Apremilast safe for psoriasis in elderly patients: study claims

In the Study design, 135 patients (mean age, 73.5 years) with psoriasis who received apremilast were included. Demographic data and details regarding psoriasis and adverse events (AEs) were collected from patient medical records.

The key findings were-

· Treatment was stopped in 74 patients (54.8%) for AEs (n = 43, 56.6%), primary failures (n = 18, 23.4%), and relapses (n = 7, 9.2%).

· On age stratification, it was noted that the main cause of discontinuation in patients ≥ 75 years was AEs, whereas in patients aged 65–74 years it was primary failures (28.3%).

· Sixty-one patients reported systemic adverse effects, mainly digestive (n = 49).

Regarding effectiveness, one-year apremilast continuation rates were better in the 65–74 and 75–84 years subgroups than in the > 85 years subgroup (p = 0.01).

Researchers concluded apremilast to be an effective and safe therapeutic option for psoriasis in the elderly. A higher level of vigilance is needed in the elderly patients with psoriasis kept on apremilast as the AEs were slightly more patients aged above 75 years , leading to more frequent discontinuation of the drug, wrote the authors.

SUMMARY SOURCE : Drugs & Aging