Secukinumab Effective Treating Plaque Psoriasis in Clinical Setting

Pablo Chicharro

While it is more effective in biologic-naïve patients with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis, new data suggests secukinumab is still effective in all patients in a daily clinical setting.

A team, led by Pablo Chicharro, Departments of Dermatology, Hospital Universitario de la Princesa, assessed the long-term effectiveness and safety of secukinumab in patients with moderate-to-severe psoriasis in a daily practice setting.

Secukinumab

Secukinumab is a fully human monoclonal antibody s, that selectively binds to and neutralizes interleukin-17A that was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2015 for the treatment of adult patients with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis.

In the nationwide, multicenter, observational, retrospective, non-interventional, single-cohort study, the investigators examined 384 patients who initiated treatment with secukinumab in daily clinical practice conditions.

Each patient was followed for at least 3 months and at most 24 months, 299 of which completed the follow-up of 12 months and 110 of which completed the follow-up of 24 months. The investigators collected Psoriasis Area Severity Index (PASI), Body Surface Area and Physician’s Global Assessments at baseline and months 3, 6, 12, 18, and 24 during treatment.

They also analyzed adverse events and reasons for secukinumab withdrawal.

Encouraging Results

In total, 17.2% of patients (n = 66) withdrew from treatment due to a lack of efficacy, 39.% (n = 15) withdrew because of adverse events, and 0.5% (n = 2) withdrew due to patient decision.

The results show a median PASI decline from 14.3 at baseline to 2.7 at month 3, 2.1 at month 12. This remained as low as 2.8 at month 24.

For the 278 patients who saw a PASI of at least 10 at baseline, 58.3%, 60.4% and 56.5% achieved a PASI90 response at months 3, 12 and 24, respectively.

In addition, for absolute PASI, 86.5%, 69.5%, 42.7% and 37% achieved PASI < 5, < 3, < 1, and 0, respectively, at month 3.

Overall, secukinumab was more effective in biologic-naïve patients and in patients with a lower body mass index (BMI).

The treatment also showed a positive long-term safety profile.

“In summary, our study confirms the effectiveness and safety of secukinumab in a routine clinical setting, in a large cohort of psoriasis patients with high disease severity,” the authors wrote. “Secukinumab is effective in the short, medium and long-term (up to 24 months) in moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis and it shows a good safety profile. Although it is more effective on naïve patients, it is effective and well tolerated in patients who are refractory to other biologics, and may therefore offer a new treatment avenue in this patient population.”

The study, “Secukinumab is effective and safe in the long-term treatment of plaque psoriasis in a daily practice setting. Multicenter study in 384 Spanish patients,” was published online in Dermatologic Therapy.