Patients With Psoriasis Undertreated With Oral Therapies

According to a study published in Dermatology and Therapy, there is a clear need for more effective oral therapies for patients with psoriasis.

Researchers conducted a data analysis using the Adelphi Real World Psoriasis Disease Specific Programme, a retrospective cross-sectional survey conducted in the United States, France, Germany, and the United Kingdom from August 2018 to April 2019. They utilized Kaplan-Meier analysis to evaluate the time it took for patients to switch from oral to biologic therapy among those treated for at least 3 years (n = 597). The severity of psoriasis was measured by the percentage of body surface area (BSA) affected by the disease. The researchers also calculated Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) scores for 3 groups: nonswitchers meeting treatment failure criteria, nonswitchers not meeting failure criteria, and switchers to biologic therapy.

The findings revealed that approximately 50% of the patient population had switched to biologic therapy within 24 months. However, a considerable portion of nonswitchers continued to experience moderate to severe psoriasis. Among nonswitchers, 57% to 77% had a BSA of greater than or equal to 3% and 16% to 24% had a BSA of about 10% or higher at the time of the survey. In comparison, only 37% of switchers had a BSA of about 3% or more, and 9% had a BSA of greater or equal to 10%. Quality of life was significantly lower among nonswitchers. The mean DLQI scores for nonswitchers meeting treatment failure criteria, nonswitchers not meeting failure criteria, and switchers were 6.11, 2.62, and 2.25, respectively.

“Further research into the reasons for patients remaining undertreated, which may include patient preference for oral treatments (despite lack of response), contraindications, or insurance/formulary-related barriers to access, are needed,” the authors concluded.

Reference
Thai S, Barlow S, Lucas J, et al. Suboptimal clinical and quality of life outcomes in patients with psoriasis undertreated with oral therapies: international physician and patient survey. Dermatol Ther (Heidelb). Published online May 31, 2023. doi:10.1007/s13555-023-00927-x