Interventions for chronic palmoplantar pustulosis

Treatment Patterns and Negative Health Outcomes in Palmoplantar Pustulosis Patients in Germany and the US

INTRODUCTION

Limited information exists on the epidemiology, treatment, and burden of palmoplantar pustulosis (PPP) and defining the optimal course of treatment remains challenging without approved targeted treatments in most countries. Here, we describe the clinical and demographic characteristics, treatments received, and negative health outcomes experienced among patients with PPP in the United States (US) and Germany.

METHODS

Retrospective cohort study between 2016 and 2021 using data from the US Merative™ MarketScan® Research Database and IQVIA™ German Disease Analyzer. Adult patients with PPP (ICD-10-CM L40.3) were followed from the date of their first qualifying PPP diagnosis and continued until the earlier of disenrollment or end date of database, during which treatment patterns and incidence rates of negative health outcomes were assessed. Treatment patterns included adherence, non-persistence, discontinuation, re-initiation, switching, and combination therapy.

RESULTS

The prevalence of PPP was 0.005% and 0.065% in the MarketScan database and German Disease Analyzer, respectively, with 1629 and 3866 patients meeting the inclusion criteria. Most patients were female (71.3%, 67.8%), with mean (SD) age of 54.1 (11.7) and 56.9 (14.3) years, respectively. One year post index, most patients received topical treatment (77.4%, 65.3%), but non-persistence and discontinuation were high. Oral and biologic treatments displayed higher levels of adherence, particularly apremilast and tofacitinib among oral treatments and TNF inhibitors and IL-23 inhibitors among biologics. Rates of negative health outcomes were higher among patients not receiving treatment post-index compared with those receiving treatment post-index across both databases, regardless of prior treatment history.

CONCLUSIONS

Establishing treatment guidelines remains an unmet need for patients with PPP and could improve quality of life by reducing the occurrence of negative health outcomes. The findings from this study may provide insight into the effectiveness of current treatment options for patients with PPP and can be leveraged to support the development of treatment guidelines.

Spesolimab Efficacy and Safety in Patients with Moderate-to-Severe Palmoplantar Pustulosis: A Multicentre, Double-Blind, Randomised, Placebo-Controlled, Phase IIb, Dose-Finding Study

INTRODUCTION

We evaluated the anti-interleukin-36 receptor antibody spesolimab in patients with moderate-to-severe palmoplantar pustulosis (PPP).

METHODS

This phase IIb trial comprised a loading dose period to week (W) 4, then maintenance dosing to W52. Patients were randomised 2:1:1:1:2 to subcutaneous spesolimab 3000 mg to W4 then 600 mg every 4 weeks (q4w), spesolimab 3000 mg to W4 then 300 mg q4w, spesolimab 1500 mg to W4 then 600 mg q4w, spesolimab 1500 mg to W4, 300 mg q4w to W16 then 300 mg every 8 weeks (q8w), or placebo switching to spesolimab 600 mg q4w at W16. The primary efficacy endpoint was percentage change from baseline in Palmoplantar Pustular Area and Severity Index (PPP ASI) at W16. Secondary endpoints included a Palmoplantar Pustular Physician's Global Assessment (PPP PGA) score of 0/1. Safety (including adverse events [AEs], local tolerability) was assessed.

RESULTS

152 patients were treated. The primary endpoint was not met; mean differences for spesolimab versus placebo ranged from - 14.6% (95% confidence interval [CI]: - 31.5%, 2.2%) to - 5.3% (95% CI: - 19.1%, 8.6%); none reached significance. At W16, 23 (21.1%) and two (4.7%) patients in the combined spesolimab and placebo groups, respectively, achieved PPP PGA 0/1 (mean difference 16.4%; 95% CI: 3.8%, 25.7%), increasing to 59 (54.1%; combined spesolimab) and 12 (27.9%; placebo switch to spesolimab) patients at W52. Non-Asian patients had significant improvements in the primary endpoint (mean difference - 17.7%; nominal P = 0.0394) and PPP PGA 0/1 at W16 with spesolimab versus placebo. Rates of AEs and AE-related discontinuations were similar for spesolimab and placebo. Local tolerability events and injection-site reactions were more frequent with spesolimab than placebo.

