CONTINUOUS secukinumab treatment showed sustained hidradenitis suppurativa lesion control through 4 years in responding patients.
Sustained Lesion Improvements with Secukinumab
New data from the SUNSHINE and SUNRISE core and extension trials suggest that continuous secukinumab may provide durable long-term benefit in moderate-to-severe hidradenitis suppurativa. The post hoc analysis focused on patients who had achieved hidradenitis suppurativa clinical response at Week 52 and then continued treatment through the extension period.
Patients who completed Week 52 of the core trials were eligible to enter a 4-year extension study. Those with a clinical response at Week 52 entered a randomized withdrawal period through Week 104, or until loss of response, before receiving open-label treatment through Week 260. This analysis evaluated the impact of continuous secukinumab treatment from baseline to Week 204, regardless of dosing interval or uptitration status.
Four-Year Hidradenitis Suppurativa Lesion Outcomes
Among 391 patients with Week 52 clinical response, 172 received continuous secukinumab treatment and were included in the analysis. At baseline, the mean abscess and inflammatory nodule count was 14.2±9.93.
The mean percentage change from baseline in abscess and inflammatory nodule count was -83.5% at Week 52, based on 152 patients. This was maintained at -79.0% at Week 104 in 137 patients and -79.9% at Week 204 in 107 patients. These findings indicate that the reduction in inflammatory lesion burden was largely sustained over time in patients who remained on continuous secukinumab.
The analysis also assessed draining tunnels, an important marker of structural disease burden in hidradenitis suppurativa. The proportion of patients reporting no increase in draining tunnels was 97.4% at Week 52, 92.0% at Week 104, and 94.4% at Week 204. These results suggest that most patients on continuous secukinumab did not experience worsening in this aspect of disease over the study period.
Long-Term Implications for HS Management
Taken together, the findings support the long-term efficacy of continuous secukinumab in patients with moderate-to-severe hidradenitis suppurativa who had already demonstrated clinical response after 1 year of treatment. Improvements in lesion counts were sustained through 4 years, while most patients also reported no increase in draining tunnels.
The investigators concluded that continuous secukinumab treatment was associated with consistent benefits and sustained efficacy through 4 years. For clinicians managing hidradenitis suppurativa, these data add to the growing evidence on the durability of long-term biologic treatment in this chronic and often difficult-to-control disease.
Reference
Prens EP et al. Four-year efficacy of continuous secukinumab in SUNSHINE/SUNRISE core and extension trials on hidradenitis suppurativa lesions. Abstract 75099. AAD Annual Meeting, 27-31 March, 2026.
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