Ustekinumab improves nail disease in patients with moderate-to-severe psoriasis: results from PHOENIX 1

Background Most patients with psoriasis have nail changes, and treating nail psoriasis is challenging. Objectives To assess improvement in fingernail psoriasis with ustekinumab treatment in the PHOENIX 1 trial. Methods Patients received ustekinumab 45 mg or 90 mg, or placebo at weeks 0 and 4. Ustekinumab-randomized patients continued maintenance dosing every 12 weeks, while patients receiving placebo crossed over to receive ustekinumab 45 mg or 90 mg at weeks 12/16 followed by dosing every 12 weeks. At week 40, initial responders [those with ≥ 75% improvement from baseline in Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI 75)] were rerandomized either to continue maintenance dosing or to withdraw from treatment. Nail involvement was evaluated using the Nail Psoriasis Severity Index (NAPSI) on a target fingernail, Nail Physician's Global Assessment (Nail PGA) and mean number of nails involved. Results Of 766 randomized patients, 545 (71·1%) had nail psoriasis. At week 24, the percentage improvement from baseline NAPSI score was 46·5% (ustekinumab 45 mg) and 48·7% (ustekinumab 90 mg). Percentage improvements in NAPSI ranged from 29·7% (PASI < 50) to 57·3% (PASI ≥ 90). Mean NAPSI scores improved from 4·5 at baseline to 2·4 at week 24 (45 mg) and from 4·4 to 2·2 (90 mg). Nail PGA scores and the mean number of psoriatic nails improved by week 24. Further improvement was observed for all end points among initial responders continuing maintenance treatment through week 52. Conclusions Ustekinumab significantly improves nail psoriasis, and improvements continue over time until up to 1 year of treatment in those receiving maintenance treatment. What's already known about this topic? The majority of patients with moderate-to-severe psoriasis have nail manifestations, for which limited therapies are available. What does this study add? Beyond the recognized benefit to the skin in psoriasis, ustekinumab significantly improves nail psoriasis over time. Both nail and skin manifestations of psoriasis should be considered when choosing treatment. © 2013 British Association of Dermatologists.