Efficacy of adalimumab in the treatment of psoriasis: A retrospective study of 15 patients in daily practice

Abstract Background: Adalimumab is a fully human IgG1 monoclonal antibody that binds to tumor necrosis factor (TNF), a key proinflammatory cytokine involved in the pathogenesis of psoriasis. Objective: A single-center, retrospective study was conducted to assess the efficacy and safety of adalimumab in patients with moderate to severe psoriasis in daily practice. Methods: The medical records of 15 patients with moderate to severe psoriasis treated with adalimumab during a 1-year period were reviewed. Previous conventional systemic treatments or other biological agents were unsuccessful. All patients received subcutaneous injections of an initial dose of adalimumab (80 mg) at week 0 followed by adalimumab (40 mg) every other week. Results: A 75% improvement in the Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI 75) score was achieved by 80% of patients at week 24 and by 73.3% of patients at week 48. Moreover, 13.3% of patients were almost completely cleared (PASI 90) at week 48. At 24 weeks, adalimumab therapy inc...