OBJECTIVES : Psoriasis is one of the most common skin dermatoses affecting 2-3% of the Central European population. For the treatment of psoriasis (L40), the conventional, the local and the biological treatment are available in the Czech Republic. Due to increasing use of biological treatments and biosimilars in recent years, analysis of real-world evidence (RWE) was conducted. The aim of the study was to analyze the use of treatments in rea world settings, to determine the time to biological treatment, describe the treatment sequences, using biosimilars and to determine whether biological treatment prescriptions in the Czech Republic are exploited to their full potential.

METHODS : The patient level data on prescriptions connected with L40 diagnosis was collected from General Health Insurance Company of the Czech Republic, which represents approximately 60 % of patients in the Czech Republic. The data were processed by SQL and extrapolated to all Czech population.

RESULTS : There are almost 100 thousand patients treated with psoriasis in the Czech Republic every year. Most of them are treated by local therapy, only 1.5 % of patients uses biological treatment. The patient takes on average more than 3 years and almost 5 treatment molecules from the first treatment before getting to the biological treatment. Since patients get the biological treatment they remain on this treatment – 70 % of patients have only one line of biological treatment. Biosimilars replace original biological treatment very slowly.

CONCLUSIONS

: The biological treatment is highly effective but much more expensive therapy. Only small number of patients uses biological treatment in psoriasis, and it takes long time to get on it. The entry of new biosimilars (infliximab and etanercept) did not bring huge change in number of patients or switching to cheaper drug. The additional analysis should be conducted in the future with new adalimumab biosimilars.