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Cosentyx bested Stelara in patient-reported plaque psoriasis outcomes

Many patient-reported outcomes for moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis were better in individuals treated with Cosentyx than in those treated with Stelara, recent data suggest.

Investigators assessed 16- and 52-week pain, itching, scaling, and Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) response in 336 patients treated with Cosentyx (secukinumab, Novartis) and 339 patients treated with Stelara (ustekinumab, Janssen).

Complete relief of pain at 16 weeks was reported in 69.1% of patients in the secukinumab group and 56.7% of those in the ustekinumab group (P < .05). By week 52, those rates were 65.6% for secukinumab and 55.9% for ustekinumab (P < .05). Complete relief of itching was also improved for secukinumab compared with ustekinumab at 16 weeks (49.7% vs. 36.7%; P < .05) and 52 weeks (46.3% vs. 38.4%; P < .05). Scaling was also improved in the secukinumab group at 16 weeks (61% vs. 42.4%; P < .0001) and 52 weeks (52.7% vs. 37.4%; P < .0001).

Complete relief of itching occurred 4 weeks faster in patients treated with secukinumab compared with ustekinumab (P < .001), while complete relief of scaling was 8 weeks faster in the secukinumab group (P < .001).

The benefit shown as a function of the area under the curve at 52 weeks for DLQI 0/1 response was 1.2 (95% CI, 1.1-1.31) in favor of secukinumab vs. ustekinumab.

Secukinumab was also associated with a DLQI response that was 4 weeks faster than ustekinumab (P < .0001).

Overall findings suggested a cumulative improved benefit of secukinumab compared with ustekinumab with improvements seen in PASI 75 (benefit ratio = 1.16; 95% CI, 1.1-1.22), PASI 90 (benefit ratio = 1.32; 95% CI, 1.22-1.43), and PASI 100 (benefit ratio = 1.4; 95% CI, 1.21-1.62).

The median time to pain response was 8 weeks for both therapies, with a slight favor to secukinumab (P < .01), according to the results.

“This patient-reported-outcome analysis confirms greater and sustained benefits of secukinumab versus ustekinumab treatment on patients' lives,” the researchers concluded. – by Rob Volansky

Disclosure s : Puig reports being a clinical study investigator for AbbVie, Amgen, Celgene, Janssen, Eli Lilly, Novartis, Pfizer, Regeneron, and Roche; and consulting and/or speaking for AbbVie, Almirall, Amgen, Baxalta, Biogen, Boehringer Ingelheim, Celgene, Gebro, Janssen, LEO Pharma, Lilly, Merck-Serono, MSD, Novartis, Pfizer, Regeneron, Roche, and Sandoz. Please see study for the full list of author disclosures.