Long-term efficacy and safety of secukinumab in real life: a 240 weeks multicenter study from Southern Italy

Background Long-term real-life data on secukinumab use in psoriasis are limited. Objectives Determine the long-term effectiveness of secukinumab in moderate-to-severe psoriasis in real-life. Methods Multicenter retrospective study analyzing data from adult patients treated with secukinumab for at least 192 weeks and up to 240 weeks in Southern Italy, between 2016 and 2021. Clinical data, including concurrent comorbidities and prior treatments were collected. Effectiveness was assessed by Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI), Body Surface Area (BSA), Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) scores at the initiation of secukinumab and at weeks 4, 12, 24, 48, 96, 144, 192, and 240. Results Two hundred and seventy-five patients (174 males), mean age 50.80 +/- 14.78 years, were included; 29.8% had an uncommon localization, 24.4% psoriatic arthritis, 71.6% comorbidities. PASI, BSA, and DLQI improved significantly from week 4 and continued to improve over time. Between weeks 24 and 240, PASI score was mild (<= 10) in 97-100% of patients, 83-93% had mild affected BSA (BSA <= 3), and 62-90% reported no effect of psoriasis on their quality of life (DLQI 0-1). Only 2.6% of patients reported adverse events and no patient discontinued the treatment during the study period. Conclusions Secukinumab effectiveness in the long-term treatment of psoriasis is confirmed in real-world.