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Home >> Psoriasis >> Treatment Options >> Systemic Therapy

Systemic Therapy

These are usually administered by a specialist and can be taken either orally or, occasionally, as an injection.

Examples of systemic therapies are:

Psoriasis is caused by your immune system sending incorrect signals to skin cells and speeding up their growth cycle, these compounds treat psoriasis by suppressing your entire immune system. They are very effective in clearing psoriasis, but have many serious side-effects, such as liver damage, and so are only used in cases where the psoriasis is extensive or if the patient has not responded to other therapies. Most systemic therapies are teratogenic, this means that they should not be taken by pregnant women as they may cause birth defects.

Fumaric acid esters have been used to treat psoriasis for over 30 years. They have a similar efficacy to some other therapies; however, they have more potential side-effects. As a result, they are usually only used in people with severe psoriasis who have been unsuccessful on other treatments.

The most common potential side effects include nausea, stomach aches, diarrhoea and flushing; these usually diminish over time. Less common side effects include kidney disturbances, abnormalities in white blood cell counts and, very rarely, with long-term use, cases of osteoporosis have been reported.

It needs to be noted that fumaric acid esters are different to fumaric acid supplements that are available in health food shops; these are of no use in the treatment of psoriasis.


This quick guide is supported by Merck Serono.