Effectiveness of etanercept in children with plaque psoriasis in real practice: a one-year multicenter retrospective study

Background: Etanercept is licensed for the treatment of moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis in children. Objectives: The aim of this analysis was to investigate effectiveness, tolerability, and reasons for discontinuation of etanercept in a real-life cohort of children and adolescents with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis. Methods: Data collected from a number of centers belonging to the 'Pediatric Dermatology Group' of the Italian Society of Dermatology (SIDeMaST) were examined in patients (age <= 17 years) who started treatment with etanercept from 2011 to 2015. A group of 23 patients were identified. Efficacy assessment was defined as the proportion of patients with a >= 50% and >= 75% improvement in Psoriasis Area Severity Index (PASI) at weeks 12, 24, and 52. Safety was evaluated on adverse event reporting. Reasons for discontinuation were classified as ineffectiveness, adverse events, remission, or other reasons. Results: At week 12, 56.5% of patients achieved PASI 75, 86.9% achieved PASI 50. Efficacy was sustained through week 52. In 15 patients etanercept was still ongoing at the time of data collection. In three patients the therapy was suspended due to inefficacy. The medication was overall well tolerated. Conclusions: Etanercept was an effective and well-tolerated treatment in this real-life cohort of patients.