Risk for serious infection and biologics use in psoriasis: Is there a link?

Key clinical point: Patients with moderate-to-severe psoriasis who were new users of infliximab and adalimumab vs etanercept had a higher risk for serious infections. The risk was lower with ustekinumab and comparable with secukinumab, ixekizumab, brodalumab, guselkumab, or apremilast vs etanercept.

Major finding: Compared with etanercept, the risk for serious infections was higher for patients who initiated adalimumab (estimated weighted hazard ratio [wHR], 1.22; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.07-1.38) or infliximab (wHR, 1.79; 95% CI, 1.49-2.16), whereas the risk was lower with ustekinumab (wHR, 0.79; 95% CI, 0.67-0.94). The risk for serious infections was not higher for new users of secukinumab, ixekizumab, brodalumab, guselkumab, or apremilast vs etanercept.

Study details: Findings are from the analysis of a real-world cohort of 44,239 adults with psoriasis who were new users of biologic/biosimilar or targeted synthetic antipsoriatic agents and had no history of serious infection.

Disclosures: The authors did not report any source of funding. No conflict of interests was reported.

Source: Penso L et al. JAMA Dermatol. 2021 Jul 21. doi: 10.1001/jamadermatol.2021.2599.

Key clinical point: Patients with moderate-to-severe psoriasis who were new users of infliximab and adalimumab vs etanercept had a higher risk for serious infections. The risk was lower with ustekinumab and comparable with secukinumab, ixekizumab, brodalumab, guselkumab, or apremilast vs etanercept.

Major finding: Compared with etanercept, the risk for serious infections was higher for patients who initiated adalimumab (estimated weighted hazard ratio [wHR], 1.22; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.07-1.38) or infliximab (wHR, 1.79; 95% CI, 1.49-2.16), whereas the risk was lower with ustekinumab (wHR, 0.79; 95% CI, 0.67-0.94). The risk for serious infections was not higher for new users of secukinumab, ixekizumab, brodalumab, guselkumab, or apremilast vs etanercept.

Study details: Findings are from the analysis of a real-world cohort of 44,239 adults with psoriasis who were new users of biologic/biosimilar or targeted synthetic antipsoriatic agents and had no history of serious infection.

Disclosures: The authors did not report any source of funding. No conflict of interests was reported.

Source: Penso L et al. JAMA Dermatol. 2021 Jul 21. doi: 10.1001/jamadermatol.2021.2599.

Key clinical point: Patients with moderate-to-severe psoriasis who were new users of infliximab and adalimumab vs etanercept had a higher risk for serious infections. The risk was lower with ustekinumab and comparable with secukinumab, ixekizumab, brodalumab, guselkumab, or apremilast vs etanercept.

Major finding: Compared with etanercept, the risk for serious infections was higher for patients who initiated adalimumab (estimated weighted hazard ratio [wHR], 1.22; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.07-1.38) or infliximab (wHR, 1.79; 95% CI, 1.49-2.16), whereas the risk was lower with ustekinumab (wHR, 0.79; 95% CI, 0.67-0.94). The risk for serious infections was not higher for new users of secukinumab, ixekizumab, brodalumab, guselkumab, or apremilast vs etanercept.

Study details: Findings are from the analysis of a real-world cohort of 44,239 adults with psoriasis who were new users of biologic/biosimilar or targeted synthetic antipsoriatic agents and had no history of serious infection.

Disclosures: The authors did not report any source of funding. No conflict of interests was reported.

Source: Penso L et al. JAMA Dermatol. 2021 Jul 21. doi: 10.1001/jamadermatol.2021.2599.