Secukinumab: Drug Survival in Clinical Practice Settings

Secukinumab, an immunoglobulin G1/κ monoclonal antibody that selectively targets interleukin 17a, is used to treat moderate to severe plaque psoriasis in adults who are eligible for systemic treatment. Indirect comparisons of the efficacy of secukinumab, ustekinumab, and anti-tumor necrosis factor agents have found lower drug survival rates for patients on secukinumab, in spite of that biologic's rapid onset of action and efficacy as demonstrated by the large number of patients reaching a Psoriasis Area and Severity Index of 90 or 100. We present data from a retrospective study of 171 patients treated with doses of 300mg or 150mg of secukinumab every 4 weeks in 5 hospitals in the Spanish autonomous community of Andalusia. Eighty-seven percent continued on treatment at 132 weeks, contrasting with reports from previously published case series.