Arcutis announces publication of Genital Psoriasis Wellness Consortium statement

Arcutis Biotherapeutics (ARQT) announced the publication of 14 consensus statements from the Genital Psoriasis Wellness Consortium on the impact of genital psoriasis on patients in the Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology Clinical Practice. The consensus statements are aimed at providing expert, multidisciplinary guidance in three key areas: physical diagnosis and patient conversations, impact on quality of life and interpersonal relationships, and treatment decisions. To formulate the consensus statements, a PubMed literature search was conducted, and a total of 78 unique publications were reviewed. Consortium members used a modified Delphi process, including a nominal group technique. The process included two rounds of virtual subcommittee meetings focused on the three key areas, followed by surveys to obtain anonymous feedback, and concluded with a final meeting to discuss and finalize the language of the consensus recommendations. Below are the 14 consensus statements outlined in the publication: Genital psoriasis needs to be a distinct diagnosis with a unique ICD-10-CM code. A customized, comprehensive skin examination may help ensure proper diagnosis and complete capture of all affected body sites. Biopsy, specifically for the evaluation of genital psoriasis, is generally reserved for cases with inadequate response to treatment or when the diagnosis is in question. It is important to normalize comprehensive skin examinations, including genital exams, for patients as early in the process as possible, as well as maximize patient comfort during the examination. Using a dialogue guide at the start of an examination can help normalize genital psoriasis and make the patient more comfortable with consenting to and undergoing a comprehensive skin examination. When treating pediatric patients, it is important to establish trust and to explicitly request permission for examination from both the patient and the parent/guardian. Inclusion of the guardian in the examination process can help achieve this. Genital psoriasis affects relationships including intimate and non-intimate interpersonal relationships, as well as participation in social, educational, and vocational activities across the lifespan. Diagnosing genital psoriasis early is critical as the signs, symptoms, and psychological burden of genital psoriasis may worsen over time. Collect standardized information at registration, ideally within an electronic medical records system. We propose the following questions as a starting point to capture the cumulative life impact of genital psoriasis in the clinic to optimize individualized patient care: How much does your genital psoriasis affect your overall quality of life? How much does your genital psoriasis affect each of the following types of relationships: intimate relationships, non-intimate interpersonal relationships? How much does your genital psoriasis impact your daily decisions? Existing validated assessment tools, such as the following, should be consistently applied in clinical research in genital psoriasis: Static Physician’s Global Assessment of Genitalia, Dermatologic Intimacy Scale, Psychological General Well-Being Index, and Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ)-9. Treatment options can be evaluated for use in genital psoriasis by their current level of evidence based on U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval, efficacy/safety data from clinical trials, and recommendation by specialty guidelines. Comprehensive shared decision-making for genital wellnessis a foundational pillar in the treatment selection process for genital and perigenital psoriasis. The goal for genital psoriasis treatment should be to obtain improvement/resolution as soon as possible while o