Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) inhibitors (infliximab, etanercept, adalimumab, certolizumab pegol, and golimumab) are more effective than IL-12/23 antagonist (ustekinumab), IL-17A antagonists (secukinumab and ixekizumab), and phosphodiesterase 4 (PDE4) inhibitor (apremilast) for psoriatic arthritis (PsA).
“In this study, we assessed the comparative effectiveness of IL-12/23, IL-17A, PDE4, and TNF-α for PsA,” wrote the study authors.
Researchers compared treatments among a retrospective cohort of commercially insured and Medicare Advantage beneficiaries with PsA from October 2013 to April 2019 using an adapted deidentified claims-based algorithm for inflammatory arthritis treatments. The study outcomes included treatment effectiveness and percentage of each group fulfilling the effectiveness algorithm.
A higher percentage of TNF-α recipients fulfilled the effectiveness criteria and experienced effectiveness in biologic-naïve individuals and biologic-experienced individuals compared with the other treatment options.
“TNF-α [inhibitors] appeared more effective than IL-12/23’s for biologic-naïve individuals, and PDE4’s for biologic-experienced individuals,” concluded the study authors. “These results may help inform treatment choice for individuals with PsA,” they continued. –Lisa Kuhns
Reference
Zhang H, Wen J, Alexander GC, Curtis JR. Comparative effectiveness of biologics and targeted therapies for psoriatic arthritis. RMD Open. 2021;7(1):e001399. doi:10.1136/rmdopen-2020-001399
