Using the currently approved dosing regimen for adalimumab demonstrated significantly greater levels of improvement in the severity of psoriasis symptoms compared with those obtained through 40 mg every other week dosing without an initial 80 mg dose, according to a recent study.
Researchers sought to compare outcomes for the currently approved dosing method for moderate to severe psoriasis with those of a dosing regimen that did not include an initiation dose (ID). The results were presented in a poster at the 70th Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Dermatology.
Using a population of patients pooled from the CHAMPION, REVEAL, M02-528/529 and M03-658 trials, the researchers stratified the patients into one of two treatment groups: ID (80 mg at the start of the trial, with 40 mg dosing every other week starting at week 1) or no ID (40 mg dosing every other week, starting at week 0). Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) response rates and Physician’s Global Assessment (PGA) scores were compared at weeks 12 and 24.
According to the researchers, the ID group (n=982) had significantly greater PASI 75 response rates (week 12: 71.8% vs. 59.7%; week 24: 74.5% vs. 64.0%; P<.03) and greater PASI 90 response rates (week 12: 40.2% vs. 32.4%; week 24: 52.2% vs. 39.1%) than the non ID group (n=258).
“Controlling for baseline covariates, compared with non ID group, ID group was significantly (P<.02) more likely to achieve PGA of ‘moderate’ or better (week 12 OR = 3.32; week 24 OR = 3.67), PASI 75 response (week 12 OR = 1.73; week 24 OR = 1.70), and PASI 90 response (week 12 OR = 1.42; week 24 OR = 1.77),” the researchers wrote.
Disclosure: The study was funded by Abbott Laboratories.
For more information:
Kimball AB. Abstract #4952. Presented at: The 70th Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Dermatology. March 16-20, 2012. San Diego, Calif.