Uncovering the unmet needs among psoriasis patients in the Asia-Pacific region

Studies on the psychosocial and emotional burden of psoriasis have been extensive; however, there is limited knowledge and awareness of patients' attitude and behavior towards psoriasis treatment. To understand psoriasis patients' attitude and behavior towards treatment of psoriasis, especially those treated with biologics, a multi-stage study qualitative and quantitative methodology was conducted among psoriasis patients. An online survey was conducted with 45 moderate-to-severe psoriasis patients each in Australia, Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan for 20 min. This was followed by qualitative in-depth interviews conducted among psoriasis patients in Australia (n = 3) and Japan (n = 2) for 60 min. All of the findings were workshopped with key opinion leaders and patient advisory groups to identify potential solutions addressing patients' unmet needs. Five common insights were identified across the region, highlighting patients' attitude and behavior towards psoriasis treatment, especially for those treated with biologics. These insights comprised the following: (i) one of the key factors driving patients' treatment choice included their ability to enjoy clear skin for longer period (68%); (ii) bio-maintenance patients had a higher expectation (4.9 months) of how long their skin could stay clear, compared to their pre-biologics initiation days (2.9 months); (iii) once a good response is achieved, bio-maintenance patients were more concerned about symptoms returning (44%) than development of side-effects (19%); (iv) bio-maintenance patients felt psychologically and physically affected during flare-ups despite being on more efficacious treatment; and (v) bio-maintenance patients still felt they were at risk of flare-ups (4.5/7), almost similar risk perception as non-biologics patients (4.9/7). Findings from this study showed that psoriasis patients look for treatment with the least risk of flare-ups so that they were able to enjoy clear skin for a long time.