ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Real-world data in patients with moderate psoriasis treated with apremilast is limited. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the effectiveness and safety of apremilast in bio-naïve patients with moderate psoriasis in real-world clinical settings. METHODS: This was a 52-week multicenter, observational, prospective study of adult outpatients with moderate psoriasis {[10% < body surface area < 20% or 10 < psoriasis area severity index (PASI) < 20] and 10 < dermatology quality of life index (DLQI) < 20} initiated on apremilast ≤7 days before enrollment. Missing data were imputed using the last observation carried forward method. RESULTS: A total of 287 eligible patients (median age: 54.2 years; median psoriasis duration: 9.8 years) were consecutively enrolled. At baseline, the median DLQI and PASI scores were 12.0 and 11.8, respectively. The 52-week DLQI ≤ 5 and PASI75 response rates were 68.3% and 61.0%. At 52 weeks, 70.8% and 72.7% of the patients shifted from moderate/severe/very severe to clear/minimal scalp and palmoplantar psoriasis involvement, respectively; the pruritus severity state improved in 67.2%. The 52-week Kaplan-Meier estimated drug continuation rate was 85.3%. The adverse drug reaction rate was 19.9%. CONCLUSIONS: Apremilast is a safe and effective treatment for bio-naïve patients with moderate psoriasis and specific psoriasis manifestations.
