Patients undergoing psoriasis treatment indicate that they prefer that their treatment extend beyond the clearing of skin. For those receiving therapy via injectables, that means even at the cost of more frequent injections or a higher injection per dose ratio.
According to a survey of patients conducted by Novartis, patients ranked clear skin as the most desired result of treatment, but they also expect additional results such as long-term efficacy, safety data in large clinical trials, and fewer injection site reactions.
The survey, which was conducted in Austria, included 300 psoriasis patients who ranked the importance of a list of treatment attributes for patients.
Participants also indicated that they would prefer a treatment that addresses multiple types of psoriatic disease, including psoriatic arthritis, nail, palmoplantar psoriasis, and scalp psoriasis; ranking that preference above their concern for the risk of side effects.
“From the findings of this survey, consistent and sustained long term efficacy and safety from large clinical studies, no pain at injection site or efficacy in all manifestations of psoriatic disease could be influential when choosing a treatment for moderate-to-severe psoriasis,” said Professor Matthias Augustin, Director Institute of Health Care Research in Dermatology and Nursing, University of Hamburg, an author of the survey, in a press release.
Photo by Nick Youngson (CC BY-SA 3.0 via Alpha Stock Images)
The survey was presented during a research presentation at the 27th European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology (EADV) Congress in Paris.
“Reimagining medicine for patients, starts by listening to what patients truly want and need,” says Sam Khalil, PhD, Head Worldwide Medical Affairs, Immunology, Hepatology, and Dermatology at Novartis. He goes on to say that he believes the survey will help dermatologists and pharmaceutical manufacturers more deeply understand what patients want from their psoriasis treatment.
Specifically, the results of this survey may help physicians and pharmaceutical manufacturers better understand the expectations and hopes of their patients, which will assist both in creating and prescribing appropriate therapies.