Secukinumab improves skin response in Chinese patients with psoriatic arthritis

This was a multicenter, real-world observational cohort study of 446 Chinese patients diagnosed with psoriatic arthritis (PsA) based on CASPAR criteria. Patients were treated with secukinumab for more than 12 weeks, and outcomes were compared to baseline measurements.

The primary outcome was skin response, measured by PASI, BSA, and IGA scores, and dermatology-specific quality of life (DLQI). The main result showed that the PASI score decreased from 14.2 ± 14.4 to 3.98 ± 8.84, with a statistically significant improvement (p < 0.001).

Treatment-related adverse events (TRAEs) were a secondary outcome and were graded according to CTCAE v5.0. The rates of serious adverse events, discontinuations, and overall tolerability were not reported.

Key limitations include the observational, retrospective design, which limits certainty and precludes causal inference. The study population was restricted to Chinese patients with PsA, so results may not generalize to other populations.

In practice, this real-world evidence suggests an association between secukinumab and improved skin outcomes in Chinese PsA patients, but clinicians should interpret these findings cautiously given the study design.