Adalimumab, Infliximab, and Ustekinumab Have Comparable Drug Survivals in Patients With HS

Drug survival was comparable between the biologics adalimumab, infliximab, and ustekinumab when used as a treatment in patients with hidradenitis suppurativa (HS).

Researchers aimed to examine the drug survival of biologic therapies for HS in a real-world setting in a cohort study between January 1, 2005, and December 31, 2018. The patients (N=241) included in the study were treated with biologics at hospital clinics. The biologics included in the analysis were adalimumab, anakinra, certolizumab pegol, etanercept, golimumab, infliximab, secukinumab, and ustekinumab. Drug survival was depicted using statistical analyses.

The median time to discontinuation was highest for adalimumab, then infliximab, ustekinumab, and etanercept (36.0, 28.7, 26.0, and 17.9 weeks, respectively). The risk of drug discontinuation was higher for etanercept than adalimumab, infliximab, and ustekinumab. Drug survival for biologic-naïve compared with non-naive treatment series were comparable. Increasing C-reactive protein levels and concomitant antibiotic treatment were associated with the risk of discontinuing infliximab therapy.

“In this cohort study, drug survival was comparable between adalimumab, infliximab, and ustekinumab but significantly lower for etanercept,” concluded the study authors. “There were no differences in drug survival among biologic-naive and nonnaive patients,” they continued.

Reference
"Ring HC, Maul JT, Yao Y, et al. Drug survival of biologics in patients with hidradenitis suppurativa. JAMA Dermatol. Published online December 1, 2021. doi:10.1001/jamadermatol.2021.4805