Secukinumab Demonstrates Quality of Life Improvements in Psoriasis Patients

Secukinumab (Cosentyx, Novartis) improved quality of life in patients with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis (PsO), according to data from a pooled analysis of 4 phase 3 clinical trials.

Secukinumab, which was first approved in 2015, is the first and only fully human interleukin (IL)-17A antagonist to treat moderate-to-severe PsO, psoriatic arthritis (PsA), and ankylosing spondylitis.

Many patients with PsO experience painful red, raised, and dry patches of skin that typically involve the extensor areas of the forearms and shins, along with hard-to-treat areas such as the scalp, palms of the hand, soles of the feet, and finger nails. Some patients with PsO also live with concurrent PsA, which can lead to physical limitations and psychological problems that affect quality of life.

The ERASURE, FIXTURE, FEATURE, and JUNCTURE studies included patients moderate-to-severe PsO who were randomized to receive either placebo or secukinumab 300 mg and who reported problems with mobility, self-care, or usual activities (eg work, study, housework, family or leisure activities) at baseline.

At week 4, 60.7% of patients treated with secukinumab 300 mg reported no problems in mobility compared with 38.5% of patients treated with a placebo. Similar trends were observed at weeks 8 (73.6% versus 48.1%) and 12 (71.4% versus 46.6%), according to the study.

Compared with placebo, the percentage of patients reporting no problems in self-care was higher at week 4 for patients treated with secukinumab (71.4% versus 40.9%), as well as at weeks 8 (79.2% versus 42.3%) and 12 (87.1% versus 43%).

Finally, the percentage of patients reporting no problems in usual activities at week 4 was twice as high with secukinumab 300 mg compared with placebo (63.8% versus 31.1%). The data showed similar trends at weeks 8 (74.4% versus 35.7%) and 12 (82.7% versus 42.6%).

“Moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis can impact every aspect of a person’s life,” Steven R. Feldman, MD, PhD, Wake Forest School of Medicine, said in a statement. “These findings suggest that helping patients feel better through improved quality of life and ability to function should be a goal as important as skin clearance in psoriasis management.”

Secukinumab has demonstrated a sustained response with long-lasting skin clearance and a favorable safety profile out to 5 years in previous clinical studies, as well as convenient dosing in a patient-friendly auto injector, according to Novartis.

The new data indicate the importance of including quality of life considerations in the management of PsO.

Reference

Novartis data show psoriasis patients treated with Cosentyx reported improvements in quality of life measures as early as Week 4 [news release]. Novartis. https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/novartis-data-show-psoriasis-patients-treated-with-cosentyx-reported-improvements-in-quality-of-life-measures-as-early-as-week-4-300784847.html. Accessed February 11, 2019.