Patients With Plaque Psoriasis See Long-Term Quality of Life Improvements With Certolizumab Pegol

A recent study published in Dermatology and Therapy presented the results of a 3-year study, showcasing how certolizumab pegol (CZP) has positively influenced the quality of life for patients with plaque psoriasis. These findings are aggregated from 2 phase 3 trials (CIMPASI-1 and CIMPASI-2).

Adults with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis, persisting for at least 6 months, initially participated in this study. They were randomly assigned to receive double-blinded placebo every 2 weeks (Q2W), CZP 200 mg Q2W (with a loading dose of CZP 400 mg at weeks 0/2/4), or CZP 400 mg Q2W, at a 1:2:2 ratio. All patients started receiving open-label CZP (200 mg or 400 mg Q2W) from week 48. Various quality of life measures, including the Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI), 36-Item Short Form Survey (SF-36), EuroQol 5-Dimensions 3-Level (EQ-5D-3L), and Work Productivity and Activity Impairment (WPAI) scores, were recorded and analyzed.

By week 48, 60.9% of patients who received CZP had a DLQI score of 0 or 1, indicating a significant improvement in their dermatology-related quality of life. Moreover, the physical and mental component scores of SF-36 also showed substantial enhancements from baseline to week 48. Patients reported increased comfort and reduced pain/discomfort based on EQ-5D-3L scores, while their work productivity and activity impairment substantially improved. Most notably, activity impairment showed the greatest gains, decreasing from 33.3% at week 0 to 6.7% at week 48. These positive outcomes were sustained through week 144.

These improvements were consistently observed, irrespective of patient demographics, including sex, psoriatic arthritis status, or prior exposure to biologics.

“CZP treatment was associated with sustained and tangible improvements in health-related quality of life (DLQI and SF-36), health status (EQ-5D-3L) and functional impairment at work and in other daily activities (WPAI),” concluded the study authors.

Reference
Gisondi P, Gottlieb AB, Elewski B, et al. Long-term health-related quality of life in patients with plaque psoriasis treated with certolizumab pegol: three-year results from two randomised phase 3 studies (CIMPASI-1 and CIMPASI-2) [published correction appears in Dermatol Ther (Heidelb). 2023;13(6):1389-1390]. Dermatol Ther (Heidelb). 2023;13(1):315-328. doi:10.1007/s13555-022-00861-4