Clinical Characteristics of Registry Participants with Psoriatic Arthritis Initiating Guselkumab: An Analysis from the CorEvitas Psoriatic Arthritis/Spondyloarthritis Registry.

Background: The monoclonal antibody guselkumab is the first selective inhibitor of the interleukin-23 p19 subunit approved to treat adults with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis and active psoriatic arthritis (PsA). Given its recent approval for active PsA, data describing patients with PsA initiating guselkumab outside of clinical trials are limited.

Objective: This analysis describes characteristics of patients with rheumatologist-diagnosed PsA initiating guselkumab in the US-based, prospective, observational CorEvitas Psoriatic Arthritis/Spondyloarthritis Registry.

Methods: Demographics, lifestyle/disease characteristics, comorbidities, prior treatment, and disease activity were summarized for patients with PsA initiating guselkumab from registry inception through 30 September, 2021.

Results: Of 113 patients initiating guselkumab, the majority were female (63%), obese (67%), had psoriasis (89%), and initiated guselkumab as monotherapy (81%). Common comorbidities were hypertension (32%), depression (30%), and diabetes mellitus (26%). Mean tender (6.8) and swollen (2.0) joint counts, clinical Disease Activity Index for PsA score (19.1), and 57% of participants with ≥ 3% body surface area affected by psoriasis indicated moderate disease activity. Axial involvement was identified in 49% of patients. Median patient-reported pain and fatigue visual analog scale scores (0-100) were 60 and 59, respectively. Prior to guselkumab, 76% of patients had received two or more biologic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs; the last therapy prior to guselkumab was a biologic disease-modifying antirheumatic drug in 81% of patients.

Conclusions: Registry participants with PsA initiating guselkumab had active peripheral joint and skin disease, with substantial pain and fatigue; a considerable proportion had axial involvement. Future studies will evaluate the effectiveness of guselkumab in this population.