatory (TNF blocker) |
III |
Psoriatic arthritis |
| Ustekinumab (Stelara) |
Centocor Inc. |
anti-inflammatory (IL-12/-23 blocker) |
III |
Psoriatic arthritis |
| Ustekinumab (Stelara) |
Centocor Inc. |
anti-inflammatory (IL-12/-23 blocker) |
III |
Psoriasis (adolescents) |
| Secukinumab (AIN457) |
Novartis |
anti-inflammatory (IL-17 blocker) |
III |
Psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis |
| Alefacept (Amevive)* |
Astellas Pharma Inc. |
anti-inflammatory (T-cell inhibitor) |
II |
Psoriasis (adolescents) |
| BT-061 |
Biotest |
immune suppressant (regulatory T-cell activator) |
II |
Psoriasis |
| LY2439821 |
Eli Lilly & Co. |
anti-inflammatory (IL-17 blocker) |
II |
Psoriasis |
| SCH 900222 |
Merck |
anti-inflammatory (IL-23 blocker) |
II |
Psoriasis |
| AbGn168 |
Boehringer Ingelheim |
immune suppressant (T-cell inhibitor) |
I |
Psoriatic arthritis |
| RG4934 |
Hoffmann- La Roche |
anti-inflammatory (IL-17 blocker) |
I |
Psoriatic arthritis |
| Fezakinumab(ILV-094) |
Pfizer Inc. |
anti-inflammatory (IL-22 blocker) |
I |
Psoriasis |
Amevive (alefacept), an immunosuppressant drug used to treat moderate to severe chronic plaque psoriasis, was voluntarily discontinued November 16, 2011. This action was not due to any specific safety concern nor the result of FDA-mandated or voluntary product recall. If you are currently taking Amevive please consult with your physician about a transition plan to an alternative therapy as soon as possible. Learn more »
Updated March 2012