CONCLUSION

The primary objective to demonstrate a non-flat dose-response relationship and proof-of-concept was not achieved; improvements with spesolimab occurred in secondary endpoints and in non-Asian patients, indicating potential modest benefits. Spesolimab was generally well tolerated (ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04015518).

Efficacy and Safety of Apremilast for the Treatment of Japanese Patients with Palmoplantar Pustulosis: Results from a Phase 2, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Study

BACKGROUND

Palmoplantar pustulosis (PPP) is a pruritic, painful, recurrent, and chronic dermatitis with limited therapeutic options.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the efficacy and safety of apremilast for the treatment of Japanese patients with PPP and inadequate response to topical treatment.

METHODS

This phase 2, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study enrolled patients with Palmoplantar Pustulosis Area and Severity Index (PPPASI) total score ≥ 12 and moderate or severe pustules/vesicles on the palm or sole (PPPASI pustule/vesicle severity score ≥ 2) at screening and baseline with an inadequate response to topical treatment. Patients were randomized (1:1) to apremilast 30 mg twice daily or placebo for 16 weeks, followed by a 16-week extension phase during which all patients received apremilast. The primary endpoint was achievement of PPPASI-50 response (≥ 50% improvement from baseline in PPPASI). Key secondary endpoints included change from baseline in PPPASI total score, Palmoplantar Pustulosis Severity Index (PPSI), and patient's visual analog scale (VAS) for PPP symptoms (pruritus and discomfort/pain).

RESULTS

A total of 90 patients were randomized (apremilast: 46; placebo: 44). A significantly greater proportion of patients achieved PPPASI-50 at week 16 with apremilast versus placebo (P = 0.0003). Patients receiving apremilast showed greater improvement in PPPASI at week 16 versus placebo (nominal P = 0.0013), as well as PPSI and patient-reported pruritus and discomfort/pain (nominal P ≤ 0.001 for all). Improvements were sustained through week 32 with apremilast treatment. The most common treatment-emergent adverse events included diarrhea, abdominal discomfort, headache, and nausea.

CONCLUSIONS

Apremilast treatment demonstrated greater improvements in disease severity and patient-reported symptoms versus placebo at week 16 in Japanese patients with PPP with sustained improvements through week 32. No new safety signals were observed.

CLINICALTRIALS

GOV: NCT04057937.

Apremilast in Palmoplantar Psoriasis and Palmoplantar Pustulosis: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

This review's goals were to investigate apremilast's efficacy versus placebo in palmoplantar psoriasis (PP) and palmoplantar pustulosis (PPP), and apremilast's efficacy versus methotrexate in PP.

METHODS

A literature search was conducted in PubMed, clinicaltrials.gov, and Embase in July 2022. Publications investigating subjects with PP or PPP, treated with apremilast, which reported palmoplantar-specific outcomes were used. Exclusion criteria included cases of drug-induced PP/PPP, case studies, non-English texts, omission of palmoplantar-specific outcomes, and incomplete publications. Studies were assessed for risk of bias using Cochrane Review Manager application and CASP checklist. Primary endpoints were a 50% improvement of the Palmoplantar Psoriasis/Pustulosis Area and Severity Index (PPPASI 50) and improvement of the Palmoplantar Physician Global Assessment (PPPGA) to 0 or 1 in patients with baseline PPPGA ≥ 3.

RESULTS

Seventeen original studies including five placebo-controlled randomized clinical trials (RCTs), one phase II clinical trial, two randomized methotrexate comparative trials, six cohort studies, and three case series were analyzed, totaling 1117 participants. Meta-analysis of four placebo-controlled RCTs investigating PP found apremilast treatment to be superior to placebo in achieving a PPPGA of 0/1 (baseline PPPGA of ≥ 3) after 16 weeks of treatment (n = 244; OR = 2.69 [1.39-5.22]). Apremilast was superior to placebo in achieving PPPASI 50 at week 16 in the only placebo-controlled RCT of PPP (78.3 vs. 40.9%) [P = 0.0003]. Apremilast was comparable to methotrexate in achieving PPPASI 50 at week 16 in PP (59.5 vs. 64.3%; n = 84; [P = 0.65]). Non-randomized studies generally showed marked improvement in PPPASI, PPPGA, and DLQI scores following apremilast treatment.

