Tapinarof Cream Study for Psoriasis

USA: Continuous and intermittent use of tapinarof cream in the PSOARING 3 trial was demonstrated to be safe and effective for up to 1 year in adults with mild to severe psoriasis, a recent study in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology has shown.

Study Highlights

Once-daily 1% tapinarof cream showed a high rate of complete disease clearance, continued and durable improvements in health-related quality of life (HRQoL), positive perceptions of tapinarof cream, and high rates of patient satisfaction.

Background on Psoriasis

Psoriasis is a common inflammatory skin disease that affects HRQoL through pain, itching, and disfigurement. Many patients reported that psoriasis had a moderate to extremely high impact on their daily lives. Important treatment goals for patients include regaining disease control, confidence in therapy, achieving/maintaining clear skin, and symptom relief. Low patient satisfaction with psoriasis therapies and adverse effects on HRQoL are barriers to optimal care. About half of the patients are dissatisfied with their current psoriasis treatment, with patient preferences and satisfaction closely related to treatment adherence. Low treatment satisfaction may be due to adverse events and insufficient efficacy, linked to increased use of combination therapy, treatment discontinuation, and medication switching. Consequently, patient-reported outcomes (PROs) and evaluations of patient satisfaction with treatment are critical considerations for clinicians.

Study Objective

Against the above background, Jerry Bagel, Psoriasis Treatment Center of New Jersey, NJ, USA, and colleagues aimed to assess long-term, health-related quality of life and patient satisfaction with tapinarof, a first-in-class, nonsteroidal, aryl hydrocarbon 131 receptor (AhR) agonist approved by the US FDA (Food and Drug Administration) for plaque psoriasis treatment in adults.

Methodology

Tapinarof cream 1% once daily had shown significant efficacy and was well tolerated versus vehicle in two 12-week, phase 3 pivotal trials in people with mild to severe plaque psoriasis. Patients who completed the 12-week trials were suitable for 40 weeks of open-label tapinarof based on PSOARING 3, with a 4-week follow-up. DLQI (Dermatology Life Quality Index) was evaluated at every visit; PSQ (Patient Satisfaction Questionnaire) responses were assessed at week 40 or early termination.

Findings

• 763 eligible patients were enrolled; 78.5% completed the PSQ.
• There was an improvement in DLQI scores which were maintained.
• 68.0% of patients had a DLQI of 0 or 1 by Week 40, suggesting no impact of psoriasis on health-related quality of life.
• Most patients strongly agreed or agreed with all PSQ questions evaluating confidence in tapinarof and satisfaction with efficacy, application ease and cosmetic elegance, and preference for tapinarof versus prior psoriasis therapies.

"Tapinarof cream 1% QD represents a novel, nonsteroidal therapeutic option for patients with plaque psoriasis," the researchers concluded.

Reference

Bagel J, Gold LS, Del Rosso J, Johnson S, Yamauchi P, Brown PM, Bhatia N, Moore AY, Tallman AM. Tapinarof cream 1% once daily for the treatment of plaque psoriasis: Patient-reported outcomes from the PSOARING 3 trial. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2023 May 10:S0190-9622(23)00771-5. doi: 10.1016/j.jaad.2023.04.061. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 37172733.