Clinical Trial Intelligence

Which Endpoints Are Measured Most Often in European Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis Phase II & III Trials?

8 July 2026

Across 52 unique European CTIS-authorized Phase II & III psoriasis / psoriatic arthritis trials, PASI response or score was the most frequently measured endpoint family, appearing in 31 trials (59.6%). Safety endpoints appeared in 24 trials (46.2%), ACR response in 23 (44.2%), and sPGA/PGA/IGA global assessment in 21 (40.4%). Primary endpoints split by disease: ACR response led in psoriatic arthritis, while PASI and global assessment led in plaque psoriasis.

Unique EU CTIS trials
52
Phase II & III psoriasis / psoriatic arthritis cohort
Top endpoint family
31/52
PASI response or score appeared in 59.6% of trials
Top primary family
19/52
ACR response appeared as a primary family in 36.5%
PASI response/score 31/52 · 59.6%
Safety / AEs / labs / vitals 24/52 · 46.2%
ACR response 23/52 · 44.2%
sPGA/PGA/IGA global assessment 21/52 · 40.4%

Which endpoint families appear most often across the full Phase II & III cohort?

PASI response or score appeared in 31/52 trials (59.6%), followed by safety endpoints in 24/52 (46.2%), ACR response in 23/52 (44.2%), and sPGA/PGA/IGA global assessment in 21/52 (40.4%).

Most frequent endpoint families, any endpoint position
PASI response/score 31/52 · 59.6%
Safety / AEs / labs / vitals 24/52 · 46.2%
ACR response 23/52 · 44.2%
sPGA/PGA/IGA global assessment 21/52 · 40.4%
PsA disease activity composites 18/52 · 34.6%
Treatment persistence / loss of response 18/52 · 34.6%
BSA / skin surface 18/52 · 34.6%
Quality of life / function PROs 15/52 · 28.8%
Population: 52 unique European CTIS-authorized psoriasis / psoriatic arthritis Phase II & III trials.
Interpretation

The endpoint landscape is dual-centred: skin-response measurement is anchored by PASI in 31 trials, while joint-response measurement is anchored by ACR in 23 trials. Safety endpoints remain a broad cross-cutting layer in 24 trials, especially in long-term extension, paediatric, and later-stage protocols.

How do endpoint choices differ by primary, secondary and exploratory role?

Primary endpoints concentrated around ACR response (19/52, 36.5%), PASI response/score (12/52, 23.1%) and global assessment (10/52, 19.2%). Secondary endpoints were broader, with PASI in 23/52 trials (44.2%) and safety in 19/52 (36.5%).

Endpoint hierarchy by role
Primary endpoint families
ACR response 19/52 36.5%
PASI response/score 12/52 23.1%
sPGA/PGA/IGA global assessment 10/52 19.2%
Safety / AEs / labs / vitals 6/52 11.5%
PK / exposure 5/52 9.6%
PsA disease activity composites 3/52 5.8%
Secondary endpoint families
PASI response/score 23/52 44.2%
Safety / AEs / labs / vitals 19/52 36.5%
PsA disease activity composites 18/52 34.6%
ACR response 17/52 32.7%
BSA / skin surface 17/52 32.7%
Treatment persistence / loss of response 16/52 30.8%
Explicit exploratory/other endpoints appeared in 1/52 trials (1.9%): quality of life/function PROs, safety, and PK/exposure were each present in that trial’s other-endpoint field.
Endpoint family counted once per trial per endpoint role. Exploratory corresponds to the explicit other-endpoint field.
Interpretation

Primary endpoint selection is narrower than secondary endpoint selection. ACR, PASI and global assessment together define the main efficacy hierarchy, while secondary endpoints add durability, BSA, quality-of-life/function PROs and safety to support regulatory and clinical interpretation.

How do endpoint patterns differ between plaque psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis and mixed inflammatory disease trials?

Psoriatic arthritis accounted for 23/52 trials (44.2%), plaque psoriasis for 17/52 (32.7%), and mixed PsO/PsA or adjacent inflammatory arthritis for 12/52 (23.1%). In plaque psoriasis, PASI appeared in 13/17 trials (76.5%); in psoriatic arthritis, ACR appeared in 20/23 (87.0%).

Disease-specific endpoint pattern
Psoriatic arthritis
23/52 · 44.2%
Top measured families
ACR response 20/23 · 87.0%
PASI response/score 14/23 · 60.9%
PsA disease activity composites 13/23 · 56.5%
Plaque psoriasis
17/52 · 32.7%
Top measured families
PASI response/score 13/17 · 76.5%
sPGA/PGA/IGA global assessment 11/17 · 64.7%
Safety / AEs / labs / vitals 6/17 · 35.3%
Mixed PsO/PsA or adjacent inflammatory arthritis
12/52 · 23.1%
Top measured families
Safety / AEs / labs / vitals 8/12 · 66.7%
Treatment persistence / loss of response 7/12 · 58.3%
PsA disease activity composites 5/12 · 41.7%
Disease groups are normalized from CTIS trial-disease labels.
Sub-disease distribution inside the psoriasis / PsA cohort
Sub-disease label Trials Share
Adult / active psoriatic arthritis19/5236.5%
Moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis9/5217.3%
Plaque psoriasis, other specified8/5215.4%
Mixed / adjacent inflammatory disease7/5213.5%
Juvenile psoriatic arthritis / JPsA6/5211.5%
Chronic plaque psoriasis3/525.8%
Sub-disease labels are grouped from trial-disease terms when the count supports comparison.
Interpretation

Plaque psoriasis trials are visibly skin-score driven: PASI and global assessments dominate. Psoriatic arthritis trials are joint-response driven: ACR appeared in 20/23 trials and PsA disease-activity composites in 13/23. Mixed inflammatory trials are less endpoint-standardized and more safety/durability oriented, with safety in 8/12.

