Adalimumab identified as most cost-effective biologic for hidradenitis suppurativa

An international economic evaluation published in JAMA Dermatology indicates that adalimumab provides the most favorable balance between acquisition cost and clinical efficacy for moderate-to-severe hidradenitis suppurativa (HS). Researchers from the University of New South Wales, the University of Sydney, and The Skin Hospital analyzed three monoclonal antibodies—adalimumab, secukinumab, and bimekizumab—across healthcare systems in the US, Canada, France, Germany, and Australia.

Using efficiency frontier analysis, the study assessed clinical response based on HiSCR-50 and HiSCR-75 scores from phase 3 trials involving 2,731 participants. Adalimumab 40 mg weekly remained on the efficiency frontier for both clinical response outcomes across all five countries examined.

In clinical discussions at the Maui Derm NP+PA Fall 2026 meeting, Dr. Alexandra Charrow emphasized the need for individualized management of HS. She highlighted the importance of identifying patients with high inflammatory burdens who may require systemic biologic therapy and noted the necessity of clinician comfort with surgical interventions, such as deroofing, particularly when initial biologic treatments fail.