Biologics for pediatric moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis: a systematic review and network meta-analysis

Background and Objectives: To compare the efficacy and safety of biologic treatments for moderate-to-severe pediatric psoriasis approved by the US Food and Drug Administration and European Medicines Agency. Patients and Methods: MEDLINE, Embase, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials for relevant randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were searched for the identification of eligible RCTs until May 7, 2021. Fixed-effect frequentist network meta-analysis (NMA) was performed with the surface under the cumulative ranking curve (SUCRA) calculated for ranking. Our primary outcomes included ≥ 90 % improvement of Psoriasis Area and Severity Index score (PASI 90) at 12–16 weeks and discontinuation owing to adverse events (DAE) through the first 12–16 weeks. Results: Five RCTs involving 798 pediatric psoriasis patients were included. Compared to placebo, all biologic regimens exhibited a significantly higher PASI 90 response but did not differ in the risk for DAE. Based on the SUCRA, secukinumab-low dose (SEC-L) ranked first in the achieved PASI 90 response (84.7 %), followed by ixekizumab (70.8 %). Conclusions: Among all biologic treatments, SEC-L showed the best PASI 90 response without increasing the risk for DAE. More long-term studies are warranted.