Psoriatic Arthritis Treatment with Apremilast effective and may Improve Patient Satisfactio: Study

A recent real-world study, the APPRAISE study unveiled the effectiveness, tolerability and patient satisfaction with apremilast treatment for individuals with psoriatic arthritis (PsA) which is a chronic autoimmune condition characterized by joint inflammation and skin lesions, affecting millions worldwide.

This research was conducted across multiple Canadian rheumatology clinics and enrolled a total of 102 adults with active PsA. They were prescribed apremilast between July 2018 and March 2020 and were followed for 12 months with visits recommended every four months to monitor the progress. The primary outcome measure focused on achieving remission or low disease activity defined by a Clinical Disease Activity Index for Psoriatic Arthritis (cDAPSA) score of 13 or less. 

The results from this study revealed significant improvements in various markers of disease activity despite 44.1% of the patients discontinuing this study within 12 months. Importantly, 63.7%, 67.2%, and 53.8% of patients achieved cDAPSA remission or low disease activity at 4 months, 8 months, and 12 months, respectively.

The patients who continued the study expressed reduced joint inflammation, pain and psoriasis symptoms. Improvement in treatment satisfaction and patient-reported outcomes, including physical and mental well-being, were obvious over the 12-month period. Safety data indicated that apremilast was well-tolerated, with diarrhea, nausea, and migraine being the most common adverse events leading to discontinuation. 

This study expressed positive outcomes of apremilast in real-world settings, by providing patients with effective relief from PsA symptoms and enhancing their overall quality of life. Overall, these findings contribute to the growing body of evidence that support the clinical effectiveness of apremilast in PsA management.

Reference:

Chandran, V., Bessette, L., Thorne, C., Sheriff, M., Rahman, P., Gladman, D. D., Anwar, S., Jelley, J., Gaudreau, A.-J., Chohan, M., & Sampalis, J. S. (2024). Use of Apremilast to Achieve Psoriatic Arthritis Treatment Goals and Satisfaction at 1 Year in the Canadian Real-World APPRAISE Study. In Rheumatology and Therapy (Vol. 11, Issue 2, pp. 443–455). Springer Science and Business Media LLC. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40744-024-00641-w