FROM COCHRANE DATABASE OF SYSTEMATIC REVIEWS
The biologics ixekizumab, secukinumab, brodalumab, guselkumab, certolizumab pegol, and ustekinumab provide the best chances for achieving Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) 90 when compared with placebo in patients with moderate to severe psoriasis, according to Emilie Sbidian, MD, and her associates.
Dr. Sbidian of Henri Mondor Hospital, Créteil, France, and her colleagues conducted a network meta-analysis of 109 randomized, controlled trials that collectively had a total of 39,882 participants. The results showed that all of the interventions appeared superior to placebo in terms of reaching PASI 90.
Anti–interleukin-17 treatment was associated with a higher chance of reaching PASI 90, compared with anti–IL-12/23 (risk ratio, 1.33), anti–IL-23 (RR, 1.86), and anti–tumor necrosis factor (TNF)–alpha treatments (RR, 2.66), other biologics (RR, 6.44), small molecules (RR, 3.52), and conventional systemic agents (RR, 8.15). All of the biologic interventions proved superior for reaching PASI 90 versus the small molecule and conventional systemic classes of treatment. Small molecules were associated with a higher chance of reaching PASI 90, compared with conventional systemic agents (RR, 2.31).
The investigators also found that there was no significant difference between the three anti–IL-17 agents (brodalumab, ixekizumab, and secukinumab) and the two anti–IL-23 (tildrakizumab and guselkumab) monoclonal antibodies in terms of reaching PASI 90. However, all of the anti–IL-17 drugs (brodalumab, ixekizumab, and secukinumab) and guselkumab (an anti–IL-23) were significantly more effective than three anti–TNF-alpha agents (infliximab, adalimumab, and etanercept).
Additionally, in the network meta-analysis, anti–IL-17 drugs were the best for achieving PASI 90, compared with placebo (RR, 30.81), followed by anti–IL-12/23 (RR, 23.16), anti–IL-23 (RR, 16.53), and anti–TNF-alpha (RR, 11.58). At the individual drug level, results showed ixekizumab was the best treatment for attaining PASI 90 when compared with placebo (RR, 32.45), followed by secukinumab (RR, 26.55), brodalumab (RR, 25.45), guselkumab (RR, 21.03), certolizumab pegol (RR, 24.58), and ustekinumab (RR, 19.91). The investigators found that “there was no significant difference between all of the interventions and the placebo regarding the risk of serious adverse effects.”
“Our main results do not reflect the way patients are managed in ‘real life,’ ” the researchers concluded. “Currently, biological treatments have been positioned as third-line therapies by regulatory bodies, with mandatory reimbursement criteria that patients must meet before being considered for these treatments (moderate to severe disease after failure, intolerance or contraindication to conventional systemic agents).”
SOURCE: Sbidian E et al. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2017 Dec 22. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD011535.pub2.
