BACKGROUND: Clinical experience has shown that, in patients with psoriasis, suspending treatment with etanercept at week 24, as indicated in the prescribing information, may lead to a rebound effect. Several clinical trials support long-term use of etanercept, which was shown to have a good safety and efficacy profile. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This was a retrospective, observational study of 43 patients with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis, with and without joint involvement, who received continuous treatment with etanercept for more than 24 weeks. RESULTS: Etanercept was administered for a mean of 57 weeks. Overall, the Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) score decreased from a baseline value of 22.5 to 4.3 after treatment. In addition, with continuous treatment, most patients maintained decreases in PASI scores of 50% and even of 75%. Some patients without significant improvement in their PASI score in the first 24 weeks did manage to achieve significant results after prolonged treatment. These outcomes were achieved with a low incidence of adverse effects (reported in 13 patients [30.2%]), which were generally mild. CONCLUSION: We present our clinical experience with long-term etanercept treatment in patients with moderate to severe psoriasis, with and without associated joint involvement. The efficacy and safety profiles were found to be favorable.
BACKGROUND: Clinical experience has shown that, in patients with psoriasis, suspending treatment with etanercept at week 24, as indicated in the prescribing information, may lead to a rebound effect. Several clinical trials support long-term use of etanercept, which was shown to have a good safety and efficacy profile. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This was a retrospective, observational study of 43 patients with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis, with and without joint involvement, who received continuous treatment with etanercept for more than 24 weeks. RESULTS: Etanercept was administered for a mean of 57 weeks. Overall, the Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) score decreased from a baseline value of 22.5 to 4.3 after treatment. In addition, with continuous treatment, most patients maintained decreases in PASI scores of 50% and even of 75%. Some patients without significant improvement in their PASI score in the first 24 weeks did manage to achieve significant results after prolonged treatment. These outcomes were achieved with a low incidence of adverse effects (reported in 13 patients [30.2%]), which were generally mild. CONCLUSION: We present our clinical experience with long-term etanercept treatment in patients with moderate to severe psoriasis, with and without associated joint involvement. The efficacy and safety profiles were found to be favorable.