Key clinical point: Apremilast therapy was associated with weight loss, principally abdominal subcutaneous fat, and improvement in psoriatic disease activity in patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA) or psoriasis.
Major finding: At 6 months after therapy, apremilast was significantly associated with a mean weight loss of 2.2 kg and a mean body mass index decrease of 0.8 kg/m 2 (both P less than .001). On assessing the nature of this weight loss, there was reduction in the total abdominal fat volume (mean decrease, 0.52 L; P = .022), mainly the abdominal subcutaneous adipose tissue (mean decrease, 0.37 L; P = .022). After 6 months of apremilast treatment, there were improvements in tender and swollen joint counts and disease activity.
Study details: This was a prospective, open-label study ( IMAPA) involving 60 patients with PsA (n=56) and/or psoriasis (n=4) who received 30 mg of apremilast as part of routine care.
Disclosures: This study was supported by Amgen and the British Heart Foundation (BHF). The lead author reported receiving grants from the BHF Centre of Excellence. Three of the authors reported receiving grants and personal fees from various sources. All the other authors reported no conflicts of interest.
Source: Ferguson LD et al. Rheumatology (Oxford). 2021 Jun 7. doi: 10.1093/rheumatology/keab474 .