Risankizumab for the Treatment of Moderate-to-Severe Psoriasis: Real-Life Multicenter Experience from the Czech Republic

INTRODUCTION: Risankizumab has been approved for the treatment of moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis; however, real-life data are limited. Our objectives were to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of risankizumab and its impact on the quality of life of patients with psoriasis in a real-world setting. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed 154 patients from 18 centers in the Czech Republic who had undergone biologic therapy with risankizumab for moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis. Baseline characteristics included data on comorbidities, demographics, previous therapies, Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) score, and Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) score. The proportion of patients achieving a 90% improvement in their PASI score from baseline (PASI 90) and complete resolution (PASI 100) after 16, 28, and 52 weeks was analyzed. RESULTS: A total of 95 men and 59 women with mean body mass index (BMI) of 29.6 were enrolled in our analysis. The mean age of the patients was 48.5 years and the mean time from diagnosis until initiation of risankizumab therapy was 22.5 years. After 16 weeks, 63.8 and 44.7% patients achieved PASI 90 and PASI 100 responses, respectively. Improvement continued with time, and the proportion of patients with PASI 90 and PASI 100 responses increased to 82.4 and 67.6%, respectively, at week 52. A significant reduction was observed over time in the DLQI. Patients achieving PASI 100 response at week 16 had a higher reduction in the DLQI score than those with PASI 90 response (− 15.9 vs. − 11.8). PASI 90 and PASI 100 responses were independent of the BMI and previous biologic therapy. No new safety issues were identified. CONCLUSIONS: In this patient population, risankizumab was effective and safe in a real-world setting, and a high number of patients achieved PASI 90 and PASI 100 responses. A higher reduction in the DLQI was seen in patients with PASI 100 response, which supports the evidence that this value should be the new therapeutic goal.