Secukinumab May be More Efficient for Psoriatic Arthritis

Secukinumab could be a more efficient first biologic option than adalimumab to treat patients with psoriatic arthritis, according to a study published online in the journal Reumatología Clínica.

The cost-consequence analysis took a Spanish National Health System perspective to investigate preferential use of secukinumab versus adalimumab. Over a 2-year time horizon, researchers looked at a hypothetical cohort of 10 patients with psoriatic arthritis who initiated treatment with secukinumab 150 mg or adalimumab 40 mg. Patients who achieved clinical response (American College of Rheumatology [ACR] 20/50/70 criteria) at week 24 continued their assignment treatment, and patients who did not switched to secukinumab 300 mg.

According to the analysis, initiating biologic treatment for psoriatic arthritis with secukinumab 150 mg cost 18% to 33% less than with adalimumab 40 mg for ACR20 response. First-line secukinumab cost 18% to 28% less than adalimumab for ACR50 response, and 16% to 23% less for ACR70 response.

To compensate for differences in efficacy, an adalimumab cost discount of 40% to 60% for ACR20, 40% to 65% for ACR50, and 50% to 75% for ACR70 would be necessary, sensitivity analyses indicated.

“In patients with psoriatic arthritis, secukinumab could be considered a more efficient first-line biologic treatment compared to adalimumab, from the Spanish National Health System perspective,” researchers concluded.

—Jolynn Tumolo 

Reference: 

Jiménez-Morales A, Cáliz R, Aceituno S, Prades M, Blanch C. A Cost-Consequence Analysis of the Preferential Use of Secukinumab Versus Adalimumab for the Treatment of Psoriatic Arthritis [published online ahead of print, 2020 Jul 18]. Reumatol Clin. 2020;S1699-258X(20)30132-7. doi:10.1016/j.reuma.2020.05.004