DISCUSSION

Apremilast treatment in PP and PPP resulted in significant improvement in objective, palmoplantar-specific clinical parameters versus placebo, and comparable efficacy with methotrexate in PP. Limitations in interpreting these results include variations in palmoplantar-specific metrics used and risk of bias of included studies.

Evaluation of a Case Series of Patients With Palmoplantar Pustulosis in the United States

Importance

Palmoplantar pustulosis (PPP) is a is a chronic, orphan disease with limited epidemiological data.

Objective

To describe the clinical characteristics, treatments, longitudinal disease course, and health care utilization in adults with PPP across the US.

Design, Setting, and Participants

This retrospective, longitudinal case series from 20 academic dermatology practices in the US included a consecutive sample of 197 adults who met the European Rare and Severe Psoriasis Expert Network consensus definition for PPP between January 1, 2007, and December 31, 2018. Data analysis was performed June 2020 to December 2020.

Main Outcomes and Measures

The primary outcome was to describe the patient characteristics, associated medical comorbidities, treatment patterns, complications, and PPP-specific health care utilization.

Results

Of 197 patients, 145 (73.6%) were female, and the mean (SD) age at presentation was 53.0 (12.6) years, with a mean (SD) follow-up time of 22.1 (28.0) months. On initial presentation, 95 (48.2%) patients reported skin pain, and 39 (19.8%) reported difficulty using hands and/or feet. Seventy patients (35.5%) were treated with systemic treatments, and use of more than 20 different systemic therapies was reported. In patients with at least 6 months of follow-up (n = 128), a median (IQR) of 3.7 (4-10) dermatology visits per year were reported; 24 (18.8%) patients had 5 or more visits during the study period.

Conclusions and Relevance

In this case series, PPP was associated with persistent symptoms, continued health care utilization, and a lack of consensus regarding effective treatments, emphasizing the unmet medical need in this population. Additional research is necessary to understand treatment response in these patients.

Pustular Psoriasis: A Narrative Review of Recent Developments in Pathophysiology and Therapeutic Options

Pustular psoriasis is an unusual form of psoriasis that frequently presents clinical challenges for dermatologists. The condition presents with pustules on an erythematous background and has two distinct subtypes: localized disease on the palms and soles, called palmoplantar pustulosis (PPP), and generalized pustular psoriasis (GPP). The involvement of the fingers, toes, and nails is defined as a separate localized variant, acrodermatitis continua of Hallopeau, and is now thought to be a subset of PPP. The rarity of pustular psoriasis frequently makes the correct diagnosis problematic. In addition, treatment is limited by a relative lack of evidence-based therapeutic options. Current management is often based on existing therapies for standard plaque psoriasis. However, there remains a need for treatments with high, sustained efficacy and a rapid onset of action in pustular psoriasis. Recent advances in understanding of the pathogenesis of pustular psoriasis have provided insights into potential therapies. Treatment of pustular psoriasis is generally determined by the extent and severity of disease, and recent years have seen an increasing use of newer agents, including biologic therapies. Current classes of biologic therapies with US Food and Drug Administration and European Medicines Agency approval for treatment of moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis in the USA (and elsewhere) include tumor necrosis factor alpha inhibitors (adalimumab, certolizumab pegol, etanercept, infliximab), interleukin (IL)-17 inhibitors (brodalumab, ixekizumab, secukinumab), an IL-12/23 inhibitor (ustekinumab), and IL-23 inhibitors (guselkumab, risankizumab, tildrakizumab). Recently, specific inhibitors of the IL-36 pathway have been evaluated in GPP and PPP, including spesolimab, an IL-36 receptor inhibitor which has shown promising results in GPP. The emerging drugs for pustular psoriasis offer the possibility of rapid and effective treatment with lower toxicities than existing therapies. Further research into agents acting on the IL-36 pathway and other targeted therapies has the potential to transform the future treatment of patients with pustular psoriasis. This article reviews the clinical features of PPP and GPP, and current understanding of the genetics and immunopathology of these conditions; it also provides an update on emerging treatments.

