Comorbidity as a predictor for drug survival of biologic therapy in patients with psoriasis

BackgroundPsoriasis often requires lifelong therapy, and adherence to treatment is considered a marker for treatment success. Data on the drug survival of biologics in psoriasis patients with comorbidities are lacking. ObjectivesThis study was designed to estimate the long-term drug survival rates of different biologic agents in a cohort of psoriasis patients and to evaluate reasons and predictors for treatment adherence. MethodsDrug survival rates and outcome parameters in psoriasis patients treated with biologic agents were analyzed. ResultsA total of 125 treatment periods with adalimumab (n = 37), efalizumab (n = 9), etanercept (n = 55), infliximab (n = 13), and ustekinumab (n = 11) were administered to 67 psoriasis patients. Patients with psoriatic arthritis (P = 0.010) and without comorbidity (P = 0.033) demonstrated significantly greater rates of drug survival. ConclusionsThe overall efficacy of biologic agents is reduced with time. Patients with the comorbidity of metabolic syndrome demonstrate a loss of adherence to biologic treatment.