A recent retrospective study has revealed that risankizumab remains durable and effective in real-world scenarios for individuals with moderate-to-severe psoriasis (PsO), demonstrating continuous improvements in disease severity and symptoms over an 18-month period.
The study, led by Dr. Andreas Pinter from the University Hospital Frankfurt am Main in Germany, analyzed phase 3 data collected from patients across Germany, Poland, Japan, the Czech Republic, and Canada. This retrospective medical chart review aimed to address the scarcity of real-world evidence on patient outcomes following treatment with risankizumab, particularly on an international scale .
The research, titled the RisAnkizumab for the treatment of moderate-to-severe Psoriasis—An International meDical chart review (RAPID) study, leveraged data from dermatologists in the aforementioned countries. The objective was to describe patient characteristics and clinical outcomes using this dataset .
Study Background and Methods
The retrospective analysis encompassed adult patients diagnosed with psoriasis who had a minimum of three years of treatment experience. The data collection began in September 2022 and included dermatologists with direct access to medical records.
Participants were eligible if they had received risankizumab treatment starting from January 2019 and had medical records available for at least 12 months following the initiation of therapy. They also needed medical records spanning at least six months before the therapy start date. The study’s index date marked the commencement of therapy .
To be included, patients needed a baseline Investigator Global Assessment (IGA) or static Physician’s Global Assessment (sPGA) score of 3 or higher. They also required at least three recorded scores for IGA, Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI), or sPGA, along with a recorded Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) score within three months prior to and 18 months following the index date .
Key Findings
The study reported that 74.0% of patients had not previously been exposed to biologic therapy. The majority (66.4%) of participants were male, and 73.0% had scalp psoriasis. Baseline IGA/sPGA scores were 3.7 ± 0.5, and PASI scores were 23.3 ± 11.8 at the study’s outset .
Over the course of 12 months, 86.1% of patients achieved an IGA/sPGA score of ≤1, and 75.7% attained PASI90. By the 18-month mark, these percentages increased to 91.1% and 80.5%, respectively. Additionally, there were significant improvements in itch, DLQI, and skin pain scores .
The study acknowledged limitations, including its focus on patients treated by experienced dermatologists, potentially limiting generalizability to a broader PsO population. Despite this, efforts were made to minimize bias through the use of a randomization tool during data collection .
This retrospective analysis underscores the sustained efficacy of risankizumab in real-world settings, highlighting ongoing improvements in patient outcomes over an extended period of treatment.
