Mucocutaneous and joint disorders are the most common manifestations in Behçet’s syndrome (BS) and are frequently clustered in the so-called minor forms of BS. There remains a need for safe and effective treatment for joint lesions in BS. We report the long-term safety and effectiveness of apremilast in refractory joint and mucocutaneous manifestations of BS.
French nationwide multicenter study including 50 BS patients with either active joint and/or mucocutaneous manifestations resistant to colchicine and/or DMARDs. Patients received apremilast 30 mg twice a day. Primary effectiveness endpoint was the proportion of patients with complete response (CR) of articular symptoms at month 6 (M6), defined as resolution of inflammatory arthralgia and arthritis, with joint count equal to zero.
At inclusion, the median tender and swollen joint count was of 4 [2-6] and 2 [1-2], respectively. The proportion of CR in joint disease at M6 was 65% (n = 15/23), and 17% (n = 4/23) were partial responders. CR of oral and genital ulcers, and pseudofolliculitis at M6 was 73% (n = 24/33), 94% (n = 16/17) and 71% (n = 10/14), respectively. The overall response at M6 was 74% for the entire cohort and 70% for the mucocutaneous-articular cluster (n = 27). The median Behçet’s syndrome activity score significantly decreased during study period [50 (40–60)
Apremilast seems effective in BS-related articular disease refractory to colchicine and DMARDs. Discontinuation rates were significantly higher than that reported in clinical trials.