Patients with PsA, PsO Prefer Guselkumab Treatment via One-Press Autoinjector Pen

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Patients with psoriasis (PsO) and psoriatic arthritis (PsA) receiving treatment with the subcutaneous guselkumab syringe for ≥ 6 months preferred the One-Press autoinjector pen for administration, according to a study published in Farmacia Hospitalaria.¹ This method was shown to have a high satisfaction rate and was less painful compared with the prefilled syringe.

Guselkumab is self-administered subcutaneously via a single-use prefilled glass syringe. The One-Press autoinjector pen, a disposable autoinjector pen, was designed to increase comfortability and convenience. This one-touch activation pen is easier to administer, uses safety features that hide the needle from view, offers an ergonomic design to help operation, and incorporates additional usability. Patients’ experience with the autoinjector pen was previously assessed in a phase 3, multicenter, randomized study of 78 patients with PsO using a validated Self-Injection Assessment Questionnaire (SIAQ).²

“The self-injection method of administration offers patients control and independence over the injection setting and injection schedule,” wrote a team of investigators from the Hospital Sagunto in Spain. “In order to facilitate the implementation of this new pharmaceutical form and to reassure patients when faced with the pen option, a cross-sectional study was designed.”

Investigators evaluated pain, patient preference, tolerability, and acceptability of patients with PsO and PsA after switching treatment from a prefilled syringe of guselkumab to the One-Press autoinjector pen in the prospective study. Eligible patients were recruited between January 2019 and December 2022. Information about the pain perception of guselkumab prefilled syringe, gender, age, disease diagnosis, and self-administration were collected. At the first appointment, subjects completed a post-auto-injection syringe questionnaire, based on the SIAQ, prior to starting the auto-injection pen administration.

At months 2 and 6, investigators assessed the patient experience, adherence, safety, and pain of each administration via a One-Press autoinjector pen questionnaire. The questionnaire used a 10-point Likert-type scale to gather ratings after 3 doses (6 months) of guselkumab treatment with the autoinjector pen. Patients were also asked to indicate their preference between the pen and prefilled syringe. A visual analog scale (VAS) determined overall injection site pain within 15 minutes of administering the self-injections with either the prefilled syringe or autoinjector pen, and treatment adherence was evaluated using the dispensation records at the Hospital Pharmacy Department.

Ultimately, 40 adult patients were included in the study, 34 with PsO and 6 with PsA. The mean age of patients was 54 years, 22 were male, and the mean adherence for previous guselkumab treatment was 90%.

All eligible patients self-administered guselkumab using the One-Press autoinjector pen. Subjects reported pain at the injection site was significantly reduced with the One-Press autoinjector pen and 98% chose the pen as their preferred medication delivery system. Additionally, all patients stated the One-Press autoinjector pen easier to use than the syringe method. Subjects perceived more safety during the self-injection process using the autoinjector pen compared with self-injection using the prefilled syringe.

At the 6-month mark, mean patient adherence to guselkumab was 91.2%.

Investigators noted limitations including the open-label, single-arm study design, the small sample size of patients, and the lack of a control group. However, a real-world study with a cross-over design, larger sample size, and longer follow-up period is being planned to confirm the findings of this current study.

“Based on our results, we believe that the One-Press autoinjector pen is an advantageous, safe, and effective delivery option for guselkumab,” investigators concluded. “This study provides further evidence to support that the One-Press autoinjector pen is a valid method for switching guselkumab from syringe with high preference in patients with Ps and PsA.”

References

1. ^{Borrás-Blasco J, García RA, Cornejo-Uixeda S, Matellanes-Palacios M, Casterá-Melchor E. Patient preference after switching guselkumab from prefilled syringe to an autoinjection pen in psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis patients. Farm Hosp. Published online July 27, 2024. doi:10.1016/j.farma.2024.07.002}
2. ^{Ferris LK, Ott E, Jiang J, et al. Efficacy and safety of guselkumab, administered with a novel patient-controlled injector (One-Press), for moderate-to-severe psoriasis: results from the phase 3 ORION study. J Dermatolog Treat. 2020;31(2):152-159. doi:10.1080/09546634.2019.1587145}