Search

Abstract Introduction Psoriasis in high-impact areas, including the scalp, nails, palms, and soles, can disproportionately impair patient quality of life. Here, we evaluate the 2-year efficacy of bimekizumab treatment in patients with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis in post hoc analyses of five phase 3/3b trials. Methods High-impact area efficacy data were pooled through 2 years across five phase 3/3b trials: BE VIVID, BE READY, BE SURE, their ongoing open-label extension (OLE) BE BRIGHT, and BE RADIANT (including its double-blinded treatment period and the first year of its OLE). Complete clearance of psoriasis in high-impact areas is reported over 2 years using the scalp Investigator’s Global Assessment (IGA), palmoplantar IGA, and modified Nail Psoriasis Severity Index (mNAPSI). Patients included in these analyses had baseline moderate to severe scalp or palmoplantar involvement (scalp or palmoplantar IGA score ≥ 3) or mNAPSI score > 10. Results A total of 1107 patients were randomized to bimekizumab and entered the OLEs. Subsets of 821 patients had scalp IGA ≥ 3 at baseline, 377 had mNAPSI > 10, and 193 had palmoplantar IGA ≥ 3. Complete scalp clearance in patients with baseline scalp IGA ≥ 3 randomized to bimekizumab was achieved rapidly, with high responses sustained from first (86.4%) to second year (85.9%). Nail clearance responses in patients with baseline mNAPSI > 10 increased from 63.4% to 68.5% from first to second year. Palmoplantar clearance in patients with baseline palmoplantar IGA ≥ 3 was sustained from first (88.3%) to second year (89.8%). Similar trends were seen in the 374 patients who received bimekizumab 320 mg every 4 weeks (Q4W)/every 8 weeks (Q8W) initial/maintenance dosing. Conclusion In these analyses pooled across 2 years, bimekizumab showed sustained efficacy in psoriasis in high-impact areas. Clinicaltrials.gov Trial Registration Numbers NCT03370133, NCT03410992, NCT03412747, NCT03598790, NCT03536884.

Abstract Introduction Risankizumab has demonstrated superior efficacy compared to other psoriasis treatments, including secukinumab, adalimumab, and ustekinumab; switching to risankizumab from other psoriasis treatments has shown superior clinical and quality of life (QoL) outcomes. We evaluated the efficacy and safety of directly switching patients with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis and a suboptimal response to interleukin (IL)-17 inhibitors (secukinumab or ixekizumab) to risankizumab. Methods This 52-week, phase 3b study enrolled patients (≥ 18 years) with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis who had previously been treated with the recommended dose of secukinumab or ixekizumab for ≥ 6 months but did not achieve an optimal response (static Physician's Global Assessment [sPGA] 2/3; body surface are [BSA] 3–

Abstract Introduction Biologic treatments have made complete skin clearance in moderate to severe plaque psoriasis a real possibility. Although clinical trials demonstrated the superiority of bimekizumab over secukinumab, adalimumab, and ustekinumab, direct comparisons with other biologics are not available. This systematic literature review (SLR) and network meta-analysis (NMA) aimed to evaluate the 1-year efficacy and safety of bimekizumab versus other biologic systemic therapies for moderate to severe plaque psoriasis. Methods We conducted an SLR to retrieve published randomised controlled trials (RCTs) in patients with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis. We searched MEDLINE, Embase, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials and Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews and PsycINFO on 13 January 2022. Two NMA types were used to analyse the long-term achievement of 100% improvement from baseline in Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI 100): (1) NMA of cumulative clinical benefits, based on the area under the curve, from week 0 to 52; (2) multinomial NMA at weeks 44‒60. Binomial NMA was used to evaluate long-term serious adverse events (SAEs). Results The SLR identified 38 RCTs, of which 19 were included in the NMA. Bimekizumab 320 mg administered every 4 weeks to week 16 then every 8 weeks (Q4W/Q8W) showed a greater cumulative average number of days of PASI 100 response compared with all other biologics. These differences were statistically significant versus all biologics, except risankizumab 150 mg. The multinomial NMA demonstrated that interleukin (IL)-17 and IL-23 inhibitors were the most efficacious treatments. No significant differences were found in long-term occurrence of SAEs. Conclusion Bimekizumab 320 mg Q4W/Q8W was superior to most other treatments in maintaining complete skin clearance during the first year of treatment. It demonstrated a greater cumulative average number of days with completely clear skin while displaying a comparable safety profile compared with all other biologics.

Objective The objective of this study was to assess 52‐week efficacy and safety of bimekizumab in patients with active psoriatic arthritis (PsA) with or without concomitant methotrexate (+/−MTX) treatment at baseline. Methods We conducted a post hoc analysis of patients in BE OPTIMAL (NCT03895203; biologic disease‐modifying antirheumatic drug [bDMARD]‐naïve), BE COMPLETE (NCT03896581; prior inadequate response or intolerance to tumor necrosis factor inhibitors [TNFi‐IR]), and the BE VITAL open‐label extension (NCT04009499) study. Patients were randomized to one of the following treatment groups: bimekizumab 160 mg every four weeks, placebo, or a reference drug (adalimumab 40 mg every two weeks; BE OPTIMAL only). From Week 16, placebo‐randomized patients received bimekizumab. Missing data were imputed using non‐responder imputation, multiple imputation, or worst‐category imputation. Results Through Week 52, similar proportions of bimekizumab‐treated patients achieved American College of Rheumatology 50% (ACR50) response criteria for both +MTX and −MTX (BE OPTIMAL: 54.4% +MTX, 54.7% −MTX; BE COMPLETE: 56.3% +MTX, 48.0% −MTX). Similar proportions of bimekizumab‐treated patients achieved complete skin clearance (Psoriasis Area and Severity Index 100% [PASI100] response) and minimal disease activity in both +MTX and −MTX groups. Similar trends were seen in placebo/bimekizumab‐treated patients. Through Week 52, the proportion of bimekizumab‐treated patients with ≥1 treatment‐emergent adverse event were similar between the +MTX and −MTX groups (BE OPTIMAL 325 of 410 [79.3%] vs 230 of 292 [78.8%], BE COMPLETE 105 of 168 [62.5%] vs 138 of 220 [62.7%]). The safety profile was comparable between subgroups and consistent with the prior safety profile of bimekizumab. Conclusion Treatment with bimekizumab demonstrated consistent, sustained efficacy to 52 weeks in bDMARD‐naïve and TNFi‐IR patients with PsA and was well tolerated, irrespective of concomitant MTX.

