Conditions: Plaque Psoriasis
Keywords: Adalimumab
Allocation: NON_RANDOMIZED | Intervention model: PARALLEL
Enrollment: 85
Healthy volunteers: no

Brief summary:
This study will provide data on additional therapeutic benefits in administering Adalimumab in patients with plaque psoriasis that showed an unsatisfactory response after at least 3 months of treatment with etanercept.

Detailed description:
A total of 50 patients with psoriasis vulgaris who showed an unsatisfactory response to etanercept 50 mg twice a week followed by 50 mg once a week and a total of 50 patients who showed an unsatisfactory response to etanercept 50 mg twice a week without dose reduction will be recruited. All patients will receive adalimumab 40 mg every other week (EOW) for 12 weeks. Patients who fail to reach a physician's global assessment (PGA) of clear or almost clear at week 12 will have an increase in adalimumab to 40 mg every week (EW) for an additional 12 weeks. Patients who reach a PGA of clear or almost clear at week 12 will continue to receive adalimumab at 40 mg EOW for an additional 12 weeks. Patients will be evaluated for safety and efficacy every 4 weeks for a total of 24 weeks. PASI, BSA and PGA will be performed at each visit. Routine chemistry, hematology and urinalysis will be performed every 4 weeks.

The percentage of patients achieving a physician's global assessment (PGA) of clear or almost clear after at least 12 weeks of adalimumab will be calculated for patients who had shown an unsatisfactory response to 3 months of etanercept at 50 mg twice a week without dose reduction as well as for patients who had shown an unsatisfactory response to 3 months of etanercept at 50 mg twice a week followed by 50 mg once a week.

A physician's global assessment (PGA) of clear is defined by no plaque elevation over normal skin. There is no scale. Erythema is perceptible as hyperpigmentation, pigmented macules, diffuse faint pink or red coloration.

A physician's global assessment (PGA) of almost clear is defined as follows: It is possible but difficilt to ascertain whether there is a slight elevation above normal skin. There is scaling in the form of surface dryness with some white coloration. Erythema is up to a definite red coloration.

Arms:
arm 1: Patients who have shown an unsatisfactory response to 3 months of etanercept 50 mg twice a week without dose reduction prior to screening. arm 2: Patients who showed a satisfactory response to 3 months or more of etanercept 50 mg twice a week followed by a loss of response after dose reduction to 50 mg etanercept once a week prior to screening. arm 3: Patients in group A who - after 12 weeks of adalimimab 40 mg every other week in this study - failed to reach a physician's global assessment (PGA) of clear or almost clear and had a dose increase to 40 mg adalimimab every week for another 12 weeks. arm 4: Patients in group B who - after 12 weeks of adalimimab 40 mg every other week in this study - failed to reach a physician's global assessment (PGA) of clear or almost clear and had a dose increase to 40 mg adalimimab every week for another 12 weeks.

Interventions: intervention 1: Adalimumab every other week intervention 2: Adalimumab Every Week
Intervention descriptions: intervention 1: Adalimumab 40mg injection every other week for 24 weeks intervention 2: Adalimumab 40mg injection every week for the last 12 weeks of study.

Protocol document: