Work/study productivity gain and associated indirect cost savings with guselkumab compared with adalimumab in moderate-to-severe psoriasis: results from the VOYAGE 1 study.

BACKGROUND: Work productivity loss (WPL) is a major contributor to the indirect costs of psoriasis. Newer biologic therapies are effective at reducing disease symptoms and improving quality of life, but their impact on WPL and associated indirect cost savings compared to previously approved biologic therapies is largely unknown. OBJECTIVES: To compare the effects of guselkumab and adalimumab on WPL and associated indirect cost savings in patients with moderate-to-severe psoriasis. METHODS: Using data from the VOYAGE 1 (NCT02207231) trial, improvements from baseline in Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) work/study domain scores were compared for patients receiving guselkumab or adalimumab at 24 and 48 weeks of treatment. Improvements in WPL and associated cost savings were calculated using a previously established DLQI-WPL algorithm. RESULTS: Among patients who could not work/study at baseline (DLQI work/study domain score = 3), a significantly greater proportion of guselkumab-treated patients could work/study without problems (DLQI work/study domain score = 0) than adalimumab-treated patients at Weeks 24 and 48. Improvements from baseline in WPL and associated cost savings were greater with guselkumab than with adalimumab at Week 48. CONCLUSIONS: Guselkumab was superior to adalimumab for improvement in WPL and associated indirect cost savings, and its use may reduce the economic burden of psoriasis.

Use of the Dermatology Life Quality Index work/study domain to estimate overall work productivity loss among patients with psoriasis: an analysis based on real-world data.

Psoriasis is a chronic autoimmune disease that is associated with substantial economic burden related to work productivity loss (WPL). WPL is commonly measured using the Work Productivity and Activity Impairment (WPAI) questionnaire. However, WPAI does not measure outcomes among unemployed patients, and may therefore underestimate the burden of psoriasis. This study evaluated the relationship between the Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) questionnaire work/study domain and WPL using the WPAI, as DLQI assesses the impact of psoriasis on the ability to work/study regardless of employment status, but does not estimate WPL. Data were drawn from the Adelphi Psoriasis Disease Specific Programme survey. A positive linear relationship was observed between DLQI work/study scores and WPAI results, showing that higher DLQI scores were associated with greater percent WPL. These findings suggest that the DLQI work/study domain can be used to estimate overall WPL among patients with psoriasis, including those who cannot work because of their disease.