Tumour necrosis factor inhibitors in the treatment of psoriatic arthritis: a view on effectiveness, clinical practice and toxicity

Introduction: Psoriatic arthritis is a common and often severe chronic joint disorder, associated with the skin disease psoriasis (PsO). Treatment options for psoriatic arthritis patients have changed considerably over the last decade with the widespread use of biological therapies, in particular tumour necrosis factor inhibitors. Current clinical experience based on large registries and careful observations now allows us to understand the true value of these interventions in daily clinical practice. Areas covered: Literature searches were performed targeting effectiveness, drug survival, toxicity and safety of biological therapies as well as treatment strategies specifically focused on patients with psoriatic arthritis. Expert opinion: Tumour necrosis factor inhibition is a powerful and effective option for the treatment of severe psoriatic arthritis. The different available drugs have good survival rates and show an excellent balance between effectiveness and toxicity. Switching of inhibitor is feasible, but treatment changes should be carefully considered. Novel biological therapies are introduced into the market and will further provide better perspectives for the patient. New questions are also emerging: How to handle long-term remission, can biological therapies be successfully stopped and are co-morbidities sufficiently managed? These questions should be addressed for optimal long-term management of a severe chronic disease.