Adalimumab improves health-related quality of life in patients with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis compared with the United States general population norms: results from a randomized, controlled Phase III study.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the impact of adalimumab on health-related quality of life (HRQOL) for patients with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis.


BACKGROUND
Psoriasis is a chronic, inflammatory, immune-mediated disease that has a significant impact on patients' HRQOL. Adalimumab is a fully human monoclonal antibody that blocks tumor necrosis factor, a pro-inflammatory cytokine, and is effective and well-tolerated for patients with moderate to severe psoriasis.


METHODS
Data were obtained for a secondary analysis of patients in a randomized, controlled Phase III trial evaluating the effect of adalimumab in patients with psoriasis (N = 1,205). Patients with moderate to severe psoriasis were randomized in a 2:1 ratio to adalimumab 80 mg (two 40 mg injections administered subcutaneously at baseline followed by one 40 mg injection every other week from Week 1 to Week 15) or placebo. Short Form-36 (SF-36) Health Survey scores of psoriasis patients were used to assess HRQOL and were compared with United States (US) population norms at baseline and Week 16.


RESULTS
Baseline Physical Component Summary (PCS) scores for the placebo and adalimumab groups were similar to the general US population. Baseline mean Mental Component Summary (MCS) scores were significantly lower for the adalimumab and placebo groups compared with the general population (47.4, 47.7, and 50.8 points, respectively; p < 0.0001). PCS scores at Week 16 for patients receiving adalimumab had improved and were significantly greater than scores for the general US population (52.7 vs 48.9; p < 0.001). Compared with the general US population, MCS scores at Week 16 were similar for patients receiving adalimumab (51.2 vs 50.8; p = 1.000) and lower for patients receiving placebo (50.8 vs 48.7; p < 0.0001).


CONCLUSIONS
Psoriasis has a broad impact on patient functioning and well-being. Improvement in skin lesions and joint symptoms associated with adalimumab treatment was accompanied by improvements in HRQOL to levels that were similar to or greater than those of the general US population.


BACKGROUND
Clinicaltrials.gov NCT00237887.
Revicki
Dennis A
DA
Center for Health Outcomes Research, United BioSource Corporation, Bethesda, Maryland, USA. dennis.revicki@unitedbiosource.com
Menter
Alan
A
Feldman
Steven
S
Kimel
Miriam
M
Harnam
Neesha
N
Willian
Mary K
MK
D000068879:Adalimumab; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; D018501:Antirheumatic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007279:Injections, Subcutaneous; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011565:Psoriasis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000208:ethnology / Q000523:psychology; D011594:Psychometrics; D011788:Quality of Life; D012737:Sex Factors; D018434:Sickness Impact Profile; D012867:Skin / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D014481:United States; D055815:Young Adult
D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; D018501:Antirheumatic Agents; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D000068879:Adalimumab