How do Phase II and Phase III endpoint strategies differ?

Phase III trials represented 39/52 trials (75.0%), Phase II represented 12/52 (23.1%), and one Phase II/III bridge trial represented 1/52 (1.9%). Phase III used PASI in 24/39 trials (61.5%), while Phase II used safety in 8/12 (66.7%).

Endpoint families by phase
Phase III
39/52 · 75.0%
PASI response/score 24/39 · 61.5%
ACR response 18/39 · 46.2%
sPGA/PGA/IGA global assessment 17/39 · 43.6%
BSA / skin surface 17/39 · 43.6%
Phase II
12/52 · 23.1%
Safety / AEs / labs / vitals 8/12 · 66.7%
PASI response/score 6/12 · 50.0%
Treatment persistence / loss of response 6/12 · 50.0%
PsA disease activity composites 5/12 · 41.7%
Phase II/III bridge
1/52 · 1.9%
PASI response/score 1/1 · 100.0%
PK / exposure 1/1 · 100.0%
sPGA/PGA/IGA global assessment 1/1 · 100.0%
Phase assignment uses the CTIS trial-stage label and de-duplicates the Phase II/III bridge trial.
Interpretation

Phase III trials show the most conventional confirmatory pattern: PASI, ACR, global assessment, BSA and safety all appear in at least 16/39 trials. Phase II trials are more heterogeneous, with safety in 8/12 and PK/exposure in 0/12, reflecting dose-finding, early efficacy, imaging and extension-study objectives.

Do endpoint patterns differ by drug modality when trial counts are large enough to compare?

Biologic / antibody-led trials were the largest modality group (31/52, 59.6%), followed by small-molecule trials (14/52, 26.9%). In biologic / antibody-led trials, PASI appeared in 18/31 (58.1%); in small-molecule trials, PASI appeared in 10/14 (71.4%).

Endpoint families by intervention modality
Biologic / antibody-led
31/52 · 59.6%
PASI response/score 18/31 · 58.1%
ACR response 16/31 · 51.6%
Safety / AEs / labs / vitals 15/31 · 48.4%
PsA disease activity composites 12/31 · 38.7%
Small molecule
14/52 · 26.9%
PASI response/score 10/14 · 71.4%
BSA / skin surface 9/14 · 64.3%
sPGA/PGA/IGA global assessment 8/14 · 57.1%
Safety / AEs / labs / vitals 7/14 · 50.0%
Biologic + small molecule
4/52 · 7.7%
PASI response/score 2/4 · 50.0%
sPGA/PGA/IGA global assessment 2/4 · 50.0%
MACE / cardiovascular events 1/4 · 25.0%
Safety / AEs / labs / vitals 1/4 · 25.0%
Modality groups are based on active investigational product classes; placebo-only product entries are not counted as active modalities.
Interpretation

Biologic / antibody-led trials are balanced across skin and joint endpoints, with PASI in 18/31 and ACR in 16/31. Small-molecule trials skew more strongly toward skin-score packages, with PASI in 10/14, BSA in 9/14 and global assessment in 8/14.

What adjacent CTIS/EU submission question can be answered from the same data?

For the 52-trial European CTIS cohort, the median interval from initial CTIS submission to first CTIS authorization was 111.0 days, with a mean of 96.7 days and a range of 29–130 days. Phase III trials had a median of 115.0 days, compared with 107.5 days for Phase II.

CTIS timing from initial submission to first authorization
2024 CTIS-authorized cohort 18 trials · median 59.5 days · mean 71.8
2025 CTIS-authorized cohort 23 trials · median 112.0 days · mean 107.2
2026 CTIS-authorized cohort 11 trials · median 115.0 days · mean 115.6
PhaseTrialsMedian daysRange
Phase III39/52115.029–130
Phase II12/52107.548–122
Phase II/III bridge1/5236.036–36
Timing uses initial CTIS submission date and first CTIS authorization date recorded for each trial.
Interpretation

The CTIS timeline is commercially relevant for European endpoint planning: protocols with PASI, ACR, paediatric PK, safety extension, or mixed-disease endpoint packages still clustered around a 111.0-day median authorization interval. The 2026 cohort’s median of 115.0 days indicates that recent psoriasis/PsA EU submissions should be planned with roughly three to four months between initial CTIS submission and first authorization.

Definitions

PASIPsoriasis Area and Severity Index; commonly reported as PASI 75, PASI 90 or PASI 100 response.
sPGA / PGA / IGAStatic Physician Global Assessment, Physician Global Assessment, or Investigator Global Assessment of skin disease severity.
ACRAmerican College of Rheumatology response criteria, typically ACR20, ACR50 or ACR70 in psoriatic arthritis trials.
PRO / QoLPatient-reported outcome and quality-of-life measures, including DLQI, CDLQI, HAQ-DI, PsAQoL, SF-36, PSSD and itch/pain NRS.
CTISClinical Trials Information System, the EU portal used for clinical trial submission and authorization under the EU Clinical Trials Regulation.