Conditions: Plaque Psoriasis
Keywords: Randomized Double-blind Chronic plaque psoriasis Pediatric
Allocation: RANDOMIZED | Intervention model: PARALLEL
Enrollment: 114
Healthy volunteers: no

Brief summary:
This study will compare how well adalimumab works versus methotrexate (MTX) in children with moderate to severe psoriasis in the short term. It will also study how safe and how well adalimumab works in the long term and how long disease response can be maintained after stopping therapy.

Detailed description:
The study had a 30-day screening period and a multi-period study design, as described below:

Period A - Primary Treatment Phase: Participants were randomized to receive adalimumab 0.8 mg/kg, adalimumab 0.4 mg/kg, or MTX in 1:1:1 ratio for 16 weeks.

Period B - Treatment Withdrawal Phase: Responders were withdrawn from active treatment and monitored for loss of disease control for up to 36 weeks.

Period C - Re-Treatment Phase: Participants who had experienced loss of disease control in Period B were re-treated with adalimumab for 16 weeks.

Period D - Long-Term Follow-Up Phase: Participants received adalimumab or were observed off-treatment (if disease remained under control) for 52 weeks.

Arms:
arm 1: In Period A participants received a single subcutaneous loading dose of adalimumab 0.4 mg/kg (up to a maximum of 20 mg) at Week 0 followed by every other week dosing beginning at Week 1. To maintain the blind, participants also received weekly dosing of methotrexate placebo tablets. Participants who were non-responders in Period A entered Period D directly and received open-label adalimumab at 0.8 mg/kg eow for up to 52 weeks. Participants who responded in Period A entered the Treatment Withdrawal Phase (Period B) for up to 36 weeks. Participants who experienced a loss of disease control in Period B entered the Re-treatment Phase (Period C) and received blinded adalimumab 0.4 mg/kg eow for 16 weeks. Participants who completed Period B with no loss of disease control entered Period D and were observed off study medication for up to 52 weeks. Participants who completed Period C entered Period D for an additional 52 weeks of treatment with blinded adalimumab 0.4 mg/kg eow. arm 2: In Period A participants received a single subcutaneous loading dose of adalimumab 0.8 mg/kg (up to a maximum of 40 mg) at Week 0 followed by every other week dosing beginning at Week 1. To maintain the blind, participants also received weekly dosing of methotrexate placebo tablets. Participants who were non-responders in Period A entered Period D directly and received open-label adalimumab at 0.8 mg/kg eow for up to 52 weeks. Participants who responded in Period A entered the Treatment Withdrawal Phase (Period B) for up to 36 weeks. Participants who experienced a loss of disease control in Period B entered the Re-treatment Phase (Period C) and received blinded adalimumab 0.8 mg/kg eow for 16 weeks. Participants who completed Period B with no loss of disease control entered Period D and were observed off study medication for up to 52 weeks. Participants who completed Period C entered Period D for an additional 52 weeks of treatment with blinded adalimumab 0.8 mg/kg eow. arm 3: Participants received 0.1 mg/kg methotrexate at Baseline (Week 0), and up to 0.4 mg/kg weekly (maximum dose of 25 mg/week) in Period A. Participants also received adalimumab placebo as a single subcutaneous loading dose at Week 0, followed by every other week (eow) dosing from Week 1. Participants who were non-responders in period A entered Period D directly and received open-label adalimumab at 0.8 mg/kg eow for up to 52 weeks. Participants who responded in Period A entered the Treatment Withdrawal Phase (Period B) for up to 36 weeks. Participants who experienced a loss of disease control in Period B entered the Re-treatment Phase (Period C) and received blinded adalimumab 0.8 mg/kg eow for 16 weeks. Participants who completed Period B with no loss of disease control entered Period D and were observed off study medication for up to 52 weeks. Participants who completed Period C entered Period D for an additional 52 weeks of treatment with blinded adalimumab 0.8 mg/kg eow.

Interventions: intervention 1: Adalimumab intervention 2: Methotrexate intervention 3: Placebo to Adalimumab intervention 4: Placebo to Methotrexate
Intervention descriptions: intervention 1: Adalimumab by subcutaneous injection every other week (eow) intervention 2: Methotrexate 0.1 mg/kg at Week 0 and up to 0.4 mg/kg per week (maximum dose of 25 mg/week) orally. intervention 3: A single subcutaneous loading dose at Week 0 followed by eow dosing beginning at Week 1. intervention 4: Orally once a week

Protocol document: