P04 Biologics combined with conventional systemic agents for the treatment of children with severe psoriasis: practice survey among French and Italian paediatric dermatologists.

Combined therapies involve the use of multiple drugs to increase efficacy and reduce the toxicity of individual treatments. We performed a survey carried out among French and Italian paediatric dermatologists (SFPD, GrPso, SIDerP) to better understand the reasons for using or avoiding these combinations. The survey was completed by 61 paediatric dermatologists (France, 57.4%; Italy, 42.6%; hospital practice, 98.4%; members of societies of paediatric societies and/or psoriasis working groups, 73.8%). Thirty-nine (63.9%) had previously used or planned to use the combined therapies, most commonly TNF-α inhibitors with acitretin or methotrexate. The most common reasons for dermatologists not using combined therapies were a lack of information about the safety (27.3%) or effectiveness (22.7%) of the combinations and the absence of recommendations on how to use combined therapies (22.7%). The main reason for using these treatments was to improve the outcome of biologic therapies in cases of partial efficacy or loss of efficacy. The most frequent clinical situations in which the dermatologists indicated that they combined therapies were to control a loss of efficacy (82.1%) and to treat psoriasis flare-ups (51.3%). Combined therapies have been used by the majority of paediatric dermatologists in the treatment of childhood psoriasis. Absence of information about these combined therapies, and no guidelines about their use are major limits for their use. However, these combined therapies should be considered for the treatment of children with severe psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis and recalcitrant disease. Their use needs to be clarified in future management guidelines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]