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Background: Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) has a major impact on patients’ quality of life (QoL). Numerous data indicate that blocking TNF-α results in decreased HS disease activity.

Objectives: To evaluate the QoL in Swedish HS patients treated with adalimumab (ADA) in accordance with routine clinical practice (HOPE study).

Methods: Data was collected from the patients’ medical records (demographics and baseline data), by investigator assessment (Hidradenitis Suppurativa Clinical Response (HiSCR)) and by patient questionnaires (DLQI and HSIA evaluating QoL; skin pain measured by NRS). Questionnaires were completed at baseline and at visits around weeks 4 (visit 2) and 12 (visit 3).

Results: This descriptive interim analysis included ten patients with moderate to severe HS, 70% were women. Data was not obtained for all patients from visit 3 due to time cut-off. Median baseline DLQI score was 19 and at subsequent visits, most patients demonstrated a pronounced reduction (improvement) in DLQI. Median baseline HSIA values were 8 (item 1), 5 (item 4 and 7), respectively. At visit 2, median values had decreased to 1.5 (item 1), 0 (item 4) and 0.5 (item 7). The baseline median score of worst and average skin pain was 6.5 and 4.5, respectively. In most patients, pain scores decreased during ADA treatment. HiSCR was achieved by 70% (7/10) of patients at visit 2 and by 83% (5/6) at visit 3.

Conclusion: In this study, Swedish HS patients receiving ADA in accordance with routine clinical practice demonstrated improved QoL, reduction in pain and treatment success as measured by HiSCR.