Step 3: Medications given as a pill or injection

Here is some more info I found from a psoriasis mailer, remember this is just helpful information I have been given permission to share with you, all of this information can be found at your local doctors office, local library or right off of the internet.

I hope it helps.

Doctors may prescribe medications that are given as a pill or an injection for severe psoriasis that does not respond to other treatments. Several new experimental biological therapies in development target specific steps in the pathogenesis of psoriasis. The first biological therapy was approved in January 2003. Initial data suggest improved safety over older agents such as methotrexate and ciclosporin, but more research is necessary.

* Alefacept. In January 2003, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Amevive (alefacept), the first biological therapy for psoriasis. The injected medication is used to treat adults with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis. Amevive treats plaque psoriasis through a unique immunosuppressive mechanism of action. Specifically, Amevive is believed to work by simultaneously blocking and reducing the cellular component of the immune system that is thought to play a significant role in the disease process.

Patients taking this medication should have regular monitoring of white blood cell counts during therapy. Amevive must be administered under the supervision of a physician. The medication works by suppressing the immune system, which could potentially increase their chances of developing an infection or malignancy. Patients should inform their physician promptly if they develop any signs of an infection or malignancy while undergoing a course of treatment with Amevive. Because the effect of Amevive on pregnancy and fetal development, including immune system development, is not known, women who become pregnant while taking the medication are urged to register in the drug manufacturer's registry.

* Methotrexate. This medication slows down the build-up of dead skin cells by interfering with DNA and by suppressing the immune system and can have a dramatic effect on psoriasis. Methotrexate is also used to treat cancer. The doses used to treat psoriasis are much smaller than those used in cancer treatment. The drug is usually taken by mouth once a week, either in a single dose or in three doses taken 12 hours apart. A supplement of folic acid (a B vitamin) may be taken at the same time.