Role of Immunomodulation in HS Treatment

Renata Block, MMS, PA-C: HS is a multifactorial disease that includes immunological factors. The fact that we are recognizing biologic therapy as a potential relief for these HS [hidradenitis suppurativa] patients and the first FDA-approved therapy, adalimumab, with the anti-TNF [tumor necrosis factor], is definitely making an impact. But knowing that this is the only thing that’s FDA approved is frustrating because we want to get other things covered. The data and the research is going to allow us to do that. I have experience with that one specifically, but not infliximab. With that being said, I had patients on adalimumab before it was FDA approved, and it was a game changer. It was such an exciting time because there was really nothing else out there, but what I see happening is that patients are doing well, if they’re caught early in the disease. If they are a little bit more advanced in the disease, I’ve had a lot of nonresponders, which, as a practitioner, it is disheartening because you have so much hope for the patient, and the patient has hope as well. I have had a secondary-loss response like that, one patient who was started before it was FDA approved. She did really, really well, and then we kind of peaked, and then it was stagnant. Then we’re starting all over again in regard to what was happening with her HS before she even started treatment. I know that the pipeline is getting robust in regard to the research of other immunological therapies out there. As a practitioner, it’s an exciting time for us that we can offer our patients promising drugs. It’s not going to be a one-size-fits-all treatment, and it never is, but having more options is going to be a game changer for us and the patient.

Transcript Edited for Clarity