Lower Drug Survival, Less Satisfaction and More Adverse Events in Females Using Biologics for Psoriasis: Results of the Dutch BioCAPTURE Registry.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Drug survival of biologics for psoriasis has reported to be lower in females than males for first-generation biologics (TNF-α/interleukin (IL) 12/23 inhibitors (i)); insights for newer biologics (IL17i and IL23i) are scarce.

Objectives

To study sex-differences in drug survival and other treatment outcomes of biologics (including IL17i/IL23i) in patients with psoriasis.

Methods

Data were obtained from the Dutch, prospective, multicenter, BioCAPTURE registry. Kaplan-Meier drug survival curves were split for specific discontinuation reasons and stratified for sex. Cox regression models with confounder correction were used to investigate the association of sex with drug survival. Adverse events (AEs) leading to biologic discontinuation were compared between sexes. Confounder-corrected Generalized Estimated Equation models were used to compare the course Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI), Treatment Satisfaction Questionnaire for Medication (TSQM)) scores, and Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) scores between sexes.

Results

We included 428 females and 703 males (respectively 744 and 1069 treatment episodes). For all biologics, female sex was associated with shorter overall, AE-related, and effectiveness-related drug survival. For IL17i/IL23i specifically, female sex was associated with shorter overall and effectiveness-related drug survival, but not with shorter AE-related drug survival. In the TSQM females reported to experience more often AEs and to be, in general, less satisfied than males. No sex-differences were found for PASI and DLQI during the first year of treatment.

Conclusion

Biologics, including IL17i and IL23i, showed lower drug survival rates for females. This could be linked to the sex-differences we found regarding AEs and treatment satisfaction with biologics.

SUBMITTER: Barenbrug L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11962928 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature