HiSCR (Hidradenitis Suppurativa Clinical Response): a novel clinical endpoint to evaluate therapeutic outcomes in patients with hidradenitis suppurativa from the placebo-controlled portion of a phase 2 adalimumab study.

BACKGROUND: Determining treatment response for patients with hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) can be challenging due to limitations of current disease activity evaluations.

OBJECTIVE: Evaluate the novel, validated endpoint, Hidradenitis Suppurativa Clinical Response (HiSCR) and its utility as an outcome measure.

METHODS: Patients with baseline total abscess and inflammatory nodule count (AN count) of at least three and draining fistula count of 20 or fewer comprised the post hoc subpopulation analysed. HiSCR (at least a 50% reduction in total AN count, with no increase in abscess count, and no increase in draining fistula count relative to baseline) and HS-PGA Response [Hidradenitis Suppurativa-Physician's Global Assessment score of clear, minimal, or mild, with at least a 2-grade improvement from baseline] were used to evaluate patient response after adalimumab treatment weekly, every other week, or placebo (1 : 1 : 1).

RESULTS: The subpopulation included 132 (85.7%) patients; 70.5% women and 73.5% white. At week 16, HiSCR was achieved by 54.5% receiving weekly adalimumab, 33.3% every other week, and 25.6% placebo and HS-PGA Response was achieved by 20.5% receiving weekly adalimumab, 6.7% every other week and 2.3% placebo.

CONCLUSION: HiSCR was more responsive to change than HS-PGA Response in this subpopulation.