Etanercept use for psoriasis in Taiwan: a case series study

Background The reported efficacy and safety of some biologic agents for psoriasis vary between Caucasians and Asians. Few reports of etanercept exist in psoriasis patients within the Asia-Pacific region. Objectives The study aims to report our clinical experience of etanercept in the treatment of patients with moderate-to-severe psoriasis in Taiwan. Methods A retrospective analysis of 59 patients with moderate-to-severe psoriasis who received etanercept was conducted in a tertiary referral center. Results Etanercept therapy resulted in a reduction of mean Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) of 47% at week 12 and 61% at week 24. After 12 weeks of treatment, 48%, 26%, and 3.4% of the patients achieved at least PASI50, 75 and 90 response, respectively. At week 24, the proportion of patients achieving at least PASI50, 75 and 90 response was 59%, 37%, and 14%, respectively. Etanercept efficacy in achieving PASI75 improvement was, however, lower than that reported in previous pivotal placebo-controlled trials. No cases of active tuberculosis, viral hepatitis or malignancies were observed during the observation period. Conclusion Our case series demonstrated the efficacy and safety of etanercept for the management of moderate-to-severe psoriasis in Taiwan.