Abstract Introduction With newer biologics, the achievement of complete skin clearance has become an attainable treatment goal for patients with plaque psoriasis. We evaluate how improvements in Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) responses, particularly at incremental improvements approaching complete skin clearance (PASI 100), translate into improvements in health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and patient-perceived symptoms. Methods Data from the BE RADIANT phase 3b trial (NCT03536884) and its open-label extension (OLE), pooled across all study visits and treatments over 16 weeks (randomised patients) and 2 years (patients entering the OLE), were analysed using mixed-effects logistic regression models. Proportions of patients achieving a Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) of 0/1, DLQI item scores of 0, and Psoriasis Symptoms and Impacts Measure (P-SIM) item scores of 0 for itching, scaling, and skin pain at specific PASI improvement levels were estimated. Results Seven hundred and forty-three patients were randomised to treatment; 654 entered the OLE. Using 16-week pooled data, there were incremental improvements in the proportions of patients estimated by our model to achieve DLQI 0/1 with PASI 100 compared with 95% (PASI = 95%) and 90% (PASI = 90%) improvements in PASI (93.0%, 89.3%, and 83.8% achieving DLQI 0/1, respectively). Estimated proportions achieving DLQI item scores of 0 had the greatest increases at higher PASI improvement levels for Items 1 (itchy, sore, painful, or stinging skin), 2 (embarrassment), and 4 (choice of clothing). Estimated proportions of patients achieving P-SIM = 0 were also higher for PASI 100 (itching: 61.7%; scaling: 82.2%; skin pain: 96.9%) than for PASI = 95% (50.8%; 72.3%; 95.7%) and PASI = 90% (39.8%; 59.5%; 94.0%). Similar benefits of incremental PASI improvements were estimated using 2-year data. Conclusions Complete skin clearance translated into the greatest benefits to HRQoL and patient-perceived symptoms, over and above skin clearance between 90% and 100%, highlighting the importance of targeting PASI 100 as a treatment outcome for patients with psoriasis. Trial Registration Number NCT03536884. Complete skin clearance is associated with the greatest benefits to health-related quality of life and perceived symptoms for patients with psoriasis: KeyResults and Conclusions (MP4 72828 kb)

Abstract Introduction The interleukin-23p19 subunit inhibitor, guselkumab, has demonstrated improvements in clinical and patient-reported outcome (PRO) measures in patients with moderate-to-severe psoriasis. Understanding the relationship among clinical response, PRO measures and baseline characteristics could help clinicians individualize treatment plans. The objective of this analysis was to examine changes in signs, symptoms and quality-of-life (QoL) PRO measures in patients who maintained complete skin clearance through ≥ 3 years in the phase 3 VOYAGE 1 trial. Methods A descriptive post hoc analysis of data from VOYAGE 1 was conducted to compare baseline characteristics of patients who maintained complete skin clearance (Psoriasis Area and Severity Index [PASI] = 0 for ≥ 156 consecutive weeks) versus patients who did not. Mean scores for individual domains of the Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) and Psoriasis Symptom and Sign Diary (PSSD) were evaluated in patients who maintained complete skin clearance, and baseline characteristics of patients who achieved PRO scores of DLQI = 0/1 and PSSD = 0 were compared with those who did not. Results Of the 329 patients included in this post hoc analysis, 73 (22.2%) maintained PASI = 0 for ≥ 156 weeks. This group had a numerically lower proportion of patients at baseline with obesity, depression or previous biologic treatment and a higher proportion who had never smoked. Patients who maintained PASI = 0 generally achieved positive DLQI and PSSD outcomes, though some impact of residual disease was observed, largely related to the DLQI “Symptoms and feelings” sub-scale and PSSD components “Dryness,” “Redness” and “Itch.” Patients reporting continued disease impact (despite sustaining PASI = 0) had greater disease severity at baseline versus those achieving DLQI = 0/1 and PSSD = 0. Conclusion Clinical measures alone do not capture the full patient experience. While both QoL and clinical symptoms are responsive to highly effective treatment, a subset of patients with complete clinical response is still impacted by their psoriasis. Further investigation into this population is warranted. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT02207231.

Abstract Introduction A matching-adjusted indirect comparison (MAIC) was conducted to assess the relative efficacy at 52 weeks (Wk52) of bimekizumab 160 mg every 4 weeks (Q4W) and ustekinumab 45 or 90 mg every 12 weeks (Q12W) in patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA) who were biologic disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drug naïve (bDMARD naïve) or who had a previous inadequate response or an intolerance to tumor necrosis factor inhibitors (TNFi-IR). Methods Relevant trials were systematically identified. Individual patient data from the bimekizumab trials BE OPTIMAL (NCT03895203; N = 431) and BE COMPLETE (NCT03896581; N = 267) were matched with summary data on patients receiving ustekinumab in the PSUMMIT 1 trial (NCT01009086; 45 mg, N = 205; 90 mg; N = 204) and a subgroup of TNFi-IR patients receiving ustekinumab in the PSUMMIT 2 trial (NCT01077362; 45 mg, N = 60; 90 mg, N = 58), respectively. Patients from the bimekizumab trials were re-weighted using propensity scores to match the baseline characteristics of the ustekinumab trial patients. Adjustment variables were selected based on expert consensus (n = 5) and adherence to established MAIC guidelines. Non-placebo-adjusted comparisons of recalculated bimekizumab and ustekinumab outcomes for the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) 20/50/70 response criteria (non-responder imputation) were analyzed. Results In patients who were bDMARD naïve, bimekizumab had a greater likelihood of response than ustekinumab at Wk52 for ACR20 (odds ratio [95% confidence interval] 45 mg: 2.14 [1.35, 3.40]; 90 mg: 1.98 [1.24, 3.16]), ACR50 (45 mg: 2.74 [1.75, 4.29]; 90 mg: 2.29 [1.48, 3.55]), and ACR70 (45 mg: 3.33 [2.04, 5.46]; 90 mg: 3.05 [1.89, 4.91]). In patients who were TNFi-IR, bimekizumab had a greater likelihood of response than ustekinumab at Wk52 for ACR20 (45 mg: 4.17 [2.13, 8.16]; 90 mg: 4.19 [2.07, 8.49]), ACR50 (45 mg: 5.00 [2.26, 11.05]; 90 mg: 3.86 [1.70, 8.79]), and ACR70 (45 mg: 9.85 [2.79, 34.79]; 90 mg: 6.29 [1.98, 20.04]). Conclusions Using MAIC, bimekizumab showed greater efficacy than ustekinumab in achieving all ACR responses in patients with PsA who were bDMARD naïve and TNFi-IR at Wk52. Trial Registration NCT03895203, NCT03896581, NCT01009086, NCT01077362.

