Spesolimab Rapidly Improves Quality of Life in Patients with Generalized Pustular Psoriasis, as per Dermatology Life Quality Index Scores: Data from the Effisayil 2 Trial

Abstract

Introduction Generalized pustular psoriasis (GPP) is a chronic and potentially life-threatening disease characterized by flares of widespread skin pustulation. In Effisayil 2 (NCT04399837), high‑dose spesolimab was superior to placebo in GPP flare prevention and numerically reduced the risk of Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) worsening (≥4-point increase in total score from baseline; secondary endpoint), up to Week 48.

Methods Here, we further analyze the effect of high-dose spesolimab versus placebo on DLQI in Effisayil 2.

Results Baseline characteristics were generally similar in the high-dose spesolimab (600 mg loading dose then 300 mg every 4 weeks [N=30]) and placebo groups (N=31) in terms of sex, age, length of disease, and historical flare frequency, although the high‑dose spesolimab group had a higher mean±SD DLQI score (11.1±6.9 [missing=1]) versus placebo (7.2±5.6 [missing=0]). At Week 4 in exploratory analysis, more patients in the high-dose spesolimab group (N=29) had no GPP flare and ≥4-point improvement in their DLQI score versus placebo (N=31) (n/N [%]: 10/29 [34.5%] [missing=1] versus 3/31 [9.7%] [missing=0]) at Week 4; this was also seen at Week 48 (11/29 [37.9%] [missing=6] versus 8/31 [25.8%] [missing=0], respectively). Furthermore, a higher proportion of patients treated with spesolimab had no GPP flare and reached a DLQI score of 0 or 1 at all visits up to Week 48 versus placebo (7/29 [24.1%] versus 1/31 [3.2%], respectively).

Conclusion Adding to previous data from Effisayil 2, this analysis demonstrates that patients treated with spesolimab (including high-dose) rapidly gained improvements in DLQI scores versus placebo, which were sustained through to Week 48.