Efficacy and safety of apremilast for Behçet’s syndrome

The objectives аre to evaluate the efficacy and safety of apremilast in treating oral ulcers (OUs), the cardinal and high-disabling feature of Behçet’s disease (BD). Twelve consecutive patients affected by BD with recurrent/relapsing OUs resistant and/or intolerant to conventional therapy were enrolled and prospectively followed. The primary endpoint was the number of OUs at week 12. Secondary endpoints were modification from baseline to week 12 in Behçet’s Syndrome Activity Score (BSAS), Behçet’s Disease Current Activity Form (BDCAF) score, Behçet’s Disease Quality of Life (BDQOL) scale and pain of OUs, as measured by a visual analogue scale (VAS). All adverse events (AEs) were recorded during follow-up. Non-parametric tests (Wilcoxon rank test) were used and a P-value <0.05 was considered statistically significant. Our preliminary real-world data support the use of apremilast as an effective therapeutic strategy against BD-related recurrent OUs resistant or intolerant to first-line therapy. For more information click here.