Efalizumab in the treatment of psoriasis: mode of action, clinical indications, efficacy, and safety

Efalizumab is a humanized monoclonal antibody directed against the CD11a subunit of the lymphocyte function-associated antigen 1. It has been approved for the treatment of moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis. Efalizumab has been shown in several clinical trials to be effective and well tolerated in the treatment of patients with moderate-to-severe psoriasis. The safety profile of continuous therapy with efalizumab-as far as it is currently available-is favorable. Mode of action, pharmacological profile, clinical indications and efficacy, safety, and tolerability as well as practical considerations of efalizumab are reviewed in this article.