Abstract Introduction The relative efficacy of bimekizumab and risankizumab in patients with PsA who were biologic disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drug naïve (bDMARD naïve) or with previous inadequate response or intolerance to tumor necrosis factor inhibitors (TNFi-IR) was assessed at 52 weeks (Wk52) using matching-adjusted indirect comparisons (MAIC). Methods Relevant trials were systematically identified. For patients who were bDMARD naïve, individual patient data (IPD) from BE OPTIMAL (NCT03895203; N = 431) were matched with summary data from KEEPsAKE-1 (NCT03675308; N = 483). For patients who were TNFi-IR, IPD from BE COMPLETE (NCT03896581; N = 267) were matched with summary data from the TNFi-IR patient subgroup in KEEPsAKE-2 (NCT03671148; N = 106). To adjust for cross-trial differences, patients from the bimekizumab trials were re-weighted to match the baseline characteristics of patients in the risankizumab trials. Adjustment variables were selected based on expert consensus (n = 5) and adherence to established MAIC guidelines. Recalculated bimekizumab Wk52 outcomes for American College of Rheumatology (ACR) 20/50/70 response criteria and minimal disease activity (MDA) index (non-responder imputation) were compared with risankizumab outcomes via non-placebo-adjusted comparisons. Results In patients who were bDMARD naïve, bimekizumab had a significantly greater likelihood of response than risankizumab at Wk52 for ACR50 (odds ratio [95% confidence interval]: 1.52 [1.11, 2.09]) and ACR70 (1.80 [1.29, 2.51]). In patients who were TNFi-IR, bimekizumab had a significantly greater likelihood of response than risankizumab at Wk52 for ACR20 (1.78 [1.08, 2.96]), ACR50 (3.05 [1.74, 5.32]), ACR70 (3.69 [1.82, 7.46]), and MDA (2.43 [1.37, 4.32]). Conclusions Using MAIC, bimekizumab demonstrated a greater likelihood of efficacy in most ACR and MDA outcomes than risankizumab in patients with PsA who were bDMARD naïve and TNFi-IR at Wk52. Trial Registration NCT03895203, NCT03896581, NCT03675308, NCT03671148.

Aim: In the global phase 3 POETYK PSO-1 and PSO-2 trials, significantly greater proportions of deucravacitinib-treated patients met the coprimary endpoints (PASI 75, sPGA 0/1) at Week 16 versus placebo or apremilast-treated patients. This analysis evaluated onset of action and maintenance of response in patients randomized to deucravacitinib and placebo only. Methods: Adults with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis at baseline were randomized 1:2:1 to oral placebo, deucravacitinib, or apremilast. Onset of action was determined through changes from baseline in mean PASI, BSA, BSA × sPGA, and DLQI. Maintenance of response was assessed using PASI 75, PASI 90, PASI 100, sPGA 0/1, and sPGA 0 response rates through Week 52 in patients who were treated continuously with deucravacitinib, crossed over from placebo to deucravacitinib at Week 16, or received deucravacitinib and achieved PASI 75 by Week 24. Results: Deucravacitinib showed significantly higher increases in mean percent change from baseline in PASI versus placebo by Week 1. Significant improvement versus placebo was observed in all other efficacy measures by Week 8. Efficacy with deucravacitinib was maintained through Week 52. Conclusion: Deucravacitinib displayed efficacy as early as 1 week and clinical responses were maintained over 52 weeks in patients with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis.

Abstract Introduction Certolizumab pegol (CZP) is an anti-tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFα) approved for the treatment of moderate to severe plaque psoriasis (PSO). However, data on its real-world use is currently limited. The objective of this study was to describe the 1-year real-world effectiveness of CZP, its impact on health-related quality of life (HRQoL), and safety outcomes in patients with moderate to severe PSO in multi-country settings. Methods CIMREAL, a prospective, noninterventional study, was conducted across Europe and Canada from August 2019 to December 2022. Patients were followed for 1-year, receiving CZP 400 mg initial doses at weeks 0, 2, and 4, followed by CZP 200 mg every 2 weeks (Q2W) or CZP 400 mg Q2W maintenance dosing. Effectiveness was assessed using the Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) and Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI). Safety was also evaluated. Results Overall, 399 patients with moderate to severe PSO were included. Of these, 93.7% (374/399) and 77.9% (311/399) completed months 3 and 12, respectively. Mean age (± standard deviation) was 42.9 ± 13.5 years and body mass index was 28.5 ± 6.8 kg/m2, with the majority of patients being female (68.2%). At 12 months, CZP showed substantial effectiveness, achieving PASI 75 and PASI 90 response rates (≥ 75% and ≥ 90% improvement from baseline, respectively) of 77% and 56.5%, respectively. Patients with PASI score of ≤ 3 and ≤ 2 experienced improvement from 3 months (49.8% and 41.1%, respectively) to 12 months (82.0% and 75.3%, respectively). HRQoL considerably improved, with mean DLQI scores decreasing from 12.4 to 2.3 after 12 months of treatment, and the proportion of patients with DLQI 0/1 increased from 28.6% at 3 months to 59.4% at 12 months. The 1-year probability of persistence was approximately 85%. Overall, 30.6% of the patients experienced any adverse events and 9.3% had serious adverse events. Conclusion In routine clinical practice, CZP exhibited consistent effectiveness, positively impacting both skin psoriasis activity and HRQoL. The 1-year persistence of CZP was high, and no new safety signals were identified. Trial Registration Number ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04053881 https://www.clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT04053881 .

