Update on psoriasis therapy: a perspective from the USA.

Because physicians from different nations frequently acquire the use of a new medication at different times, the international exchange of experiences with the new medication is valuable in maximizing its efficacy worldwide. In recent years, many new therapeutic agents have been approved for treating psoriasis in the United States. These include the topical agent calcipotriol and the systemic agents acitretin and cyclosporine. In addition to new agents, a new therapeutic paradigm, sequential therapy, has been introduced recently. It is the hope of the authors that by sharing this paradigm and experiences with these agents in the United States, dermatologists in Japan may gain further insight into optimizing the use of these agents in the treatment of psoriasis.