Results of a retrospective study on the efficacy and safety of adalimumab 80 mg administrated every other week in patients with psoriasis at a single Japanese institution.

Adalimumab (ADA) is one of the tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α monoclonal antibodies used for the treatment of psoriasis. In Japan, standard dosing of ADA for adults is an initial s.c. injection of 80 mg, followed by 40 mg every other week. Some patients who initially do not respond to treatment are allowed an increased dose of 80 mg every other week. However, studies on the efficacy and safety of ADA dose escalation to 80 mg every other week are few. In this study, we retrospectively studied 92 patients with psoriasis who received ADA therapy in our hospital. In 45 out of 92 patients, the dose of ADA 80 mg was administrated every other week, and the efficacy was observed within 12 weeks. The most common adverse drug reaction was upper respiratory infection, followed by diarrhea. In three patients, malignancies occurred during the observation period. No deaths or other severe complications were observed. In conclusion, this study showed the efficacy and safety of ADA dose escalation to 80 mg every other week in patients with psoriasis.