Abstract Introduction Matching-adjusted indirect comparisons (MAICs) were used to compare the efficacy of bimekizumab and secukinumab 150 mg and 300 mg at 52 weeks for the treatment of psoriatic arthritis (PsA) in patients who were biologic disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drug-naïve (bDMARD-naïve) or with previous inadequate response or intolerance to tumor necrosis factor inhibitors (TNFi-IR). Methods Relevant trials were systematically identified. Individual patient data from bimekizumab randomized controlled trials, BE OPTIMAL (N = 431) and BE COMPLETE (N = 267), were matched to aggregate data from bDMARD-naïve and TNFi-IR patient subgroups from FUTURE 2 using secukinumab 150 mg and 300 mg doses (bDMARD-naïve: N = 63/37; TNFi-IR: N = 67/33). To adjust for cross-trial differences, patients from the bimekizumab trials were re-weighted using propensity scores to match the baseline characteristics of patients in the secukinumab trials. Unanchored comparisons of recalculated bimekizumab and secukinumab 52-week non-responder imputation outcomes for 20/50/70% improvement in American College of Rheumatology score (ACR20/50/70) and minimal disease activity (MDA) index were analyzed. Results In patients who were bDMARD-naïve, bimekizumab had a greater likelihood of ACR70 response than secukinumab 150 mg (odds ratio [95% confidence interval] 2.39 [1.26, 4.53]; p = 0.008) and secukinumab 300 mg (2.03 [1.11, 3.72]; p = 0.021) at 52 weeks. In patients who were TNFi-IR, bimekizumab had a greater likelihood of response compared to secukinumab 150 mg for ACR20 (3.50 [1.64–7.49]; p = 0.001), ACR50 (3.32 [1.41, 7.80]; p = 0.006), ACR70 (2.95 [1.08, 8.07]; p = 0.035) and MDA (3.52 [1.38, 8.99]; p = 0.009), and a greater likelihood of response compared to secukinumab 300 mg for ACR50 (2.44 [1.06, 5.65]; p = 0.037) and MDA (2.92 [1.20, 7.09]; p = 0.018) at 52 weeks. Conclusion In this MAIC analysis, the efficacy of bimekizumab, as demonstrated by the likelihood of ACR20/50/70 and MDA response at 52 weeks, was greater or comparable to secukinumab 150 mg and 300 mg for patients with PsA who were bDMARD-naïve and TNFi-IR. Trial Registration Numbers NCT03895203, NCT03896581, NCT04009499, NCT01752634, NCT01989468, NCT02294227, NCT02404350.

Abstract Introduction Matching-adjusted indirect comparisons (MAIC) were used to assess the relative efficacy of bimekizumab 160 mg every 4 weeks (Q4W) compared to guselkumab 100 mg Q4W or every 8 weeks (Q8W) at 48/52 weeks in patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA) who were biologic disease-modifying antirheumatic drug-naïve (bDMARD-naïve) or with previous inadequate response or intolerance to tumor necrosis factor inhibitors (TNFi-IR). Methods Relevant trials were identified as part of a systematic literature review. For patients who were bDMARD-naïve, individual patient data (IPD) from BE OPTIMAL (N = 431) was matched to summary data from DISCOVER-2 (Q4W, n = 245; Q8W, n = 248). For patients who were TNFi-IR, IPD from BE COMPLETE (n = 267) and summary data from COSMOS (Q8W, N = 189). Trial populations were re-weighted using propensity scores. Unanchored comparisons of recalculated bimekizumab and guselkumab 48- or 52-week non-responder imputation outcomes for 20/50/70% improvement in American College of Rheumatology score (ACR20/50/70) and minimal disease activity (MDA) index were analyzed. Results In patients who were bDMARD-naïve, bimekizumab was associated with a greater likelihood of ACR50 (odds ratio [95% confidence interval] 1.62 [1.07, 2.44]; p = 0.021), ACR70 (2.20 [1.43, 3.38]; p

Abstract For decades, topical corticosteroids have been the mainstay of treatment for mild-to-moderate inflammatory skin diseases, even though only short-term use is approved for these agents and systemic inflammation is not addressed. Increased understanding of the immunopathogenesis of these conditions, especially for psoriasis and atopic dermatitis, has facilitated the development of antibody-based drugs that neutralize single key cytokines or their associated receptors, such as interleukin (IL)-17A/F, IL-23, and IL-17RA in psoriasis and IL-13 and IL-4Rα in atopic dermatitis. However, oral therapy is still preferred by many patients owing to the ease of use and needle-free administration. Phosphodiesterase 4 (PDE4) inhibitors have been approved for both oral and topical use for inflammatory skin diseases. In this review, we present a summary of an emerging class of selective PDE4B/D inhibitors under clinical development and compare the differences in selectivity of this new generation of PDE4 inhibitors with the less selective currently approved PDE4 inhibitors.

Abstract Introduction Deucravacitinib, a newly approved oral medication for the treatment of patients with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis, demonstrated efficacy versus apremilast and placebo in two phase 3 randomized controlled trials (RCTs). A systematic review and network meta-analysis (NMA) indirectly compared deucravacitinib with other relevant systemic biologic/nonbiologic treatments. Methods Online databases were searched for RCTs published through October 2021. Eligible studies were head-to-head comparisons between systemic therapies and/or placebo reporting 50%, 75%, 90%, or 100% improvement in Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) from baseline in adults with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis. Comparisons included tumor necrosis factor inhibitors, interleukin (IL)-17, IL-23, and IL 12/23 inhibitors, and systemic nonbiologics. A multinomial Bayesian NMA was used to derive estimates of the relative efficacy of deucravacitinib and other systemic therapies. Response probabilities for each treatment and corresponding 95% credible intervals (CrIs) for achieving a PASI response were calculated over short-, mid-, and long-term follow-up (weeks 10–16, 24–28, and 44–60). Results The NMA included 47 RCTs. Deucravacitinib showed the highest PASI 75 response rates among nonbiologic systemic therapies across time points. Deucravacitinib PASI 75 response rate (95% CrI) over short-term follow-up was 54.1% (46.5–61.6), within the range of first-generation biologics (etanercept, 39.7% [31.6–48.3]; infliximab, 79.0% [74.0–83.5]). At mid-term follow-up, deucravacitinib PASI 75 increased to 63.3% (58.0–68.4). At long-term follow-up, deucravacitinib PASI 75 was 65.9% (58.0–73.4), comparable to first-generation biologics adalimumab (62.8%; 55.3–69.6) and ustekinumab (68.0%; 64.6–71.5). Conclusions Patients receiving deucravacitinib were more likely to achieve PASI 75 response versus apremilast and methotrexate across all time points. The long-term PASI 75 response rate for deucravacitinib was similar to those of adalimumab and ustekinumab. The approval of deucravacitinib offers patients the choice of an oral therapy with long-term efficacy similar to that of some biologics.

