Psoriatic Arthritis Research Briefs: Nail Changes, New Biologic, Biosimilar
Keep up-to-date on the latest
psoriatic arthritis (PsA)
research with our brief research summaries.
Certain nail features can help doctors distinguish between psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis , and possibly lead to earlier or improved treatment for PsA, a new study suggests. In the analysis of 1,092 patients with either PsA or psoriasis only, researchers found that nail changes were more common among those with PsA than psoriasis only. Transverse (side-to-side) grooves, splinter hemorrhages (small broken blood vessels under the nails) and onycholysis (separation of the nail from the nail bed) were associated with arthritis. Transverse grooves were significantly associated with arthritis in the joint closest to the nail and enthesitis, inflammation where the tendons and ligaments insert into the bone.
Source: Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, November 2017
The newly approved biologic drug ixekizumab ( Taltz ) may work for people whose PsA is not well controlled by current medications. Ixekizumab was approved in 2016 in the use of plaque psoriasis and then received approval for PsA in December 2017. A 24-week randomized trial involved more than 300 adults for whom other available biologics were either ineffective or lost their effectiveness over time. More than half of those receiving ixekizumab had at least a 20% reduction in symptoms, including joint swelling and tenderness.
Source: The Lancet, June 2017
People who take infliximab for psoriatic arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis and other inflammatory conditions can safely switch to the biosimilar CT- P13, according to a new study of 482 patients who were taking infliximab for an inflammatory disease. The patients were assigned to either continue infliximab or switch to the biosimilar. Both groups were followed for 52 weeks. Disease worsening occurred in 26% of patients continuing infliximab and 30% of those switching to CT-P13 – a difference between the two that was not considered significant. Adverse effects were similar between the two groups as well, according to study results.
Source: The Lancet, June 2017
Nail Changes May Indicate Psoriatic Arthritis
Certain nail features can help doctors distinguish between psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis , and possibly lead to earlier or improved treatment for PsA, a new study suggests. In the analysis of 1,092 patients with either PsA or psoriasis only, researchers found that nail changes were more common among those with PsA than psoriasis only. Transverse (side-to-side) grooves, splinter hemorrhages (small broken blood vessels under the nails) and onycholysis (separation of the nail from the nail bed) were associated with arthritis. Transverse grooves were significantly associated with arthritis in the joint closest to the nail and enthesitis, inflammation where the tendons and ligaments insert into the bone.
Source: Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, November 2017
Biologic Helps PsA Not Controlled by Other Drugs
The newly approved biologic drug ixekizumab ( Taltz ) may work for people whose PsA is not well controlled by current medications. Ixekizumab was approved in 2016 in the use of plaque psoriasis and then received approval for PsA in December 2017. A 24-week randomized trial involved more than 300 adults for whom other available biologics were either ineffective or lost their effectiveness over time. More than half of those receiving ixekizumab had at least a 20% reduction in symptoms, including joint swelling and tenderness.
Source: The Lancet, June 2017
Switching from Infliximab to a Biosimilar
People who take infliximab for psoriatic arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis and other inflammatory conditions can safely switch to the biosimilar CT- P13, according to a new study of 482 patients who were taking infliximab for an inflammatory disease. The patients were assigned to either continue infliximab or switch to the biosimilar. Both groups were followed for 52 weeks. Disease worsening occurred in 26% of patients continuing infliximab and 30% of those switching to CT-P13 – a difference between the two that was not considered significant. Adverse effects were similar between the two groups as well, according to study results.
Source: The Lancet, June 2017
