Effectiveness and Clinical Predictors of Drug Survival in Psoriasis Patients Receiving Apremilast: A Registry Analysis

Overview

Journal JAAD Int

Specialty Dermatology

Date 2021 Aug 19

PMID 34409355

Citations 9

Authors

Thomas Graier

Wolfgang Weger

Paul-Gunther Sator

Wolfgang Salmhofer

Barbara Gruber

Constanze Jonak

Claudia Kolli

Martina Schutz-Bergmayr

Igor Vujic

Gudrun Ratzinger

Nina Haring

Clemens Painsi

Knut Prillinger

Alexander Mlynek

Hans Skvara

Hannes Trattner

Adrian Tanew

Roland Lichem

Christina Ellersdorfer

Franz Legat

Alexandra Gruber-Wackernagel

Angelika Hofer

Erich Schmiedberger

Wolfram Hoetzenecker

Robert Mullegger

Werner Saxinger

Franz Quehenberger

Peter Wolf

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Background: Little is known about the effectiveness and drug survival associated with apremilast under real-world conditions.

Objective: To investigate the influence of patient and disease characteristics on drug survival associated with apremilast and to elucidate clinical effectiveness with regard to the psoriasis area and severity index (PASI) reduction.

Methods: This was an observational, retrospective, multicenter analysis from the Austrian Psoriasis Registry.

Results: Data from 367 patients were eligible for analysis. The 12-month drug survival rate associated with apremilast (ie, the proportion of patients on the drug) was 57.3% and decreased significantly in patients younger than 40 years (relative hazard ratio = 1.49, = .007918). Sex; concomitant arthritis; previous biologic therapy; obesity; and palmoplantar, scalp, nail, and intertriginous involvement did not significantly affect drug survival. At 12 months, the response rates in patients receiving apremilast per protocol with a PASI of 50, 75, 90, and 100 were 80.0%, 56.4%, 38.2%, and 22.7%, respectively.

Limitations: Inclusion of a substantial number of patients with no record of absolute PASI at study entry and lack of PASI reduction follow-up data of 103 patients (28.1%) after starting apremilast treatment.

Conclusion: Apremilast is a robust antipsoriatic drug for which the drug survival is not strongly influenced by most patient- or disease-related factors except age. Drug survival is significantly shorter in patients younger than 40 years.

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