Psoriasis is a lifelong, systemic, immune mediated inflammatory skin condition, affecting 1–3% of the world’s population, with an impact on quality of life similar to diseases like cancer or diabetes. Genetics are the single largest risk factor in psoriasis, with Genome-Wide Association (GWAS) studies showing that many psoriasis risk genes lie along the IL-23/Th17 axis. Potential psoriasis risk genes determined through GWAS can be annotated and characterised using functional genomics, allowing the identification of novel drug targets and the repurposing of existing drugs. This review is focused on the IL-23/Th17 axis, providing an insight into key cell types, cytokines, and intracellular signaling pathways involved. This includes examination of currently available biological treatments, time to relapse post drug withdrawal, and rates of primary/secondary drug failure, showing the need for greater understanding of the underlying genetic mechanisms of psoriasis and how they can impact treatment. This could allow for patient stratification towards the treatment most likely to reduce the burden of disease for the longest period possible.

Background: Few data exist on differences in treatment effectiveness and safety in atopic dermatitis patients of different skin types. Objective: To investigate treatment outcomes of dupilumab, methotrexate, and ciclosporin, and morphological phenotypes in atopic dermatitis patients, stratified by Fitzpatrick skin type. Methods: In an observational prospective cohort study, pooling data from the Dutch TREAT (TREatment of ATopic eczema) NL (treatregister.nl) and UK-Irish A-STAR (Atopic eczema Systemic TherApy Register; astar-register.org) registries, data on morphological phenotypes and treatment outcomes were investigated. Results: A total of 235 patients were included (light skin types [LST]: Fitzpatrick skin type 1-3, n = 156 [Ethnicity, White: 94.2%]; dark skin types [DST]: skin type 4-6, n = 68 [Black African/Afro-Caribbean: 25%, South-Asian: 26.5%, and Hispanics: 0%]). DST were younger (19.5 vs 29.0 years; P .05). Limitations: Unblinded, non-randomized. Conclusion: Atopic dermatitis differs in several characteristics between LST and DST. Skin type may influence treatment effectiveness of dupilumab.

Abstract Introduction Despite advances in treatment options and the management of patients with psoriasis, considerable unmet needs remain. Our objective was to identify ways to elevate the standard of care for patients with psoriasis by combining the perspectives of three important stakeholders: patients, clinicians and payors, and define ‘Calls to Action’ designed to achieve the identified changes. Methods Eight themes relevant to elevating the standard of care were identified from an insights-gathering questionnaire completed by all three stakeholder groups. A modified Delphi exercise gained consensus on statements informed by the insights. Statements were then used to inspire ‘Calls to Action’ – practical steps that could be taken to realise the desired changes and elevate the standard of care. Results In total, 18 European experts (10 dermatologists, 3 payors and 5 patient representatives) took part in the Delphi process. Consensus was reached on statements relating to all eight themes: improve healthcare systems to better support multidisciplinary team working and digital services, real-world data generation and optimal use, improve patient access, elevate quality-of-life measures as the most important outcomes, involve patients in patient-centred and personalised approaches to care, improve the relevance and reach of guidelines, education, and multistakeholder engagement. ‘Calls to Action’ common to all three stakeholder groups recognised the need to capitalise on the shift to digital healthcare, the need for consistent input into registries to generate real-world evidence to support guideline development, and the necessity of educating patients on the benefits of reporting outcomes to generate real-world data. The enormous quality-of-life burden and psychological impact of psoriasis, as well as the clinical needs of patients must be better understood, including by healthcare commissioners, so that funding priorities are assessed appropriately. Conclusion This unique initiative identified a practical ‘Call-to-Action Framework’ which, if implemented, could help improve the standard of care for patients with psoriasis. Video Abstract (MP4 44777 KB)

Targeted biologic therapies can elicit an undesirable host immune response characterized by the development of antidrug antibodies (ADA), an important cause of treatment failure. The most widely used biologic across immune-mediated diseases is adalimumab, a tumor necrosis factor inhibitor. This study aimed to identify genetic variants that contribute to the development of ADA against adalimumab, thereby influencing treatment failure. In patients with psoriasis on their first course of adalimumab, in whom serum ADA had been evaluated 6–36 months after starting treatment, we observed a genome-wide association with ADA against adalimumab within the major histocompatibility complex (MHC). The association signal mapped to the presence of tryptophan at position 9 and lysine at position 71 of the HLA-DR peptide-binding groove, with both residues conferring protection against ADA. Underscoring their clinical relevance, these residues were also protective against treatment failure. Our findings highlight antigenic peptide presentation via MHC class II as a critical mechanism in the development of ADA against biologic therapies and downstream treatment response.

