Efficacy and safety of continuous versus paused etanercept treatment in patients with moderate-to-severe psoriasis over 54 weeks: the CRYSTEL study

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of continuous and paused etanercept regimens in psoriasis patients. Methods: Patients with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis were randomized to receive continuous etanercept 25 mg twice weekly or paused etanercept for 54 weeks. The paused group received etanercept 50 mg twice weekly for no more than 12 weeks until reaching a Physician Global Assessment (PGA) of 2 or less (mild or better), when treatment was paused; upon relapse (PGA ≥ 3), etanercept was resumed at 25 mg twice weekly until a PGA of 2 or less was regained. The primary efficacy end point was mean PGA over 54 weeks, which was compared between the continuous and paused groups. Secondary efficacy end points included changes from baseline in mean PGA score, Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) and patient satisfaction with current psoriasis treatment. Results: Among 711 patients evaluable for efficacy, the mean PGA score averaged over 54 weeks (primary end point) was significantly lower in the...