The Use of Apremilast in Psoriasis: A Delphi Study

Experience in the use of apremilast in clinical practice complements the information available from pivotal clinical trials.

Following a review of the literature, a panel of dermatologists with expertise in the management of psoriasis considered 5 scenarios in which the evidence supporting the use of apremilast to treat moderate psoriasis is insufficient or controversial. These scenarios were then assessed using a Delphi questionnaire.

Consensus was reached on 96 (67%) of the 143 items (positive in 85 and negative in 11). The therapeutic goal for apremilast should be based on 4 outcomes: clinical response, symptoms, quality of life, and patient satisfaction. The scenario in which the use of apremilast was considered to have the greatest possibility of success was in patients with stable moderate psoriasis. Most of the clinicians considered apremilast to be an appropriate treatment when conventional therapies fail or are contraindicated, preferably before the prescription of biologic therapy. Consensus was reached that apremilast is an appropriate treatment for psoriasis in difficult locations, such as the scalp or the palms and soles. It was also agreed that apremilast requires less prescreening and monitoring than other conventional and biologic systemic therapies.

Apremilast could be a treatment option for patients with a different profile to that of clinical trial participants. The limitations of this proposal are the absence of consensus on the definition of moderate psoriasis, the lack of real-world evidence on the use of apremilast, and certain aspects related to tolerability.