Ixekizumab in dermatology: revisited

Ixekizumab is an interleukin 17A inhibitor, approved by the US-FDA for the management of moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis (in March 2016 for adults), psoriatic arthritis (in December 2017), and genital psoriasis (in May 2018). Apart from its utility in psoriasis, there are a number of other dermatologic conditions wherein ixekizumab has demonstrated value. The aim of this narrative review is to describe the utility of ixekizumab in psoriasis as well as its implications in other off-label dermatologic disorders. PubMed, Google Scholar, Scopus, and ResearchGate were searched for scholarly articles related to ixekizumab and its utility in dermatology using the search terms “Ixekizumab” AND “Psoriasis” AND “other dermatological disorders.” Ixekizumab is a valuable biologic agent for the management of psoriasis and psoriatic arthropathy, with a rapid onset of action. Furthermore, clinical trials have shown ixekizumab to be superior to etanercept, ustekinumab, adalimumab, guselkumab, brodalumab, and secukinumab in plaque psoriasis. Also, ixekizumab has been successfully used for other dermatologic disorders like bullous pemphigoid, hidradenitis suppurativa, lichen planopilaris, pityriasis rubra pilaris, and pyoderma gangrenosum. Accordingly, ixekizumab’s usage is not limited to psoriasis alone. Its benefit extends to many more dermatologic conditions. Besides, it is associated with an acceptable safety profile.