Pharmacotherapy of Hidradenitis Suppurativa: A Comparison of Clinical Response with Adalimumab and Secukinumab

Hidradenitis Suppurativa is a disease that affects millions worldwide. Research indicates that people suffering from hidradenitis suppurativa respond well to monoclonal antibody treatment aimed at characteristic immune cell markers. By targeting immune cell markers, the immune system is subsequently suppressed in a way such that disease activity is decreased. Monoclonal antibody treatments targeted towards a variety of immune cell markers have historically been shown to result in decreases in hidradenitis suppurativa disease activity. Many studies have assessed disease activity with monoclonal antibody treatments, but few have compared different treatments.
A systematic review of a study that assessed the disease activity for those taking adalimumab was then compared to the findings of another study which assessed the disease activity with those taking secukinumab.
The patients treated with adalimumab had significantly decreased hidradenitis suppurativa activity when compared with other matched controls. Those who were treated with secukinumab had significantly decreased disease activity when compared with other matched controls. However, those who were treated with secukinumab had a greater reduction of disease activity as compared to control groups than did those who were treated with secukinumab.
Monoclonal antibody treatments for hidradenitis suppurativa are widespread. It is critical that these treatments are compared in order to find those with the greatest efficacy. For this review, secukinumab seemed to have a greater reduction of disease activity than did adalimumab. Further studies with greater sample sizes are needed to conclude which has greater efficacy.