Jerry Bagel1. 1. Psoriasis Treatment center of central New Jersey, East windsor, NJ, USA.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Combining systemic agents with phototherapy is becoming a standard of care for patients with moderate to severe psoriasis. The combination of adalimumab and phototherapy has not been previously explored. METHODS: In this 24-week single-arm open-label study, adults with moderate to severe psoriasis received adalimumab 40 mg every other week and narrowband (NB)-UVB phototherapy three times a week for 12 weeks and then were followed for 12 weeks without treatment. Response to therapy was determined using the Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI), Body Surface Area (BSA) affected and Physician's Global Assessment (PGA) of psoriasis. RESULTS: Twenty patients were enrolled with mean baseline scores of 17.0 for PASI, 21.2 for BSA and 3.5 for PGA. Half (10/20) of the patients achieved PASI 75 response by week 4. At the end of treatment at week 12, 19 (95%) patients achieved PASI-75, 15 (75%) patients achieved PASI-90 and 11 (55%) patients achieved PASI-100. Seventeen (85%) patients were clear or almost clear (PGA score =1). Mean baseline PASI, BSA and PGA scores improved by 95 percent, 93 percent and 80 percent, respectively. Disease improvement was observed through the end of follow up period at week 24. No serious adverse events were noted. CONCLUSION: Concurrent use of adalimumab and NB-UVB phototherapy was clinically effective and well tolerated in patients with moderate to severe psoriasis. This combination regimen represents a new treatment option for clinical practice and warrants further investigation in controlled clinical trials.
BACKGROUND: Combining systemic agents with phototherapy is becoming a standard of care for patients with moderate to severe psoriasis. The combination of adalimumab and phototherapy has not been previously explored. METHODS: In this 24-week single-arm open-label study, adults with moderate to severe psoriasis received adalimumab 40 mg every other week and narrowband (NB)-UVB phototherapy three times a week for 12 weeks and then were followed for 12 weeks without treatment. Response to therapy was determined using the Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI), Body Surface Area (BSA) affected and Physician's Global Assessment (PGA) of psoriasis. RESULTS: Twenty patients were enrolled with mean baseline scores of 17.0 for PASI, 21.2 for BSA and 3.5 for PGA. Half (10/20) of the patients achieved PASI 75 response by week 4. At the end of treatment at week 12, 19 (95%) patients achieved PASI-75, 15 (75%) patients achieved PASI-90 and 11 (55%) patients achieved PASI-100. Seventeen (85%) patients were clear or almost clear (PGA score =1). Mean baseline PASI, BSA and PGA scores improved by 95 percent, 93 percent and 80 percent, respectively. Disease improvement was observed through the end of follow up period at week 24. No serious adverse events were noted. CONCLUSION: Concurrent use of adalimumab and NB-UVB phototherapy was clinically effective and well tolerated in patients with moderate to severe psoriasis. This combination regimen represents a new treatment option for clinical practice and warrants further investigation in controlled clinical trials.