Patient Characteristics and Treatment Patterns in European Pediatric Patients with Psoriasis: A Real-World, Cross-Sectional Study.

This study looked into types of treatments according to body weight in children with psoriasis, since approved dosing regimens for some treatments are based on body weight. Primary care and specialist physicians treating children with psoriasis aged 6­17 years in five European countries completed a survey. Patient information for those receiving specific types of psoriasis treatments were collected. Of the children included, 772 weighed 25­50 kg and 1147 weighed more than 50 kg. Most children received treatments applied to the skin, such as creams and ointments; this occurred in 70% of lighter patients and in 51% of heavier patients. Conventional treatments taken via the mouth were prescribed in a few patients (11% [overall]), while newer biologic drugs were taken to a greater extent in heavier (30%) than lighter (16%) patients. Most biologics (78%) were prescribed in older (> 13 years) patients. Biologic use increased with the number of failed previous treatments, comprising 7%, 18%, 34%, and 45% of first, second, third, and fourth treatments, respectively. We conclude that children with psoriasis who are treated with biologic drugs are predominantly older and heavier, and have more severe psoriasis. Prescriptions for biologics are given after many other treatments have been tried.