Bimekizumab efficacy and safety in patients with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis: two-year interim results from the open-label extension of the randomized BE RADIANT phase 3b trial.

BACKGROUND: Bimekizumab is a monoclonal IgG1 antibody that inhibits interleukin (IL)-17A/F. Bimekizumab is more efficacious than secukinumab over one year in the treatment of psoriasis. OBJECTIVE: Evaluate safety and efficacy of bimekizumab through two years in patients with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis. METHODS: The BE RADIANT phase 3b randomized controlled trial consisted of a 48-week double-blinded period, where patients received bimekizumab (320mg every 4 or 8 weeks) or secukinumab (300mg weekly to Week 4, then every 4 weeks), and an open-label extension (OLE). From Week 48, all patients received bimekizumab in the OLE. RESULTS: At Week 48, more patients achieved complete skin clearance (PASI100; modified non-responder imputation) with bimekizumab than secukinumab (74.8% vs 52.8%). PASI100 responses were maintained to Week 96 in continuous bimekizumab patients (70.8%); patients who switched from secukinumab to bimekizumab had increased rates at Week 96 (76.6%). The most common adverse events were: nasopharyngitis, oral candidiasis, urinary tract infection. Safety data were consistent with the known safety profile of bimekizumab. LIMITATIONS: Limited racial diversity; overlap with COVID-19 pandemic. CONCLUSIONS: High PASI100 responses achieved with bimekizumab over 48 weeks were sustained through Week 96; secukinumab patients who switched to bimekizumab achieved similar response by Week 96.

Vaccinations in Patients Receiving Systemic Drugs for Skin Disorders: What Can We Learn for SARS-Cov-2 Vaccination Strategies?

Large-scale vaccination strategies are currently being deployed against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-Cov-2). Whether systemic medication for skin diseases affects the efficacy of vaccination and whether temporary interruption or extension of the dosing interval is necessary is under debate. Most immunomodulating/immunosuppressive drugs only affect vaccine-induced immune responses to a limited or moderate extent, preserving sufficient immunity in most patients. Mycophenolate mofetil, Janus kinase inhibitors, and rituximab require a more cautious approach, and judicious timing of vaccination might be appropriate in patients receiving these treatments. It should be noted that, for most drugs except methotrexate, data on the length of the interruption period to restore vaccine-induced immune responses to normal levels are either very limited or absent. In these cases, only the drug half-life can be used as a practical guideline. In most patients, systemic medication can be continued through the vaccination process, although case-by-case decisions can be considered.

Factors associated with adverse COVID-19 outcomes in patients with psoriasis-insights from a global registry-based study.

BACKGROUND: The multimorbid burden and use of systemic immunosuppressants in people with psoriasis may confer greater risk of adverse outcomes of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), but the data are limited. OBJECTIVE: Our aim was to characterize the course of COVID-19 in patients with psoriasis and identify factors associated with hospitalization. METHODS: Clinicians reported patients with psoriasis with confirmed/suspected COVID-19 via an international registry, Psoriasis Patient Registry for Outcomes, Therapy and Epidemiology of COVID-19 Infection. Multiple logistic regression was used to assess the association between clinical and/or demographic characteristics and hospitalization. A separate patient-facing registry characterized risk-mitigating behaviors. RESULTS: Of 374 clinician-reported patients from 25 countries, 71% were receiving a biologic, 18% were receiving a nonbiologic, and 10% were not receiving any systemic treatment for psoriasis. In all, 348 patients (93%) were fully recovered from COVID-19, 77 (21%) were hospitalized, and 9 (2%) died. Increased hospitalization risk was associated with older age (multivariable-adjusted odds ratio [OR] = 1.59 per 10 years; 95% CI = 1.19-2.13), male sex (OR = 2.51; 95% CI = 1.23-5.12), nonwhite ethnicity (OR = 3.15; 95% CI = 1.24-8.03), and comorbid chronic lung disease (OR = 3.87; 95% CI = 1.52-9.83). Hospitalization was more frequent in patients using nonbiologic systemic therapy than in those using biologics (OR = 2.84; 95% CI = 1.31-6.18). No significant differences were found between classes of biologics. Independent patient-reported data (n = 1626 across 48 countries) suggested lower levels of social isolation in individuals receiving nonbiologic systemic therapy than in those receiving biologics (OR = 0.68; 95% CI = 0.50-0.94). CONCLUSION: In this international case series of patients with moderate-to-severe psoriasis, biologic use was associated with lower risk of COVID-19-related hospitalization than with use of nonbiologic systemic therapies; however, further investigation is warranted on account of potential selection bias and unmeasured confounding. Established risk factors (being older, being male, being of nonwhite ethnicity, and having comorbidities) were associated with higher hospitalization rates.

Managing Cutaneous Immune-Mediated Diseases During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a clinical syndrome caused by a novel coronavirus called severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). COVID-19 has spread rapidly worldwide and has been shown to have a wide spectrum of severity. COVID-19 has become a public health emergency of relevant international concern, and it was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization on 11 March, 2020. SARS-CoV-2 infection in severe cases involves the host response as an important contributor to the disease process and tissue damage, mainly due to dysregulated and excessive innate immune responses. The primary immune response leads to viral clearance in the majority of cases. However, in a subgroup of patients, the secondary immune response may be exaggerated, leading to inflammatory-induced lung injury and other complications including pneumonitis, acute respiratory distress syndrome, respiratory failure, shock, organ failure, and potentially death. Several cutaneous immune-mediated diseases, including psoriasis, atopic dermatitis, and hidradenitis suppurativa, are therapeutically managed with biologic and non-biologic immunosuppressive and immunomodulatory drugs. The outbreak of COVID-19 affects the management of these chronic conditions, not only for those who are already receiving treatment but also for those who are about to start a new treatment to control their disease. In this article, the management of cutaneous immune-mediated diseases during the COVID-19 pandemic is discussed.