Australian clinicians have reported the first case of “dramatic” clinical improvement of active bullous pemphigoid in a patient with chronic severe psoriasis who was treated with secukinumab.

According to the Royal Melbourne Hospital-led team, the 68-year-old male patient achieved complete resolution of the bullous disorder and a reduction in Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) score ranging from 30-45 down to 0.3.

The man had a 20-year history of severe treatment-resistant psoriasis and presented with acute onset of bullous lesions on the limbs and a PASI score of 48.5 in late 2020.

He had self-ceased methotrexate three months prior due to concerns regarding COVID-19; other comorbidities included psoriatic arthritis, hypertension and benign prostate hypertrophy.