Abstract In view of the growth of clinical risk prediction models using genetic data, there is an increasing need for studies that use appropriate methods to select the optimum number of features from a large number of genetic variants with a high degree of redundancy between features due to linkage disequilibrium (LD). Filter feature selection methods based on information theoretic criteria, are well suited to this challenge and will identify a subset of the original variables that should result in more accurate prediction. However, data collected from cohort studies are often high-dimensional genetic data with potential confounders presenting challenges to feature selection and risk prediction machine learning models. Patients with psoriasis are at high risk of developing a chronic arthritis known as psoriatic arthritis (PsA). The prevalence of PsA in this patient group can be up to 30% and the identification of high risk patients represents an important clinical research which would allow early intervention and a reduction of disability. This also provides us with an ideal scenario for the development of clinical risk prediction models and an opportunity to explore the application of information theoretic criteria methods. In this study, we developed the feature selection and psoriatic arthritis (PsA) risk prediction models that were applied to a cross-sectional genetic dataset of 1462 PsA cases and 1132 cutaneous-only psoriasis (PsC) cases using 2-digit HLA alleles imputed using the SNP2HLA algorithm. We also developed stratification method to mitigate the impact of potential confounder features and illustrate that confounding features impact the feature selection. The mitigated dataset was used in training of seven supervised algorithms. 80% of data was randomly used for training of seven supervised machine learning methods using stratified nested cross validation and 20% was selected randomly as a holdout set for internal validation. The risk prediction models were then further validated in UK Biobank dataset containing data on 1187 participants and a set of features overlapping with the training dataset.Performance of these methods has been evaluated using the area under the curve (AUC), accuracy, precision, recall, F1 score and decision curve analysis(net benefit). The best model is selected based on three criteria: the ‘lowest number of feature subset’ with the ‘maximal average AUC over the nested cross validation’ and good generalisability to the UK Biobank dataset. In the original dataset, with over 100 different bootstraps and seven feature selection (FS) methods, HLA_C_*06 was selected as the most informative genetic variant. When the dataset is mitigated the single most important genetic features based on rank was identified as HLA_B_*27 by the seven different feature selection methods, consistent with previous analyses of this data using regression based methods. However, the predictive accuracy of these single features in post mitigation was found to be moderate (AUC= 0.54 (internal cross validation), AUC=0.53 (internal hold out set), AUC=0.55(external data set)). Sequentially adding additional HLA features based on rank improved the performance of the Random Forest classification model where 20 2-digit features selected by Interaction Capping (ICAP) demonstrated (AUC= 0.61 (internal cross validation), AUC=0.57 (internal hold out set), AUC=0.58 (external dataset)). The stratification method for mitigation of confounding features and filter information theoretic feature selection can be applied to a high dimensional dataset with the potential confounders.

Abstract Background Despite some evidence that psoriatic arthritis (PsA) may increase psychological burden in psoriasis, the mental health of this subpopulation is under‐investigated. Objectives To investigate whether PsA is associated with higher depression and anxiety in moderate‐to‐severe psoriasis; explore whether pain mediates these associations; and estimate the prevalence of undiagnosed and untreated depression. Methods Baseline data from British Association of Dermatologists Biologic and Immunomodulators Register (BADBIR) participants completing the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) were analysed. Results 707 patients (n = 540 with psoriasis only; n = 167 with PsA) were included. Depression prevalence was higher in patients with than without PsA, when a HADS‐depression subscale cut‐off ≥8 was used (33% vs. 23%, adjusted Odds Ratio [OR] (95% Confidence Intervals [CI]) = 1.64 (1.09–2.45)), but did not differ using the HADS cut‐off ≥ 11. Anxiety prevalence was higher among PsA patients, regardless of HADS cut‐off (cut‐off ≥11: adjusted OR (95% CI) = 1.62 (1.07–2.45)). Pain fully mediated the effect of PsA on depression and anxiety in psoriasis. 53.6% of participants identified as depressed did not have a known psychiatric disorder; two thirds of depressed participants were not treated. Conclusions PsA comorbidity in psoriasis is associated with higher anxiety; its association with depression appears to be robust when milder depressive syndromes are included, but less consistent for higher‐threshold depression definitions. Depression remains unrecognized and untreated in over half of moderately‐to‐severe psoriasis patients. Routine depression and anxiety screening is recommended in psoriasis and PsA. PsA comorbidity may increase depression and anxiety in psoriasis through pain experience.

Background: Psoriasis is a chronic systemic inflammatory skin disease, coexisting with depression in up to 25% of patients. Little is known about the drivers of comorbidity, including shared neurobiology and depression brain imaging patterns in patients. An immune-mediated crosstalk between the brain and skin has been hypothesized in psoriasis. With the aim of investigating brain structure and connectivity in psoriasis in relation to depression comorbidity, we conducted a brain imaging study including the largest psoriasis patient sample to date (to our knowledge) and the first to investigate the role of depression and systemic inflammation in brain measures. Effects of coexisting psoriatic arthritis (PsA), which represents joint involvement in psoriasis and a higher putative inflammatory state, were further explored. Methods: Brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data of 1,048 UK Biobank participants were used (131 comorbid patients with psoriasis and depression, age-and sex-matched to: 131 non-depressed psoriasis patients; 393 depressed controls; and 393 non-depressed controls). Interaction effects of psoriasis and depression on volume, thickness and surface of a-priori defined regions of interest (ROIs), white matter tracts and 55x55 partial correlation resting-state connectivity matrices were investigated using general linear models. Linear regression was employed to test associations of brain measures with C-reactive protein (CRP) and neutrophil counts. Results: No differences in regional or global brain volumes or white matter integrity were found in patients with psoriasis compared to controls without psoriasis or PsA. Thickness in right precuneus was increased in psoriasis patients compared to controls, only when depression was present (β = 0.26, 95% CI [Confidence Intervals] 0.08, 0.44; p = 0.02). In further analysis, psoriasis patients who had PsA exhibited fronto-occipital decoupling in resting-state connectivity compared to patients without joint involvement (β = 0.39, 95% CI 0.13, 0.64; p = 0.005) and controls (β = 0.49, 95% CI 0.25, 0.74; p

Abstract is missing (Short communication)

Mast cells (MCs) contribute to skin inflammation. In psoriasis, the activation of cutaneous neuroimmune networks commonly leads to itch. To dissect the unique contribution of MCs to the cutaneous neuroinflammatory response in psoriasis, we examined their density, distribution, relation to nerve fibres and disease severity, and molecular signature by comparing RNA-seq analysis of MCs isolated from the skin of psoriasis patients and healthy volunteers. In involved psoriasis skin, MCs and Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide (CGRP)-positive nerve fibres were spatially associated, and the increase of both MC and nerve fibre density correlated with disease severity. Gene set enrichment analysis of differentially expressed genes in involved psoriasis skin showed significant representation of neuron-related pathways (i.e., regulation of neuron projection along with dendrite and dendritic spine morphogenesis), indicating MC engagement in neuronal development and supporting the evidence of close MC–nerve fibre interaction. Furthermore, the analysis of 208 identified itch-associated genes revealed that CTSB, TLR4, and TACR1 were upregulated in MCs in involved skin. In both whole-skin published datasets and isolated MCs, CTSB was found to be a reliable indicator of the psoriasis condition. Furthermore, cathepsin B+ cells were increased in psoriasis skin and cathepsin B+ MC density correlated with disease severity. Therefore, our study provides evidence that cathepsin B could serve as a common indicator of the MC-dependent itch signature in psoriasis.

