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Biologic treatments for psoriasis result in low rate of withdrawal for adverse events

Biologic treatments in patients with psoriasis resulted in a lower rate of adverse events associated with therapy withdrawal, according to recently published study results.

Researchers conducted a retrospective chart review of 398 patients (64.2% male) with psoriasis for a mean disease duration of 19.4 years from two academic hospitals in Toronto who were treated with biologic therapies between September 2005 and September 2014. Biologics included Enbrel (etanercept, Amgen), Remicade (infliximab, Janssen), Humira (adalimumab, AbbVie) and Stelara (ustekinumab, Janssen). The researchers calculated incidence proportion and adverse event rates that led to biologic therapy withdrawal.

There were 545 treatments administered, with 29.5% of patients receiving more than one biologic. Twenty-two adverse events (4.04%) were associated with therapy withdrawal, for a rate of 1.97 per 100 patient years (95% CI, 1.32-2.94). Injection/infusion site reactions (etanercept, 0.55%; infliximab, 0.92%; adalimumab and ustekinumab, 0% each), infections (etanercept, 0%; infliximab, 0.18%; adalimumab, 0.55%; ustekinumab, 0.18%) and malignancies (etanercept, 0.18%; infliximab, 0.18%; adalimumab, 0%; ustekinumab, 0.37%) were common adverse events.

“Infection and malignancy resulting in withdrawal accounted for less than 2% of all biologic treatments,” the researchers concluded. “Our study provides data to complement existing safety profiles based on clinical trials, and shows that biologic therapies are associated with a low rate of withdrawal-related [adverse events] in real-world clinical practice.” – by Bruce Thiel

Disclosure: Kim reports no relevant financial disclosures. Please see the study for a full list of other researchers’ relevant financial disclosures.