Biologic Treatment Adherence and Persistence in Patients with Palmoplantar Pustulosis: A Real-World, Claims-Based...

Area of Science:

• Dermatology
• Pharmacoeconomics
• Real-world evidence

Background:

• Palmoplantar pustulosis (PPP) is a chronic, debilitating skin condition affecting the palms and soles.
• Suboptimal treatment adherence is a significant challenge in managing psoriatic diseases, including PPP.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate adherence to and persistence with biologic therapies in patients newly diagnosed with palmoplantar pustulosis.
• To analyze real-world data on biologic utilization patterns in a PPP patient cohort.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective cohort study utilizing healthcare claims data from IBM MarketScan and Optum Clinformatics databases.
• Inclusion criteria: patients aged ≥18 years with newly diagnosed PPP between October 1, 2016, and March 31, 2020.
• Analysis focused on proportion of days covered (PDC) for adherence and duration of treatment for persistence.

Main Results:

• Biologic utilization was observed in 13.6% of MarketScan patients and 10.1% of Optum patients.
• Mean PDC for biologics was 66% (MarketScan) and 61% (Optum), with infrequent good adherence (≥80% PDC).
• Mean persistence was slightly longer in MarketScan (283 days) versus Optum (275 days); persistence was longer in younger adults (18-64 years).

Conclusions:

• Adherence to biologic treatments in patients with palmoplantar pustulosis is generally poor.
• Persistence with biologics in this population is variable.
• Further research is needed to understand and address barriers to adherence and persistence to improve treatment outcomes in PPP.