Biomarkers to indicate potential response to biologic therapeutics are needed for patients with psoriasis. Here the authors show that phosphorylation of NFκBp65 in cDC2 before therapy is an indication of non-response to the anti-TNF therapy adalimumab in patients with psoriasis.

Abstract Background Illness perceptions in psoriasis have an impact on adherence and disability. Changes in dermatological healthcare provision during the Covid‐19 pandemic and distress may have affected illness perceptions in psoriasis patients. Objectives To test whether illness perceptions about psoriasis changed during the first year of the Covid‐19 pandemic compared to pre‐pandemic in a tertiary population with psoriasis and whether pandemic effects differed depending on depressive burden, given this population's high depression prevalence. Methods In a cross‐sectional survey of n = 188 tertiary patients with dermatologist‐confirmed psoriasis recruited before and during the pandemic, eight illness perceptions domains were assessed using the Brief‐Illness Perceptions Questionnaire (BIPQ). Presence of depression was assessed with the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). Results Beliefs about treatment control and patients' understanding of psoriasis were significantly worse in patients responding during the pandemic compared to before Covid‐19. These differences were greater when depression was absent (treatment control: adjusted p

Abstract Introduction Patients with plaque psoriasis experience a variety of signs and symptoms that can impact daily life, which may not be evaluated by clinician-reported outcomes. This study aimed to develop and assess the content validity of a new patient-reported outcome (PRO) measure to capture patient experiences of the signs, symptoms and impacts of psoriasis and aid integration of the patient perspective in treatment benefit-risk decision-making. Methods The psoriasis symptoms and impacts measure (P-SIM) was developed based on a literature search and interviews with five clinical experts in psoriasis to identify frequent signs, symptoms and impacts of psoriasis. Hybrid concept elicitation, cognitive debriefing and usability testing interviews were conducted with moderate to severe psoriasis patients to evaluate the content validity and patient understanding of the preliminary P-SIM. The preliminary P-SIM was refined using initial quantitative analyses of phase 2b data from psoriasis patients to inform the removal of any items. Results A preliminary 19-item P-SIM was developed for administration on a hand-held electronic tablet device using a 0–10 numerical response scale over a 24-h recall period. Patient interviews and testing demonstrated most patients interpreted the items and responses as intended, would not re-word any items, felt the responses matched the items and rated the device as easy to use. After quantitative testing, five items were removed from the preliminary 19-item measure because of conceptual overlap, floor effects and/or skewed distributions to generate the final 14-item P-SIM. Conclusions The P-SIM questionnaire has good content validity; patients reported it was easy to understand and reflective of their experiences. Following psychometric validation, the P-SIM may be a useful PRO measure for capturing the signs, symptoms and impacts of psoriasis and may support clinician-reported outcomes when assessing treatment benefits in clinical trials.

Abstract Background Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have uncovered many genetic risk loci for psoriasis, yet many remain uncharacterised in terms of the causal gene and their biological mechanism in disease. This is largely a result of the findings that over 90% of GWAS variants map outside of protein-coding DNA and instead are enriched in cell type- and stimulation-specific gene regulatory regions. Results Here, we use a disease-focused Capture Hi-C (CHi-C) experiment to link psoriasis-associated variants with their target genes in psoriasis-relevant cell lines (HaCaT keratinocytes and My-La CD8+ T cells). We confirm previously assigned genes, suggest novel candidates and provide evidence for complexity at psoriasis GWAS loci. For one locus, uniquely, we combine further epigenomic evidence to demonstrate how a psoriasis-associated region forms a functional interaction with the distant (> 500 kb) KLF4 gene. This interaction occurs between the gene and active enhancers in HaCaT cells, but not in My-La cells. We go on to investigate this long-distance interaction further with Cas9 fusion protein-mediated chromatin modification (CRISPR activation) coupled with RNA-seq, demonstrating how activation of the psoriasis-associated enhancer upregulates KLF4 and its downstream targets, relevant to skin cells and apoptosis. Conclusions This approach utilises multiple functional genomic techniques to follow up GWAS-associated variants implicating relevant cell types and causal genes in each locus; these are vital next steps for the translation of genetic findings into clinical benefit.

Variation in response to biologic therapy for inflammatory diseases, such as psoriasis, is partly driven by variation in drug exposure. Real‐world psoriasis data were used to develop a pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic (PK/PD) model for the first‐line therapeutic antibody ustekinumab. The impact of differing dosing strategies on response was explored. Data were collected from a UK prospective multicenter observational cohort (491 patients on ustekinumab monotherapy, drug levels, and anti‐drug antibody measurements on 797 serum samples, 1,590 measurements of Psoriasis Area Severity Index (PASI)). Ustekinumab PKs were described with a linear one‐compartment model. A maximum effect (Emax) model inhibited progression of psoriatic skin lesions in the turnover PD mechanism describing PASI evolution while on treatment. A mixture model on half‐maximal effective concentration identified a potential nonresponder group, with simulations suggesting that, in future, the model could be incorporated into a Bayesian therapeutic drug monitoring “dashboard” to individualize dosing and improve treatment outcomes.

