Brandt-Jürgens et al. identified a difference between the incidence rates of uveitis in patients with PsA or axSpA when treated with secukinumab compared to placebo. The authors conducted a post hoc analysis of 11 placebo-controlled clinical trials which has observed that uveitis incidences in patients with PsA are consistent with clinical trial data, and patients with axSpA show a lower incidence of uveitis compared to other publications.

Merola et al. showed that the safety profile of ixekizumab (IXE) supports its long-term use in patients with PsO, PsA, or axSpA, without an increased risk for malignant neoplasm development. Merola et al. investigated the incidence rates of malignant neoplasms among patients with PsO, PsA, or axSpA who underwent long-term treatment with IXE, an IL- 17A antagonist.

June 2025

Zhang et al. observed that, compared to the control group, ixekizumab was associated with an increased risk of new-onset IBD in psoriasis patients, and that there is insufficient evidence to confirm that ustekinumab, bimekizumab, secukinumab, and brodalumab significantly increase the risk of new-onset IBD. Zhang et al. evaluated the risk of new-onset IBD in psoriasis patients treated with five IL inhibitors (bimekizumab, ixekizumab, secukinumab, brodalumab, and ustekinumab), providing insights to inform clinical decision-making. Additionally, compared to the control group, no significant difference was observed in the risk of diarrhoea as an AE.

Chen et al. investigated the risk of MACE and VTE among patients with biologic-naïve psoriasis or PsA receiving biologic therapy. No significant difference in the risks of MACE and VTE was found between new biologics (IL-17i, IL-12/23i, or IL-23i) and TNFi.

May 2025

In more than 1500 patients from 13 European countries, Pons et al. demonstrated that secukinumab retention rates after four years were approximately 50% in both axSpA and PsA patients. Pons et al. aimed to assess retention rates and proportions of patients achieving remission and LDA, according to disease activity measures and patient-reported outcomes at 24 and 48 months, in axSpA and PsA patients initiating secukinumab. In this large real-world study, Pons et al., for the first time, report 48-month retention rates as well as rates of remission and LDA. Importantly, b/tsDMARD naïve patients demonstrated higher retention, remission and LDA rates than patients with prior b/tsDMARDs exposure, particularly in axSpA.  

Lin et al. compared the risk of CVD in patients with psoriasis who were prescribed biologics or oral therapies and assessed the association between different classes of biologics and CVD risk. Patients with psoriasis-prescribed biologics exhibited a reduced risk of incident CVDs compared with those receiving oral antipsoriatic drugs.

Merola et al. undertook a post hoc analysis of prospective cohorts that compared the effects of deucravacitinib vs placebo and vs apremilast on joint pain, and the impact of musculoskeletal symptoms, at Weeks 16 and 24 in the pooled POETYK PSO-1 and PSO-2 populations who self-reported joint symptoms on the PASE questionnaire. Patients who screened positively for PsA reported greater improvements in joint pain and peripheral joint disease with deucravacitinib vs placebo at Week 16 and vs apremilast at Week 24. Findings from this pooled analysis suggest that deucravacitinib may be used to treat both dermatologic and joint symptoms effectively in patients with psoriasis and probable arthritis.

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Palsson et al. aimed to estimate the prevalence and predictors of ever achieving remission and sustained remission (SR) in PsA patients initiating b/tsDMARDs therapy in Sweden, using three different remission criteria (DAPSA28, DAS28CRP and EGA). Palsson et al. found that despite increased availability and a wider selection of b/tsDMARDs with different modes of action, a considerable proportion of PsA patients receiving such treatments never achieve remission and approximately half never achieve SR. Fewer swollen joints at baseline predicted a greater likelihood of SR according to all assessed remission definitions, while male sex predicted the likelihood of SR according to DAPSA28 and EGA.

Poddubnyy et al. identified no apparent increase in the risk of developing extramusculoskeletal manifestations (EMMs) in patients with PsA, r-axSpA, and nr-axSpA receiving 15mg UPA in the SELECT trials. Majority of patients did not report a history of EMMs at baseline, regardless of disease indication or study treatment.

Biologic switching in psoriatic arthritis: Insights from real-world data and key risk factors

Semin Arthritis Rheum. 2025;73:152737 doi: 10.1016/j.semarthrit.2025.152737

Haddad et al. used real-world data from Israel’s largest health maintenance organisation to investigate predictors and patterns of biologic therapy switching in PsA, reporting that nearly half of biologic users switched therapy at least once. Cross-class switching, particularly from anti-TNF to IL-17 therapies, was frequent and consistent across two decades of treatment data.