Comparison of cumulative clinical benefits of biologics for the treatment of psoriasis over 16 weeks: Results from a network meta-analysis

Abstract

Background: Cumulative clinical improvement and speed of improvement are important to psoriasis patients.

Objective: Compare cumulative benefits of biologics over 12 to 16 weeks in the treatment of moderate to severe psoriasis.

Methods: A systematic literature review identified phase III trial data on Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) responses for biologics during 12 and 16 weeks of treatment. Cumulative clinical benefit, measured by the area under the curve for PASI ≥75% improvement (PASI 75), ≥90% improvement (PASI 90), and 100% improvement (PASI 100), was compared using the network meta-analysis and Bayesian methodology on the relative probability of achieving percentage of maximum area under the curve.

Results: Among biologics approved for psoriasis treatment, anti-interleukin-17 biologics demonstrated consistently greater cumulative clinical benefits on PASI 75, PASI 90, and PASI 100 over the 12- or 16-week period than anti-interleukin-23 and other biologics. For biologics with 12-week data, ixekizumab and brodalumab showed greater cumulative benefits for PASI 75, PASI 90, and PASI 100 than secukinumab, followed by guselkumab, infliximab, adalimumab, ustekinumab, and etanercept. Ixekizumab showed greater cumulative benefits than all other biologics reporting 16-week data.

Limitations: Recently approved biologics were not included.

Conclusion: Ixekizumab (at 12 weeks and 16 weeks) and brodalumab (at 12 weeks) had greater cumulative clinical benefit than all of other biologics studied.

Keywords: area under the curve; biologics; cumulative benefit; ixekizumab; meta-analysis; psoriasis.