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The following is a summary of “Real-World Clinical Characteristics and Treatment Patterns of Generalized Pustular Psoriasis Flares,” published in the February 2025 issue of Dermatology by Rhoads et al.
The clinical features and management of generalized pustular psoriasis (GPP) flares remain inadequately understood.
Researchers conducted a retrospective study to describe individuals by GPP flare status, measure flare timing and frequency, and examine peri-flare treatment patterns.
They analyzed electronic health records (2017-2023) from outpatient dermatology clinics within the OMNY Health real-world data platform. Individuals were indexed based on the first GPP diagnosis code. Encounter-level GPP flare status was determined using established algorithms. Annualized flare rates, intervals between flares, and peri-flare treatment patterns were examined.
The results showed that 404 out of 638 individuals (63%) had at least 1 GPP flare episode. Those with flares were more often female, younger, nonwhite, Hispanic/Latino, had a history of infectious or parasitic diseases, and exhibited more active GPP. The mean (median) annualized flare rate was 0.91 (0.51) flares per person per year, with a mean (median) interval of 5.9 (3.8) months between flares. Prescription rates increased during flare episodes compared to the pre-flare period and declined post-flare. Frequent adjustments were observed for off-label biologics and nonsteroidal systemic treatments.
Investigators concluded that patients with GPP treated with traditional off-label therapies experienced frequent flares and frequent changes in treatment, highlighting the need for more effective long-term GPP therapies.
Source: jaad.org/article/S0190-9622(25)00258-0/abstract
