Efficacy and Safety of Etanercept 50 mg Once Weekly Plus As Needed Topical Agent in Moderate to Severe Plaque Psoriasis

The recommended starting dose of etanercept for adult plaque psoriasis patients is a 50 mg dose given twice a week (BIW) for 3 months followed by a reduction to a maintenance dose of 50 mg once weekly (QW). While most patients with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis are managed satisfactorily on etanercept monotherapy, a proportion may require a modified or alternative treatment regimen (eg, to handle flares or loss of effect) at some point during their chronic management. Despite the clinical need, no published data from randomized controlled studies are currently available that demonstrate efficacy and safety of combined etanercept-based regimens in patients with plaque psoriasis. The addition of an as-needed topical medication to the step-down dose of etanercept 50 mg once weekly administered after the initial 12 week period of 50 mg twice weekly may be a potential option for patients who may require adjunctive therapy. This study aimed to provide data on this treatment option by estimating the difference in mean percent change in Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) scores between step-down etanercept 50 mg once weekly supplemented with as-needed topical medication and continuous treatment with etanercept 50 mg twice weekly. Eligible patients will be enrolled in the study and will receive etanercept 50 mg twice weekly for 12 weeks. After 12 weeks of etanercept treatment, participants will be randomized in a 1:1 ratio to 1 of 2 treatment groups.