Topical therapy is the mainstay of treatment for patients with mild-to-moderate psoriasis. Currently available topical agents generally only produce short-term relief and the condition recurs when treatment is stopped. Tazarotene is a new generation synthetic retinoid with specificity for retinoic acid receptors (RARs) that is available in Germany and has recently been approved in Canada and in the US as a once-daily treatment for patients with stable plaque psoriasis and facial acne vulgaris. Results from several Allergan-sponsored studies examining tazarotene's pharmacology and clinical use in patients with stable plaque psoriasis were presented at the 19th World Congress of Dermatology [Sydney, Australia; June 1997].