Ustekinumab for the treatment of adults with moderate to severe psoriasis

Ustekinumab is recommended as a treatment option for adults with plaque psoriasis when the following criteria are met.

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

• The psoriasis has not responded to standard systemic therapies, including ciclosporin, methotrexate and PUVA (psoralen and long-wave ultraviolet radiation), or the person is intolerant of or has a contraindication to these treatments.

Ustekinumab treatment should be stopped in people whose psoriasis has not responded adequately by 16 weeks after starting treatment. An adequate response is defined as either:

• 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 the DLQI score from when treatment started.

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