Efalizumab linked to development of psoriatic arthritis
New research has suggested that the biologic drug efalizumab could trigger psoriatic arthritis in patients with psoriasis.
The researchers from the Hospital Saint-Louis in Paris published its findings in the journal Arthritis & Rheumatism.
Their trial involved 16 patients with psoriasis who developed arthritis during treatment with efalizumab, (brand name Raptiva) which is used to treat severe cases of psoriasis.
The team noted that the average patient developed the arthritis 15 weeks after beginning treatment with efalizumab. Analysis showed that all the patients displayed at least two different sets of classification criteria for psoriatic arthritis.
It was also noted that most of the patients experienced improvement in skin lesions at the onset of arthritis.
When efalizumab treatment was stopped in 11 patients because of the severe psoriatic arthritis, only one enjoyed remission. Eight patients required treatment with non-steroid anti-inflammatory drugs and/or methotrexate and two needed anti-TNF treatment.
As a result, Dr Herve Bachelez and the rest of the team concluded: "This study questions the role of efalizumab in the induction of PsA. It also emphasizes the discrepancy between the courses of psoriatic skin and joint manifestations under treatment.
"Prospective case-control studies are needed to accurately investigate the impact of efalizumab on psoriatic arthritis."
A spokesman for the Arthritis Research Campaign said: "Although this drug effectively reduces skin rashes in psoriasis, if it also induces psoriatic arthritis then its use in psoriasis will have to be closely scrutinised."
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