Background: Nail psoriasis is common in patients with psoriasis and can seriously affect their quality of life. Current treatments are limited and there is no standard course of therapy.
Objectives: To assess the efficacy and safety of etanercept (ETN) on nail psoriasis in patients with moderate-to-severe psoriasis.
Methods: Patients with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis, who had previously failed at least one form of systemic therapy for nail psoriasis, were randomized to receive open-label ETN 50 mg twice weekly (BIW) for 12 weeks followed by once weekly (QW) for 12 weeks (BIW/QW group) or ETN 50 mg QW for 24 weeks (QW/QW group). The primary endpoint was the mean improvement in the Nail Psoriasis Severity Index (NAPSI; score range 0-8) over 24 weeks in the target fingernail with the most severe abnormalities.
Results: Seventy-two patients received one or more doses of ETN (38 BIW/QW; 34 QW/QW) and 69 patients were included in the modified intent-to-treat population. At baseline, mean (standard error) target fingernail NAPSI score was 6.0 (0.3) in the BIW/QW group and 5.8 (0.3) in the QW/QW group. At week 24, mean target fingernail NAPSI score had decreased significantly by -4.3 [95% confidence interval (CI) -4.9 to -3.7; P < 0.0001] in the BIW/QW group and by -4.4 (95% CI -5.0 to -3.7; P < 0.0001) in the QW/QW group. Improvement in NAPSI showed significant correlation with Psoriasis Area and Severity Index improvement. ETN was well tolerated with no unexpected safety findings.
Conclusions: Both ETN regimens were effective at treating nail psoriasis in this patient population.
© 2013 The Authors. BJD © 2013 British Association of Dermatologists.