Real-life experience with ixekizumab in plaque psoriasis: a multi-center, retrospective, 3-year study

ABSTRACT

Background

Confirmatory data on the long-term effectiveness and safety of ixekizumab in psoriatic patients from real-world studies are needed.

Objectives

The primary aim was to evaluate the 3-year drug survival of ixekizumab in the treatment of patients with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis, in a multicenter real‐world setting. The secondary aim was to assess the influence of predictive factors on the drug survival of ixekizumab.

Methods

A retrospective analysis was performed on a cohort of patients with chronic plaque psoriasis, who received at least one dose of ixekizumab before December 2018. The drug survival analysis was performed and descriptively analyzed using Kaplan–Meier survival curves. Multivariable Cox regression analyses were carried out including variables considered to be of clinical importance.

Results

A total of 306 patients were enrolled. The overall drug survival at 12, 24, and 36 months of treatment with ixekizumab was 92.11%, 83.85%, and 80.19%, respectively. A higher probability (HR 2.34) of drug withdrawal was found among patients who had already received an anti-IL-17 agent compared with bio-naive patients (p 0.017).

Conclusions

We found that ixekizumab is a biological agent characterized by long-term effectiveness, not influenced by several clinical factors and associated with a good safety profile.

KEYWORDS:

• Efficacy
• ixekizumab
• psoriasis
• real-life
• safety

Declaration of interest

C De Simone has received honoraria as a speaker or advisory board member or has participated in clinical trials for AbbVie, Almirall, Amgen, Leo Pharma, Eli Lilly, Janssen, Novartis, Pfizer, Sanofi Genzyme, and UCB Pharma outside the submitted work. G Caldarola has received honoraria as speaker and consultant for AbbVie, Almirall, Biogen, Eli Lilly, LEO Pharma, Novartis, Janssen, Sanofi, Pfizer, and UCB Pharma outside the submitted work. A Chiricozzi has served as an advisory board member and consultant and has received fees and speaker’s honoraria or has participated in clinical trials for AbbVie, BMS, Almirall, Incyte, Leo Pharma, Lilly, Janssen, Novartis, Pfizer, and Sanofi Genzyme, outside the submitted work. M Megna acted as a speaker or consultant for AbbVie, Eli Lilly, Janssen, Leo Pharma, Novartis, and UCB. G Fabbrocini acted as a speaker or consultant for AbbVie, Almirall, Amgen, Eli Lilly, Janssen, Leo Pharma, Novartis, Sanofi, and UCB. M Burlando acted as a speaker or consultant for AbbVie, Almirall, Amgen, Eli Lilly, Janssen, Leo Pharma, Novartis, and UCB. A Parodi acted as a speaker or consultant for AbbVie, Eli Lilly, Janssen, Leo Pharma, Novartis, and UCB. The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.

Reviewer disclosures

Peer reviewers on this manuscript have no relevant financial or other relationships to disclose.

Ethics statement

All data were extracted from patients’ records and were anonymized. Institutional review board approval was not required for this study because all the procedures did not deviate from routine clinical practice. All patients signed an informed consent prior to treatment. The study was performed following the principles of the Declaration of Helsinki.

Author contributions

G Caldarola, A Chiricozzi, K Peris, and C De Simone were involved in the conception and design, analysis and interpretation of the data, the drafting of the paper, revising it critically for intellectual content and the final approval of the version to be published. M Megna, P Dapavo, A Giunta, M Burlando, P Malagoli, V Dini, M Mariani, G Fabbrocini, P Quaglino, L Bianchi, and A Parodi were involved in revising it critically for intellectual content and the final approval of the version to be published. All authors agree to be accountable for all aspects of the work.

Additional information

Funding

This paper was not funded.