Pustular psoriasis is a skin condition where people develop small pus-filled blisters on their skin. Pustular psoriasis may affect certain areas of the body, such as the palms and/or the soles. This is called palmoplantar pustulosis (PPP for short). Another type of pustular psoriasis can affect most of the body called generalized pustular psoriasis (GPP for short). Not many people have PPP or GPP. Around 5–12 in every 10,000 people worldwide develop PPP. GPP is even rarer, affecting only 2–7 out of every 1 million people. In addition to being relatively uncommon, these conditions are challenging to treat. This article aims to help doctors who treat skin conditions (dermatologists) to identify and treat people with pustular psoriasis. Currently there is no standard treatment for GPP and PPP in the USA or Europe, but several medicines are approved for treatment of GPP in Japan. Doctors often use treatments that have been shown to work in plaque psoriasis, which is the most common type of psoriasis, to treat people with GPP and PPP. Traditional treatments for PPP and GPP are often not effective. Researchers are working on developing new effective treatments for pustular psoriasis that may work more rapidly and have fewer side effects. These are expected to be available in the next few years.

Apremilast monotherapy for palmoplantar pustulosis: Report of three cases

Palmoplantar pustulosis or palmoplantar pustular psoriasis is chronic skin conditions, characterised by eruptions of sterile pustules on an erythematosquamous background. High-quality data on the treatment of palmoplantar pustulosis are limited, and none is accepted as being effective in general. Apremilast is a small molecule inhibitor of phosphodiesterase 4 approved for the treatment of plaque psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis. We report three cases of palmoplantar pustulosis treated with apremilast monotherapy. Our three cases, as well as previous reports, demonstrate the potential for apremilast to be beneficial for a subset of patients with palmoplantar pustulosis or palmoplantar pustular psoriasis.

Interventions for chronic palmoplantar pustulosis: abridged Cochrane systematic review and GRADE assessments

BACKGROUND

Palmoplantar pustulosis (PPP) is a chronic inflammatory disease in which sterile and relapsing pustules appear on the palms and soles.

OBJECTIVES

To assess the effects of interventions for chronic PPP to induce and maintain complete remission.

METHODS

We searched for randomized controlled trials (RCTs), including people with PPP or chronic palmoplantar pustular psoriasis, in the Cochrane Skin Specialised Register, CENTRAL, MEDLINE, Embase, LILACS and eight trials registers up to July 2020. Study selection, data extraction and risk-of-bias assessment were carried out independently by two review authors. Certainty of evidence was assessed using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) method.

RESULTS

We included 37 RCTs (1663 participants, 76% women, mean age 50 years). Mean treatment duration was 11 weeks. Topical vitamin D derivative may be more effective than placebo in achieving clearance [risk ratio (RR) 7·83, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1·85-33·12; low-certainty evidence from two trials]. Concerning biological therapies, there was little or no difference between etanercept and placebo in achieving clearance (low-certainty evidence from one trial), ustekinumab is less effective than placebo in reducing severity (low-certainty evidence from one trial), and guselkumab (RR 2·88, 95% CI 1·24-6·69) and secukinumab (RR 1·55, 95% CI 1·02-2·35) are probably better in reducing disease severity (moderate-certainty evidence from two and one trial(s), respectively) but may cause more serious adverse events than placebo.

CONCLUSIONS

Evidence is lacking for or against major chronic PPP treatments. Risk of bias and imprecision limit our confidence in the results.

