Using biologic therapies as first-line systemic treatment for psoriasis: A cohort study following the target trial emulation framework from the British Association of Dermatologists Biologics and Immu
5 hours ago
- #biologic therapies
- #psoriasis
- #clinical outcomes
- The study compares the effectiveness of using biologic therapies as first-line systemic treatment versus standard-of-care (starting with conventional systemic therapy) for moderate-to-severe psoriasis.
- Data from the British Association of Dermatologists Biologics and Immunomodulators Register (BADBIR) was used, applying the target trial emulation framework.
- Patients initiating biologics as first-line therapy showed better outcomes: lower mean PASI (2.0 vs 4.7) and DLQI (3.5 vs 5.6) at 5 years compared to standard-of-care.
- Biologic initiators had a higher cumulative rate of achieving complete skin clearance (PASI 0) (58.6% vs 32.2%) and a lower risk of developing chronic comorbidities (47.5% vs 54.3%).
- The study suggests reconsidering treatment pathways to allow earlier use of biologics for better clinical outcomes.