/Objectives: Plaque psoriasis is a chronic immune-mediated inflammatory disease affecting approximately 3% of the global population and resulting in a significant deterioration in quality of life. Systemic therapy with monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) targeting TNF-α, IL-23, and IL-17 improves clinical outcomes and patients’ quality of life. Treatment strategies commonly include different mAbs and different sequencings approaches between agents, which are well-established in clinical practice. In contrast, evidence supporting the switch from intravenous to subcutaneous administration of the same mAb remains limited. Herein, we report data from a retrospective case series of patients with plaque psoriasis treated with intravenous infliximab (IV-IFX; Anti TNF-α) and transitioned to subcutaneous infliximab (SC-IFX) to compare clinical and patient-reported outcomes across routes.
Methods:
11 plaque psoriasis patients were retrospectively analyzed. The scores of Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI), Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) and Physician Global Assessment (PGA) were assessed during IV-IFX and after switching to SC-IFX. To evaluate patients’ satisfaction, the Score of Treatment Satisfaction Questionnaire Medication-9 (TSQM-9) was evaluated. Both Student’s t-test and ANOVA were used to assess statistically significant differences between the two routes of administration (p<0.05).
Results:
scores for PASI, DLQI and PGA were lower with SC-IFX compared to IV-IFX, indicating improved disease control and quality of life after the switch. PASI and DLQI improved in 81% and 100% of patients treated with SC-IFX, respectively. TSQM-9 total scores increased significantly by 24% (P<0.001). In particular, the questions addressing the “convenience” of treatment, revealed a marked advantage for the SC-IFX formulation (p<0.001). No treatment-emergent adverse events were registered.
Conclusions:
In this retrospective case series, switching from IV-IFX to SC-IFX appeared to be safe and to maintain or improve clinical response and enhanced treatment satisfaction. Thus, these findings highlight the potential of SC-IFX as a viable maintenance option for patients with plaque psoriasis previously treated with IV-IFX.
