Brodalumab for treating moderate to severe plaque psoriasis

  • Technology appraisal guidance
  • TA511
  • Published: 
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1 Recommendations

1.1 Brodalumab is recommended as an option for treating plaque psoriasis in adults, only if:

  • the disease is severe, as defined by a total Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) of 10 or more and a Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) of more than 10 and

  • the disease has not responded to other systemic therapies, including ciclosporin, methotrexate and PUVA (psoralen and long-wave ultraviolet A radiation), or these options are contraindicated or not tolerated and

  • the company provides the drug with the discount agreed in the patient access scheme.

1.2 Stop brodalumab at 12 weeks if the psoriasis has not responded adequately, defined as:

  • a 75% reduction in the PASI score (PASI 75) from when treatment started or

  • a 50% reduction in the PASI score (PASI 50) and a 5‑point reduction in DLQI from when treatment started.

1.3 When using the PASI, healthcare professionals should take into account skin colour and how this could affect the PASI score, and make the clinical adjustments they consider appropriate.

1.4 When using the DLQI, healthcare professionals should take into account any physical, psychological, sensory or learning disabilities, or communication difficulties that could affect the responses to the DLQI and make any adjustments they consider appropriate.

1.5 These recommendations are not intended to affect treatment with brodalumab that was started in the NHS before this guidance was published. People having treatment outside these recommendations may continue without change to the funding arrangements in place for them before this guidance was published, until they and their NHS clinician consider it appropriate to stop.

Why the committee made these recommendations

Clinical trial results show that brodalumab improves severe psoriasis more than placebo and ustekinumab. When compared indirectly, it appears to be as effective as other anti-interleukin‑17 agents. Cost-effectiveness estimates for brodalumab compared with other biological treatments, and with apremilast and dimethyl fumarate, show that it is generally more cost effective (that is, depending on the comparator, it costs less but is more effective, or costs more but is considerably more effective). Brodalumab can be offered as an option to people with severe psoriasis that has not responded to other systemic non-biological therapies.