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TNF Inhibition in Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis: Improving Disease Management and Quality of Life

A supplement to Skin & Allergy News.
This supplement is jointly sponsored by Excerpta Medica, Inc. and Skin & Allergy News and is supported by an unrestricted educational grant from Amgen and Wyeth.
Highlights of presentations given at the Skin Disease Education Foundation's 28th Hawaii Dermatology Seminar held January 13, 2004, on the Big Island of Hawaii.

•Contents
•Target Audience
•Educational Needs
•Learning Objectives
•CME Recognition

Medical Education Library
To view the supplement, click the image above. To take the CME test, download and print out the PDF file, and follow the test instructions on page 11.

Contents

A Case for Joining Prebiologic and Biologic Therapies for Optimal Outcome
John Y. M. Koo, MD
Director, Psoriasis Treatment Center
UCSF Department of Dermatology
University of California, San Francisco
Consultant: Genentech, Inc., Biogen, Inc., Amgen, Inc. and Centocor, Inc. He discusses the unlabeled use of etanercept, cyclosporine and acitretin for combination use.

Psoriatic Arthritis: What Dermatologists Need to Know
Bruce E. Strober, MD, PhD
Associate Director
Dermatopharmacology Unit
New York University School of Medicine
Consultant: Amgen, Inc., and Biogen, Inc. He discusses the unlabeled uses of etanercept for psoriasis, efalizumab and alefacept for psoriatic arthritis, and infliximab and adalimumab for psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis.

Treatment of Psoriatic Arthritis and Psoriasis With TNF Inhibitors
Bruce E. Strober, MD, PhD

Target Audience

This activity has been developed for dermatologists and other healthcare professionals involved in the treatment of psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis.

Educational Needs

The discovery that tumor necrosis factor (TNF) plays a role in rheumatologic diseases and other immune-mediated inflammatory diseases led to a line of research concerning the potential role of TNF in psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis. Additional avenues of study involve control of other biologic, immunoinflammatory targets, including pathologic T-cell surface proteins. This activity focuses on how dermatologists can detect the early signs and symptoms of psoriatic arthritis in patients with psoriasis, the importance of patient-tailored therapy, and the efficacy and safety of anti-TNF therapy in both psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis.

Learning Objectives

By reading and studying this supplement, participants should be able to:

• Discuss the role that biologic treatments play in the management of patients with psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis.

• Recognize the early signs and symptoms of psoriatic arthritis in patients with psoriasis.

• List the currently available biologic agents for psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis and briefly explain their mechanisms of action.

• Discuss the efficacy and safety of anti-TNF biologic agents in patients with psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis.

CME Recognition

This activity has been planned and implemented in accordance with the Essential Areas and Policies of the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) through the joint sponsorship of Excerpta Medica, Inc., and Skin & Allergy News. Excerpta Medica is accredited by the ACCME to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

Excerpta Medica designates this educational activity for a maximum of 1 category 1 credit toward the AMA Physician's Recognition Award. Each physician should claim only those credits that he/she actually spent in the educational activity.

Term of approval: May 2004-April 2005.

Estimated time to complete this educational activity: 1 hour.