Abstract Background Current treatment options for Palmoplantar Pustulosis (PPP), a debilitating chronic skin disease which affects the hands and feet, are limited. The Anakinra for Pustular psoriasis: Response in a Controlled Trial (APRICOT) aims to determine the efficacy of anakinra in the treatment of PPP. This article describes the statistical analysis plan for the final analysis of this two-staged trial, which was determined prior to unblinding and database lock. This is an update to the published protocol and stage one analysis plan. Methods APRICOT is a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of anakinra versus placebo, with two stages and an adaptive element. Stage one compared treatment arms to ensure proof-of-concept and determined the primary outcome for stage two of the trial. The primary outcome was selected to be the change in Palmoplantar Pustulosis Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PPPASI) at 8 weeks. Secondary outcomes include other investigator-assessed efficacy measures of disease severity, participant-reported measures of efficacy and safety measures. This manuscript describes in detail the outcomes, sample size, general analysis principles, the pre-specified statistical analysis plan for each of the outcomes, the handling of missing outcome data and the planned sensitivity and supplementary analyses for the second stage of the APRICOT trial. Discussion This statistical analysis plan was developed in compliance with international trial guidelines and is published to increase transparency of the trial analysis. The results of the trial analysis will indicate whether anakinra has a role in the treatment of PPP. Trial registration ISCRTN, ISCRTN13127147. Registered on 1 August 2016. EudraCT Number 2015-003600-23. Registered on 1 April 2016.

Abstract Introduction Rapid improvement of psoriasis is valued by patients and should be considered to be an important factor in treatment selection. We investigated Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) and Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) response rates within the first 12 weeks of treatment to compare the rapid response of 11 biologic therapies for moderate-to-severe psoriasis using Bayesian and Frequentist network meta-analyses (NMA). Methods A systematic literature review was conducted to identify phase 3, double-blind, randomized, controlled trials for adult patients with moderate-to-severe psoriasis treated with interleukin (IL)-17 (brodalumab, ixekizumab, secukinumab), IL-12/-23 (ustekinumab), IL-23 (guselkumab, risankizumab, tildrakizumab), or tumor necrosis factor inhibitors (adalimumab, certolizumab pegol, etanercept, infliximab). Outcome measures extracted from 32 publications were ≥ 75, ≥ 90, or 100% improvement in PASI score (PASI 75, PASI 90, or PASI 100, respectively) at weeks 2, 4, 8, and 12 and DLQI (0,1), where score (0,1) indicates no effect on patient's life, at week 12. Bayesian NMA (BNMA) used fixed-treatment effect and random-baseline effect, normal independent models. Frequentist NMA (fNMA) was conducted as sensitivity analyses to test the robustness of the findings. Results Based on BNMA and fNMA, brodalumab and ixekizumab showed the most rapid treatment effects on PASI 75 at weeks 2, 4, and 8 and on PASI 90 and PASI 100 at weeks 2, 4, 8, and 12; ixekizumab overlapped with risankizumab on PASI 75 at week 12. Brodalumab, ixekizumab, and secukinumab yielded higher DLQI (0,1) gains at week 12 compared to all of the other biologics studied. Additional measures of quality of life were not assessed in this report. Conclusions Ixekizumab and brodalumab provide the most rapid response and earliest clinical benefit at week 2 among all of the biologics studied, including other biologic treatments such as secukinumab, ustekinumab, guselkumab, adalimumab, and etanercept. BNMA and fNMA results showed similar relative effect estimates and treatment rankings. Funding Eli Lilly and Company.

Abstract Introduction We review the literature evaluating certolizumab in psoriasis and report our experience of treatment outcomes in a joint dermatology and rheumatology clinic. Methods Patients with concomitant psoriatic arthritis (PsA) and psoriasis who had been commenced on certolizumab were included within our retrospective review. Data was collected for patient demographics, Patient Area and Severity Index (PASI), Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) and previous treatments. The literature was systematically searched using Pubmed and Scopus. Results Very recent results from the CIMPASI-1 and CIMPASI-2 studies have demonstrated the high efficacy of certolizumab in the treatment of psoriasis at both week 16 and 48. Pooled results from these studies showed a PASI75 at week 16 and week 48 of 82% and 83.6% respectively, in the certolizumab 400 mg group. In our cohort of eight patients (two female; six male; median age 49 and mean PASI of 20.8) all had failed at least two systemic non-biologic agents. Objective improvements were observed in seven patients, with five achieving PASI90 and two demonstrating either PASI75 or PASI50. Conclusion Certolizumab is efficacious in both psoriasis and PsA, including in patients who are biologic failures, and could be considered as an alternative treatment modality.

Abstract Background Palmoplantar pustulosis is a rare but painful and debilitating disease. It consistently ranks the highest of all psoriasis phenotypic variants in terms of symptoms and functional impairment. Management of plaque-type psoriasis has been revolutionised in the last 10 years with the advent of biologic therapies, but treatment options for pustular psoriasis remain profoundly limited. On the basis of mechanistic findings which suggest a key pathogenic role for interleukin (IL)-1 in pustular psoriasis, we hypothesise that anakinra (IL-1 blockade) will be an efficacious treatment for pustular psoriasis. Methods/design We will conduct a two-stage, adaptive, double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled trial to test the hypothesis that anakinra, self-administered daily by subcutaneous injection over 8 weeks, will deliver therapeutic benefit in palmoplantar pustular psoriasis, a localised form of pustular psoriasis typically involving the palms and/or soles. Safety outcomes will be collected for 20 weeks. A total of 64 participants will be randomised to anakinra or placebo in a 1:1 ratio. At the end of stage 1, a decision to progress to stage 2 will be made. This decision will take place after 24 participants have been randomised and followed for 8 weeks and will be based on the ordering of the observed mean outcome values in both treatment arms. At the end of stage 1, the reliability of outcome measurements and method to collect the data will also be assessed, and the primary outcome will be confirmed for stage 2. Discussion We have undertaken an adaptive approach in which we will gain proof-of-concept data prior to completing a powered efficacy trial because pustular psoriasis is a rare disease, no validated outcome measures to detect change exist, and limited safety data for anakinra exist in this population. To our knowledge, this will be the first randomised controlled trial that will provide valuable evidence for the efficacy and safety of IL-1 blockade for treatment in pustular psoriasis. Trial registration ISRCTN13127147. Registered on 1st August 2016. EudraCT, 2015-003600-23. Registered on 1st April 2016.