Psoriasis patients may have more success with a second tumor necrosis factor (TNF) antagonist after failure with a first, report Paul S. Yamauchi, MD, PhD, and coauthors.
Investigators analyzed 15 studies evaluating the efficacy of switching TNF antagonists after primary or secondary failure. Response rates at 24 weeks for a second antagonist were 30%-74% for a 75% improvement in Psoriasis Area and Severity Index score, and 20%-70% for achieving a Physician Global Assessment score of 0/1. Mean improvements in Dermatology Life Quality Index ranged from –3.5 to –13, Dr. Yamauchi and colleagues reported.
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Patients who experienced secondary failure with initial treatment generally achieved better responses than those with primary failure, the authors said.
Though response rates to a second anti-TNF agent were lower than for a first, “a substantial proportion of patients in every study achieved treatment success,” they added.
Read the full article in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology.