A new clinical study shows that tildrakizumab effectively improves the quality of life and enhances the work productivity of those living with psoriasis.
Psoriasis is a prevalent chronic inflammatory disorder affecting about 3% of US individuals aged 20 and older, making it a significant immune-mediated disease in the US. The economic burden of psoriasis is substantial, including direct, indirect, and intangible costs for patients, insurers, and society. Among these, loss of work productivity is a major contributor, with costs per patient ranging from $3500 to $12,000.
Biologic treatments have shown promise in mitigating the work productivity loss associated with psoriasis. This phase 4 multicenter clinical study, published in the journal Dermatology and Therapy, investigated the role of biologic tildrakizumab, an interleukin-23 p19 inhibitor, in reducing productivity loss in psoriasis patients. Tildrakizumab has been approved for treating moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis. Clinical trials have demonstrated its efficacy and safety, but its impact on work productivity hasn't been fully explored.
Biologics Like Tildrakizumab Can Significantly Lower Productivity Loss
The study involved adults with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis who received tildrakizumab treatment over 64 weeks. Work productivity was assessed using the Work Productivity and Activity Impairment Questionnaire: Psoriasis (WPAI:PSO), which measures absenteeism, presenteeism, total activity impairment, and total work productivity impairment. Statistical analysis was conducted to analyze changes from baseline in these domains.
Results showed that tildrakizumab treatment significantly improved work productivity relative to baseline across all WPAI:PSO domains except absenteeism. The improvements were observed as early as week 16 and continued through week 64. Notably, total activity impairment decreased by 87.0%, while presenteeism and total work productivity impairment decreased by 89.7% from baseline to week 64, exceeding the minimal clinically important difference. Although absenteeism decreased, the change was not statistically significant, likely due to the near-zero baseline value.
These findings align with results from other studies, such as the TRIBUTE study, which also demonstrated improvements in work productivity and activity impairment with tildrakizumab treatment. Additionally, effective treatment of psoriasis with biologics like tildrakizumab has been shown to reduce the economic burden associated with work productivity loss.
Work productivity loss due to psoriasis is linked to changes in patients' health-related quality of life (HRQoL). Tildrakizumab's significant impact on work productivity loss further supports its role in improving the overall quality of life for patients with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis.
The Bottom Line
Tildrakizumab treatment in real-world clinical settings significantly improves work productivity and activity impairment in patients with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis. These findings highlight the role of tildrakizumab in reducing the economic burden of psoriasis by reducing work productivity loss. However, further research is needed to fully understand its impact on absenteeism.
Source:
Bhutani, T., Koo, J., Heim, J., Bhatia, N., Mathew, J., Ferro, T., & Vasquez, J. G. (2024). Improvements in Psoriasis-Related Work Productivity with Tildrakizumab: Results from a Phase 4 Real-World Study in Patients with Moderate-to-Severe Plaque Psoriasis. Dermatology and Therapy. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13555-024-01131-1
