Tofacitinib may Improve Itching and Other Symptoms Among Psoriasis Patients with PsA: Study

Tofacitinib may lead to patients with psoriasis and history of psoriatic arthritis (PsA) to see improvement by Week 16 in disease, joint pain, pruritus, morning stiffness, and depressive symptoms, according to new findings, with doses being 5 and 10 mg twice per-day. The investigators explored the use of the oral Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitor in a pooled analysis of data drawn from two phase 3 studies, OPT Pivotal 1 and 2. These studies spanned 52 weeks and were carried out globally. The research team used a post-hoc analysis of this data to assess the patient-reported outcomes (PROs), efficacy, and safety profile of tofacitinib in those with moderate-to-severe psoriasis and a history of psoriatic arthritis. The team randomized subjects in their research to be given tofacitinib 5 or 10 mg twice-per-day or a placebo, having the placebo-treated subjects switching to the drug at the 16-week mark. They looked into the effects of joint pain, itch, and morning stiffness on helping to mitigate symptoms of depression. By 16 weeks, those in the 5 and 10 mg BID treatment arms were shown by the team to have major improvements in Itch Severity Item (ISI) scores, rates of response in their Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI)75/PASI90 scores, and diminished joint pain as opposed to subjects in the placebo arm.

The investigators also noted that there was a large portion of participants in the treatment arm who ended up achieving a Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale Depression (HADS-D) subscale score <8 by the 16-week mark, suggesting there were reductions in their depressive symptoms. Overall, the investigators concluded that the pooled OPT Pivotal 1 and 2 trial data indicated improvements in itch, skin condition, morning stiffness, pain in joints, and mental health compared to those given a placebo by Week 16 and that these were sustained through to 52 weeks.

Reference:

Bachelez, H., Griffiths, C.E.M., Papp, K.A., Hall, S., Merola, J.F., Feldman, S.R., Khraishi, M., Tan, H., Fallon, L., Cappelleri, J.C., Bushmakin, A.G. and Young, P. (2024), Tofacitinib efficacy, patient-reported outcomes and safety in patients with psoriasis and a medical history of psoriatic arthritis: Pooled analysis of two Phase III studies. J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol. https://doi.org/10.1111/jdv.19701.