No abstract

Although treatment with ustekinumab every 12 weeks is effective for most patients with moderate-to-severe psoriasis, intensification of dosing to once every 8 weeks with ustekinumab 90 mg might be necessary to elicit a full response in patients who only partially respond to the initial regimen.

The efficacy of ustekinumab at a dose of 45 or 90 mg was superior to that of high-dose etanercept over a 12-week period in patients with psoriasis. (ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT00454584.)

This study demonstrates the therapeutic efficacy of an interleukin-12/23 monoclonal antibody in psoriasis and provides further evidence of a role of the interleukin-12/23 p40 cytokines in the pathophysiology of psoriasis. Larger studies are needed to determine whether serious adverse events might limit the clinical usefulness of this new therapeutic target. (ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT00320216 [ClinicalTrials.gov].).

Background: Cardiovascular diseases or risk factors (CVDR) seem to be more common in psoriasis patients than in the general population. Objective: We assessed the relationship of psoriasis with CVDR by analysis of healthcare claims data using a cross-sectional, prevalence-based study design. Patients and Methods: The IMS Health and MarketScan® claims databases were used to identify adults with psoriasis diagnostic codes. Non-psoriasis controls were matched 3:1 based on age, gender, census region and previous medical insurance coverage. Odds ratios evaluated the relative prevalence of CVDR, and Mantel-Haenszel confidence intervals were estimated. Results: CVDR prevalence was generally higher in psoriasis patients than controls in both datasets. Odds ratios for atherosclerosis, congestive heart failure, type 2 diabetes, and peripheral vascular disease were ≧1.20 for psoriasis patients. Elevated disease severity was associated with a higher rate of CVDR, but varied somewhat by dataset and condition. Conclusions: Elevated CVDR rates were found in psoriasis patients compared with controls. This pattern merits further examination.