Patients taking biologic medications are more satisfied with their treatment and prefer longer dosing intervals compared to those taking other types of medicines for moderate to severe plaque psoriasis, reports a study in Patient Preference and Adherence.
Commercial health plan members from the Optum Research Database who had moderate to severe plaque psoriasis were identified using claims occurring between January 1, 2012 and July 1, 2013 for this research. The Treatment Satisfaction Questionnaire for Medication was given to 426 individuals aged ≥18 years who met the following criteria: a patient-confirmed diagnosis of psoriasis; at least one claim from January 1, 2012 to July 1, 2013 with a diagnosis of psoriasis in any position within the study period; and at least one claim for methotrexate, cyclosporine, or a subcutaneous injectable biologic (adalimumab, etanercept, or ustekinumab) prescription for treatment of psoriasis during the study time frame or one year prior to the first diagnosis of psoriasis. Patients were categorized as biologic-naïve or biologic-experienced based on their medication responses and were asked on their preferred dosing options of once every 1–2 weeks, 3–4 weeks, 1–2 months, or 2–3 months.
Biologic-experienced patients were more likely to report having severe psoriasis compared to biologic-naïve patients (36% vs. 23%, respectively) and have a greater mean number of hand-print sized areas with lesions (8±0.72 vs. 5±0.44, respectively). Mean scores for effectiveness were significantly higher for biologic-experienced patients (74, 95% CI 71.4–76.7) than biologic-naïve (60, 95% CI 56.3–63.2) patients and biologic-experienced patients had greater mean global satisfaction (70; 95% CI 67.1–72.3) vs. biologic-naïve (56; 95% CI 52.9–59.7) patients. The scores for convenience did not differ significantly.
Continue Reading
The greatest percentage of respondents from both patient groups selected dosing every 2–3 months, followed by once every 1–2 weeks; more biologic-experienced patients expressed a preference for 2–3 month dosing. Low patient satisfaction with treatments like topical medications, phototherapy, and conventional systemic medications was reported due to side effects, inconvenience, and toxicity.
It is advised that patient choices regarding treatment satisfaction and dosing schedule should be included when selecting a tailored therapy for psoriasis for optimal outcomes and medication adherence.
For more information visit DovePress.com.
This article originally appeared on MPR
