Treatment persistence in paediatric and adolescent patients with psoriasis followed into young adulthood. From topical to systemic treatment: a prospective, longitudinal, observational cohort study of 448 patients

Validation of the Urticaria Control Test (UCT) in Children With Chronic Urticaria

BACKGROUND

Few validated tools exist to evaluate chronic urticaria (CU) control in children. Although the Urticaria Control Test (UCT) exhibits favorable clinometric properties in adult CU, it is not yet validated in children.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the validity of the UCT for the assessment of pediatric CU.

METHODS

Children presenting with CU were consecutively recruited and completed both the UCT and the Children's Dermatology Life Quality Index (CDLQI) at study entry. Using the CDLQI as an anchor, we assessed the internal consistency, convergent and known-groups validity, and screening accuracy of the UCT at study entry and at follow-up.

RESULTS

A total of 52 children with CU were recruited. The UCT exhibited respectable internal consistency in the evaluation of CU (Cronbach's α, 0.73; 95% CI, 0.62-0.85). UCT and CDLQI scores strongly correlated (r = -0.74; P < .01). The UCT distinguished between different strata of disease severities established by the CDLQI (P < .01). Screening accuracy of the UCT was excellent in the discrimination of poorly controlled CU (area under the curve, 0.82). An optimal cutoff of less than or equal to 10 was determined for defining poorly controlled CU (sensitivity, 95.5%; specificity, 63.3%). Data at follow-up were consistent with data at study entry. Subgroup analyses of patients with chronic spontaneous urticaria were consistent with overall estimates of validity.

CONCLUSIONS

The UCT is a valid tool for the assessment of pediatric CU and chronic spontaneous urticaria, as evidenced by the acceptable internal consistency, convergent and known-groups validity, and screening accuracy at multiple time points.

Patient Characteristics and Treatment Patterns in European Pediatric Patients with Psoriasis: A Real-World, Cross-Sectional Study

Introduction

This study evaluated patient characteristics and treatment patterns according to weight in pediatric patients with psoriasis in a real-world setting.

Methods

Primary care and specialist physicians treating pediatric patients with psoriasis aged 6–17 years in five European countries were surveyed in the 2019–2020 Adelphi Real World Pediatric Psoriasis Disease Specific Programme. At least two patients with current or previous biologic use were included per physician. Patient characteristics and treatment patterns were analyzed overall and for patients weighing 25–50 kg or more than 50 kg.

Results

Data from 772 patients weighing 25–50 kg and 1147 weighing more than 50 kg were analyzed. Median age at diagnosis was significantly less in lighter than heavier patients (10.0 vs. 14.0 years; p < 0.001), as was median disease duration (2.2 vs. 3.0 years; p < 0.001). Topical treatments were prescribed in 59.0% of patients overall (70.3% of lighter and 51.4% of heavier patients; p < 0.001), and were used to treat mild rather than moderate-to-severe psoriasis. Conventional systemic use was low (10.8% of patients overall) and predominantly for moderate-to-severe psoriasis. In this biologic-enriched sample, most biologics (78.2%) were prescribed in older (> 13 years) patients. Biologic use increased with line of therapy (6.6% of first-line, 18.0% of second-line, 33.7% of third-line, 44.7% of fourth-line treatments).

Conclusion

Biologics are predominantly prescribed in older (> 13 years) and heavier (> 50 kg) patients, with little first- or second-line use. The low use of biologics in European pediatric patients with psoriasis may represent an unmet treatment need, as topical or conventional systemic agents remain the main treatment option for moderate or severe psoriasis in these patients through the treatment pathway.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13555-022-00761-7.

This study looked into types of treatments according to body weight in children with psoriasis, since approved dosing regimens for some treatments are based on body weight. Primary care and specialist physicians treating children with psoriasis aged 6–17 years in five European countries completed a survey. Patient information for those receiving specific types of psoriasis treatments were collected. Of the children included, 772 weighed 25–50 kg and 1147 weighed more than 50 kg. Most children received treatments applied to the skin, such as creams and ointments; this occurred in 70% of lighter patients and in 51% of heavier patients. Conventional treatments taken via the mouth were prescribed in a few patients (11% [overall]), while newer biologic drugs were taken to a greater extent in heavier (30%) than lighter (16%) patients. Most biologics (78%) were prescribed in older (> 13 years) patients. Biologic use increased with the number of failed previous treatments, comprising 7%, 18%, 34%, and 45% of first, second, third, and fourth treatments, respectively. We conclude that children with psoriasis who are treated with biologic drugs are predominantly older and heavier, and have more severe psoriasis. Prescriptions for biologics are given after many other treatments have been tried.

Physician-reported Clinical Unmet Needs, Burden and Treatment Patterns of Paediatric Psoriasis Patients: a US and EU Real-world Evidence Study

This study is a retrospective analysis using data collected from the Adelphi Paediatric Psoriasis Disease-Specific Programme cross-sectional survey. Despite being treated for their psoriasis, a substantial proportion of paediatric patients presented with moderate (18.3%) or severe (1.3%) disease at sampling; 42.9% and 92.0% had a body surface area (BSA) of >10%, and 38.8% and 100.0% had a Psoriasis Area Severity Index (PASI) score >10, respectively. Overall, 69.9% of patients had only ever been treated with a topical therapy for their psoriasis. For patients with moderate or severe disease at sampling, 16.3% and 14.4% were currently receiving conventional systemics or biologic therapy, respectively. There is a clinical unmet need in this paediatric population; a considerable percentage of patients still experienced moderate or severe disease and persistent psoriasis symptoms, with numerous body areas affected. A significant proportion of patients were undertreated, which may explain the high burden of disease observed.

Treatment utilization and drug survival of systemic medications among commercially insured children with psoriasis

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES

Systemic medications and phototherapy are used to treat pediatric psoriasis, but real-world data on treatment utilization and persistence are limited. The study objective was to determine systemic and phototherapy treatment utilization and compare drug survival among systemics in pediatric psoriasis.

METHODS

Using United States commercial insurance claims data, a cross-sectional analysis was conducted to describe the prevalence of systemic treatment and phototherapy use among patients <18 years old with psoriasis. We compared drug survival among new users of methotrexate, adalimumab, etanercept, and ustekinumab using a retrospective cohort design.

RESULTS

Among 13 759 patients, 14.6% used systemic or phototherapy treatment during 2001-2016, with rising utilization of systemics over this period. Among 579 new users of methotrexate, adalimumab, etanercept, and ustekinumab, the median durations of the initial treatment course were 141 (IQR 59-314), 179 (79-339), 175 (90-419), and 216 (64-435) days, respectively (P = .04). Drug discontinuation was less likely among ustekinumab (HR 0.47 [95% CI 0.27-0.83]), etanercept (0.74 [0.59-0.92]), and adalimumab (0.75 [0.55-1.02]) initiators than methotrexate initiators after adjustment for sociodemographic factors and psoriatic arthritis. Drug survival differences were limited to systemic-naïve patients. Potential limitations include short follow-up and residual confounding.

CONCLUSIONS

Utilization of systemic therapies for pediatric psoriasis is increasing, but differences in drug survival exist.