Consensus on the use of oral isotretinoin in dermatology - Brazilian Society of Dermatology

BACKGROUND

Isotretinoin is a synthetic retinoid, derived from vitamin A, with multiple mechanisms of action and highly effective in the treatment of acne, despite common adverse events, manageable and dose-dependent. Dose-independent teratogenicity is the most serious. Therefore, off-label prescriptions require strict criteria.

OBJECTIVE

To communicate the experience and recommendation of Brazilian dermatologists on oral use of the drug in dermatology.

METHODS

Eight experts from five universities were appointed by the Brazilian Society of Dermatology to develop a consensus on indications for this drug. Through the adapted DELPHI methodology, relevant elements were listed and an extensive analysis of the literature was carried out. The consensus was defined with the approval of at least 70% of the experts.

RESULTS

With 100% approval from the authors, there was no doubt about the efficacy of oral isotretinoin in the treatment of acne, including as an adjunct in the correction of scars. Common and manageable common adverse events are mucocutaneous in nature. Others, such as growth retardation, abnormal healing, depression, and inflammatory bowel disease have been thoroughly investigated, and there is no evidence of a causal association; they are rare, individual, and should not contraindicate the use of the drug. Regarding unapproved indications, it may represent an option in cases of refractory rosacea, severe seborrheic dermatitis, stabilization of field cancerization with advanced photoaging and, although incipient, frontal fibrosing alopecia. For keratinization disorders, acitretin performs better. In the opinion of the authors, indications for purely esthetic purposes or oil control are not recommended, particularly for women of childbearing age.

CONCLUSIONS

Approved and non-approved indications, efficacy and adverse effects of oral isotretinoin in dermatology were presented and critically evaluated.

Etablierung des Schwerpunktes Psoriasis an der Universitätshautklinik Rostock und eine praxisbezogene Übersicht über die Biologikatherapie der Psoriasis

Die Diagnostik und Behandlung der Psoriasis stellt einen Schwerpunkt an der Universitätshautklinik Rostock dar. Aufgrund des breiten Spektrums verfügbarer Biologikatherapien für die Behandlung der Psoriasis werden in diesem Artikel praxisbezogene Ratschläge für diese Therapieform gegeben. Dabei wird aufgezeigt, wie das optimale Biologikum für einen individuellen Patienten unter Berücksichtigung möglicher Kontraindikationen, krankheitsspezifischer Aspekte und unerwünschter Wirkungen ausgewählt werden kann. Außerdem wird ein mögliches Vorgehen bei Unterbrechung, Wiederaufnahme oder Umstellung von Biologika erwähnt.

Diagnosis, Screening and Treatment of Patients with Palmoplantar Pustulosis (PPP): A Review of Current Practices and Recommendations

Palmoplantar pustulosis (PPP) is a rare, chronic, recurrent inflammatory disease that affects the palms and/or the soles with sterile, erupting pustules, which are debilitating and usually resistant to treatment. It has genetic, histopathologic and clinical features that are not present in psoriasis; thus, it can be classified as a variant of psoriasis or as a separate entity. Smoking and upper respiratory infections have been suggested as main triggers of PPP. PPP is a challenging disease to manage, and the treatment approach involves both topical and systemic therapies, as well as phototherapy and targeted molecules. No gold standard therapy has yet been identified, and none of the treatments are curative. In patients with mild disease, control may be achieved with on-demand occlusion of topical agents. In patients with moderate-to-severe PPP, phototherapy or a classical systemic agent (acitretin being the best treatment option, especially in combination with PUVA) may be effective. Refractory patients or those with contraindications to use these therapies may be good candidates for apremilast or biologic therapy, particularly anti-IL-17A and anti-IL-23 agents. Recent PPP trials are focusing on blockage of IL-36 or IL-1 pathways, which play an important role in innate immunity. Indeed, IL-36 isoforms have been strongly implicated in the pathogenesis of psoriasis. Therefore, blockage of the IL-36 pathway has become a new treatment target in PPP, and three studies are currently evaluating the use of monoclonal antibodies that block the IL-36 receptor in PPP: ANB019 and spesolimab (BI 655130). In this review, we explore the diagnosis, screening and treatment of patients with PPP.