Demographics, Disease Characteristics, and Treatment Patterns of Patients with Plaque Psoriasis Treated with Biological Drugs: The Experience of a Single-Centre Study in Poland

Abstract

Objectives: This study is a retrospective analysis of patients with plaque psoriasis treated with biological drugs at a single center in Poland. We sought to evaluate patient demographics, disease characteristics, comorbidity burden, and treatment patterns in this cohort. Methods: Data were collected from the medical records of patients with plaque psoriasis who received biological treatments. In total, data from 1 January 2013 to 2 August 2024 were analyzed, encompassing 159 patients. The variables analyzed included age, disease duration, affected areas, prior treatments, and treatment outcomes. Results: The mean age at the start of biological treatment was 48 years (range: 10-73 years), with an average psoriasis duration of 18.2 years (range: 1-51 years). Obesity was noted in 39% of patients. Psoriasis lesions commonly affected the scalp (74.66%) and nails (64.38%). Methotrexate was the most commonly used systemic therapy prior to biologics (86.30%). Risankizumab and adalimumab were the most frequently prescribed biologics. Secondary treatment failure led to the highest discontinuation rates with tildrakizumab, whereas bimekizumab, guselkumab, risankizumab, and secukinumab showed the lowest rates. Conclusions: Biological drugs play a pivotal role in managing plaque psoriasis, particularly for patients with comorbidities and in treating challenging areas such as the scalp and nails. Risankizumab and adalimumab were prominent in prescription patterns. Future research involving larger cohorts and prospective designs is needed to deepen understanding and optimize treatment strategies for plaque psoriasis in Poland.

Keywords: biological drugs; demographics; effectiveness; plaque psoriasis.

Figure 1

Study design.

Figure 2

Distribution of Body Mass Index (BMI) among patients, showing the range and frequency of BMI values within the study group (N = 146).

Figure 3

Number of patients with involvement of specific areas. Some patients had more than one area affected (N = 146).

Figure 4

Number of drug periods in the analyzed group, the red line signifies the distribution curve (N = 300).

Figure 5

Cumulative recruitment of patients into the B.47 program, stratified by the type of biologic therapy prescribed (N = 159). ADA—adalimumab, INF—infliximab, UST—ustekinumab, SEC—secukinumab, IXE—ixekizumab, RIS—risankizumab, GUS—guselkumab, TYL—tildrakizumab, and BIM—bimekizumab.

Figure 6

The duration of treatment in the B.47 program, (A) including administratively concluded cycles (N = 295) and (B) excluding administratively concluded cycles (N = 216).

Figure 7

Reasons for treatment discontinuation (N = 300).