Secukinumab Reduces Anxiety, Depression in Patients With Psoriatic Arthritis

The higher anxiety and depression burden typically seen in patients with psoriatic arthritis and psoriasis is improved with secukinumab treatment, according to a study presented here at the 2017 Annual Meeting of the American College of Rheumatology/Association of Rheumatology Health Professionals (ACR/ARHP).

Philip J. Mease, MD, University of Washington School of Medicine and Swedish Medical Center, Seattle, Washington, and colleagues examined the Anxiety/Depression dimension of the EuroQol 5-dimensional and 3-level questionnaire (EQ-5D-3L) in patients with psoriatic arthritis or psoriasis who were treated with secukinumab while enrolled in phase 3 trials.

In the FUTURE 1 and FUTURE 2 studies, patients with active psoriatic arthritis were randomised to secukinumab 150 mg or placebo. In the CLEAR study, patients received secukinumab 300 mg or ustekinumab.

Patients were defined as treatment responders if they had moderate or extreme anxiety/depression at baseline and reported that they were "not anxious/depressed" after secukinumab treatment.

Of the 200 patients enrolled in the FUTURE 1 study, 38.0% who were treated with secukinumab 150 mg reported being not anxious/depressed at baseline, which increased to 51.6% at week 4 and 59.2% at week 52.

In the 100 patients in the FUTURE 2 study, 32.0% and 41.4% who were treated with secukinumab 150 mg or 300 mg, respectively, reported being not anxious/depressed at baseline. Percentages increased to 51.5% and 54.7% at week 4 and 55.1% and 57.9% at week 52.

In 326 patients from the CLEAR study, 47.2% who were treated with secukinumab 300 mg reported being not anxious/depressed at baseline, and this increased to 73.9% at week 4, 80.7% at week 16, and was sustained up to week 52 (81.2%).

"Overall, our analysis shows that as many as a half to three-quarters of patients have anxiety/depression at baseline, confirming disease burden in active psoriatic arthritis and moderate to severe psoriasis," said Dr. Mease. "Treatment of psoriatic arthritis and moderate to severe psoriasis with secukinumab increased the proportion of patients with no anxiety or depression up to 52 weeks."

Notably, a high proportion of secukinumab-treated patients with anxiety or depression at baseline no longer had anxiety or depression as early as week 4, with continuous improvement up to 52 weeks.

Funding for this study was provided by Novartis.

[Presentation title: Secukinumab Treatment of Psoriatic Arthritis and Moderate to Severe Psoriasis Relieves Anxiety/Depression Up to 52 Weeks: An Overview From Secukinumab Phase 3 Clinical Trials. Abstract 607]