ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Med.
Sec. Dermatology
Volume 12 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fmed.2025.1605100
A population-based registry study on psoriasis associated burden of disease in Finland
Provisionally accepted
- 1Medaffcon, Oy, Espoo, Finland
- 2UCB Pharma Oy Finland, Espoo, Ostrobothnia, Finland
- 3Skin and Allergy Hospital, Helsinki University Central Hospital, Helsinki, Uusimaa, Finland
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Introduction: Despite advancements in treatment, unmet needs persist for patients with plaque psoriasis (PSO). This study characterized PSO patients initiating or switching biologic medications, with or without prior biologic use, and highlight the unmet needs as medication switches and concomitant treatments. The impact of biologic therapy initiation was assessed through changes in healthcare resource utilization (HCRU), sick leave, and disability pensions. Methods: This study utilized electronic healthcare data covering adult patients with PSO and reimbursed biologic medication purchases between 2013 and 2021 in Finland. Patients were followed from the first biologic treatment purchase (first biological cohort) or switch (switchers) to 2022 or death/loss of follow-up. Results: A total of 2,437 patients with PSO and biologic medication purchases were investigated. Of them 14.2% (n=345) were switchers and 85.8% (n=2,092) of first biological cohort. Of the first biological cohort, 12.5% (95%CI 11.1, 13.9) had switched to other biologic medication one year after initiation. Work absences started to cumulate before the first medication was initiated in the first biological cohort, followed by a subsequent decrease, while the cumulation remained modest and linear shape in the switchers. The proportion of <65-year-old patients on disability pension was higher in the switchers compared to first biological cohort, 7.8% (n=27) vs. 6.6% (n=138), respectively. 86 first biological patients (4.1%) vs. 11 (3.2%) switchers were on disability pension before the biologic treatment had been initiated. The number of all-cause secondary healthcare outpatient contacts per year (11.1 vs 7.4 per patient; p<0.001) and disease-related inpatient days (0.46 vs 0.16 per patient; p<0.001) were lower one year after the first biological cohort initiated biologic treatment compared to time before biologic treatment. The decrease in the disease-related any-type contact cost per year for the first biological cohort was significant, from 2,098€ (95% CI 1,975, 2,221) to 1,094€ (95% CI 1,012, 1,176; p<0.001). No significant reduction was observed in the switchers HCRU. Discussion: This study indicated the need for timely treatment and existence of unmet need for patients with PSO. Further studies are needed to evaluate the overall benefits of earlier utilization of highly effective treatments.
Keywords: Registry, Epidemiology, Treatment, Sick leaves, Healthcare resource utilization, Treatment switch, disease burden, Psoriasis
Received: 02 Apr 2025; Accepted: 24 Jun 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Ukkola-Vuoti, Klåvus, Toppila, Hällfors, Veijalainen and Mälkönen. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Tarja Mälkönen, Skin and Allergy Hospital, Helsinki University Central Hospital, Helsinki, 00250, Uusimaa, Finland
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