Biologics Used for Psoriasis: A Drug Utilization Study Based on Two Nationwide Danish Data Sources

Area of Science:

• Dermatology
• Pharmacology
• Health Informatics

Background:

• Biological therapies have transformed the management of moderate-to-severe psoriasis.
• Understanding biologic utilization is crucial for optimizing patient care and resource allocation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the utilization patterns of biologic drugs for psoriasis in Denmark.
• To compare data from two distinct national registries: healthcare registries and the clinical quality database (Dermbio).

Main Methods:

• Utilized nationwide Danish healthcare registries and the Dermbio database (2011-2018).
• Analyzed drug distribution in first treatment episodes, population-level treatment cascades, and drug survival.
• Employed Kaplan-Meier analysis and the Proportion of Patients Covered (PPC) method for drug survival assessment.

Main Results:

• Identified 1878 biologic users in healthcare registries and 2264 in Dermbio.
• Adalimumab, ustekinumab, and secukinumab were the most frequent first-line biologic treatments.
• Ustekinumab demonstrated the longest drug survival; Dermbio showed longer drug survival across all biologics compared to healthcare registries.

Conclusions:

• Adalimumab, ustekinumab, and secukinumab are key first-line biologics for psoriasis in Denmark.
• Significant discrepancies in treatment cascades and drug survival exist between the two data sources.
• These differences necessitate careful consideration when interpreting drug utilization studies on biologics using these registries.