Bimekizumab Improves Work Productivity in Patients With Hidradenitis Suppurativa: 2-Year Results From BE HEARD EXT
Author(s)
Sylke Schneider-Burrus, PhD1, ELENI SOTIRIOU, PhD2, Iltefat Hamzavi, MD3, Tiffany Mayo, MD4, Peter Foley, PhD5, Lynda Spelman, MD6, Toshifumi Nomura, PhD7, Simon F. Thomsen, PhD8, Jérémy Lambert, MSc, PhD9, Michael Frank Mørup, MSc10, Nicola Tilt, PhD11, Martina L. Porter, MD12.
1Center for Skin Surgery, Havelklinik, Berlin, Germany, 2First Department of Dermatology and Venereology, School of Medicine, Aristotle University, Thessaloniki, Athens, Greece, 3Department of Dermatology, Henry Ford Hospital, Detroit, MI, USA, 4Department of Dermatology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA, 5The University of Melbourne, St. Vincent's Hospital Melbourne, Skin Health Institute, Carlton, Victoria, Australia, 6Veracity Clinical Research, Brisbane, Australia, 7Department of Dermatology, Institute of Medicine, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Japan, 8Department of Dermatology, Bispebjerg Hospital, Copenhagen University, Copenhagen, Denmark, 9UCB, Colombes, France, 10UCB, Copenhagen, Denmark, 11UCB, Slough, United Kingdom, 12Department of Dermatology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
1Center for Skin Surgery, Havelklinik, Berlin, Germany, 2First Department of Dermatology and Venereology, School of Medicine, Aristotle University, Thessaloniki, Athens, Greece, 3Department of Dermatology, Henry Ford Hospital, Detroit, MI, USA, 4Department of Dermatology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA, 5The University of Melbourne, St. Vincent's Hospital Melbourne, Skin Health Institute, Carlton, Victoria, Australia, 6Veracity Clinical Research, Brisbane, Australia, 7Department of Dermatology, Institute of Medicine, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Japan, 8Department of Dermatology, Bispebjerg Hospital, Copenhagen University, Copenhagen, Denmark, 9UCB, Colombes, France, 10UCB, Copenhagen, Denmark, 11UCB, Slough, United Kingdom, 12Department of Dermatology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
OBJECTIVES: Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS), a chronic inflammatory skin disease with debilitating symptoms, significantly impacts patients’ quality of life and work productivity.1 Bimekizumab (BKZ) is a humanised IgG1 monoclonal antibody that selectively inhibits interleukin (IL)-17F in addition to IL‑17A.2 This publication demonstrates how long-term BKZ treatment of patients with moderate to severe HS impacts work productivity.
METHODS: Patients randomised to BKZ from baseline in BE HEARD I&II and who entered their open-label extension (OLE), BE HEARD EXT, were pooled (BKZ Total; OLE set).3,4 Patients completed the Work Productivity and Activity Impairment (WPAI) Questionnaire at various timepoints that included baseline, Week48 and Week96. For the domains, the percentage of overall work impairment, impairment while working (presenteeism), work time missed (absenteeism) and activity impairment were calculated: mean absolute scores are reported; higher scores indicate greater impairment.5 All domains except activity impairment were answered only by patients who were employed. Data are reported as observed case.
RESULTS: 556 patients randomised to BKZ at baseline in BE HEARD I&II completed Week48 and entered BE HEARD EXT. BKZ Total patients reported an improved (reduced) mean (SD;n) overall work impairment score over 48 weeks, which was sustained to Week96 (baseline: 29.6%[27.4;338]; Week48: 14.6%[20.4;408]; Week96: 16.0%[20.8;309]). Similarly, improvements in presenteeism (baseline: 28.7%[26.4;338]; Week48: 12.6%[18.1;408]; Week96: 12.5%[17.7;309]) and activity impairment (baseline: 39.9%[28.6;551]; Week48: 16.5%[21.3;555]; Week96: 17.1%[21.8;439]) were also observed. Absenteeism remained consistently low over 96 weeks (baseline: 5.5%[18.8;349]; Week48: 4.8%[17.3;415]; Week96: 5.6%[17.6;314]).
CONCLUSIONS: In patients with HS treated with bimekizumab, 1-year improvements in work productivity which included overall work impairment, presenteeism and activity impairment, were maintained to 2 years; absenteeism remained low.
References: 1. Zouboulis CC et al. 2015;231:184-90; 2. Adams R et al. 2020;11:1894; 3. Kimball AB et al. 2024 (NCT04242446, NCT04242498); 4. BE HEARD EXT: www.clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT04901195 (NCT04901195); 5. Zhang W et al. 2010;12:R177.
METHODS: Patients randomised to BKZ from baseline in BE HEARD I&II and who entered their open-label extension (OLE), BE HEARD EXT, were pooled (BKZ Total; OLE set).3,4 Patients completed the Work Productivity and Activity Impairment (WPAI) Questionnaire at various timepoints that included baseline, Week48 and Week96. For the domains, the percentage of overall work impairment, impairment while working (presenteeism), work time missed (absenteeism) and activity impairment were calculated: mean absolute scores are reported; higher scores indicate greater impairment.5 All domains except activity impairment were answered only by patients who were employed. Data are reported as observed case.
RESULTS: 556 patients randomised to BKZ at baseline in BE HEARD I&II completed Week48 and entered BE HEARD EXT. BKZ Total patients reported an improved (reduced) mean (SD;n) overall work impairment score over 48 weeks, which was sustained to Week96 (baseline: 29.6%[27.4;338]; Week48: 14.6%[20.4;408]; Week96: 16.0%[20.8;309]). Similarly, improvements in presenteeism (baseline: 28.7%[26.4;338]; Week48: 12.6%[18.1;408]; Week96: 12.5%[17.7;309]) and activity impairment (baseline: 39.9%[28.6;551]; Week48: 16.5%[21.3;555]; Week96: 17.1%[21.8;439]) were also observed. Absenteeism remained consistently low over 96 weeks (baseline: 5.5%[18.8;349]; Week48: 4.8%[17.3;415]; Week96: 5.6%[17.6;314]).
CONCLUSIONS: In patients with HS treated with bimekizumab, 1-year improvements in work productivity which included overall work impairment, presenteeism and activity impairment, were maintained to 2 years; absenteeism remained low.
References: 1. Zouboulis CC et al. 2015;231:184-90; 2. Adams R et al. 2020;11:1894; 3. Kimball AB et al. 2024 (NCT04242446, NCT04242498); 4. BE HEARD EXT: www.clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT04901195 (NCT04901195); 5. Zhang W et al. 2010;12:R177.
Conference/Value in Health Info
2025-11, ISPOR Europe 2025, Glasgow, Scotland
Value in Health, Volume 28, Issue S2
Code
PCR32
Topic
Patient-Centered Research
Topic Subcategory
Patient-reported Outcomes & Quality of Life Outcomes
Disease
Biologics & Biosimilars, Sensory System Disorders (Ear, Eye, Dental, Skin)