Dimethyl fumarate treatment for psoriasis in real-world clinical practice: An analysis from the Swiss registry.

Abstract

Introduction: Limited data are available on the effectiveness and safety of dimethyl fumarate (DMF) for the treatment of moderate-to-severe psoriasis in real-world clinical practice. The objectives were to assess the effectiveness and safety of DMF in patients with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis in Switzerland.

Methods: Data from 28 adults enrolled in the Swiss Dermatology Network for Targeted Therapies registry who started DMF treatment as first-line or subsequence therapy at registry entry and had ≥3 months of follow-up were analysed. No missing imputation was performed.

Results: The median Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) decreased from 9.3 to 2.0 (p=0.0136) and 2.3 (p=0.0156) after 6 and 12 months of DMF treatment, respectively. At month 6, 61.5%/61.5%/15.4% of patients achieved a PASI <5/<3/<1 and at month 12, 75.0%/50.0%/37.5%. The proportions of patients achieving a PASI 75/90/100 response were 62.5%/25.0%/12.5% at month 12. At 12 months, median body surface area affected decreased from 10.3% to 1.5% (p<0.01). The most common adverse events were abdominal pain (50.0%) and flushing (35.7%), which occurred in the first 3 months.

Conclusion: In a real-world setting, DMF significantly improves the severity and extent of disease in patients with moderate-to-severe psoriasis for up to one year with a safety profile consistent with previously published data on fumarates.