The US Food and Drug Administration has recently approved Siliq (brodalumab) to treat adults with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis, and it is administered as an injection.

Siliq is intended for patients who are candidates for systemic therapy (treatment using substances that travel through the bloodstream, after being taken by mouth or injected) or phototherapy (ultraviolet light treatment) and have failed to respond, or have stopped responding to other systemic therapies.

"Moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis can cause significant skin irritation and discomfort for patients, and today's approval provides patients with another treatment option for their psoriasis," said Julie Beitz, M.D., director of the office of drug evaluation III in the FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research. "Patients and their health care providers should discuss the benefits and risks of Siliq before considering treatment."  

Psoriasis is a skin condition that causes patches of skin redness and flaking. Psoriasis is an autoimmune disorder that occurs more commonly in patients with a family history of the disease, and most often begins in people between the ages of 15 and 35. The most common form of psoriasis is plaque psoriasis, in which patients develop thick, red skin with flaky, silver-white scales.

Siliq's active ingredient (brodalumab) binds to a protein that causes inflammation, inhibiting the inflammatory response that plays a role in the development of plaque psoriasis.