Published On: 3/7/2025

Patient-Centric Data Capture Fuels Growth of Target RWE Longitudinal, Real-World Dermatology Studies

Insights into Hidradenitis Suppurativa from Target RWE Featured in Posters at AAD 2025

DURHAM, N.C., March 7, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Real-world evidence (RWE) leader, Target RWE, announced updates from its longitudinal dermatology study of more than 7,000 enrolled patients with two poster presentations on patients with Hidradenitis Suppurativa (HS) at the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) annual meeting in Orlando, FL, March 7-11, 2025.

Target RWE’s dermatology study has experienced substantial growth since its launch in 2019, becoming one of the most comprehensive patient registries in dermatology. It covers various diseases including atopic dermatitis (AD), alopecia areata (AA), hidradenitis suppurativa (HS), chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU), and vitiligo. The study goes beyond unstructured and structured electronic medical record data by additionally capturing real-world data directly from patients and physicians through patient-reported outcome measures (PROs) and clinician-reported outcomes (ClinROs). Target RWE’s real-world data supports translational research, biomarker development from collected biosamples, and additionally captures clinically relevant scores, including the Validated Investigator Global Assessment (vIGA).

Leveraging these outcomes, critical findings from Target RWE’s posters at AAD 2025 include:

Characterization of patient perception of odor severity in hidradenitis suppurativa using TARGET-DERM HS

• This study analyzed over 400 patients with HS and revealed that odor severity was significantly higher in males and in those with longer disease duration.
• Increased disease severity, lesion count, flare frequency, and drainage severity were all linked to greater odor severity, even in patients without abscess or fistulas (which are the lesions often assumed to be associated with odor).
• Furthermore, higher odor severity was strongly correlated with worse quality of life, increased depression and anxiety, and greater disease burden.

"The findings underscore the benefits of integrating patient perspectives when assessing the impact of HS and the need for improved access to timely diagnosis and equitable treatment strategies for patients, particularly among underserved populations,” said Alexa B. Kimball, MD, MPH, CEO and President of Harvard Medical Faculty Physicians at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. “Through a patient-centered approach, we develop effective interventions that address both clinical and psychosocial dimensions of this challenging condition." Dr. Kimball is also the TARGET-DERM HS steering committee chair and co-author of the study.

Healthcare Disparities in Hidradenitis Suppurativa in the US: TARGET-DERM HS

• Using data from patients with HS, real-world clinical records and PROs were analyzed to assess differences in disease burden and management.
• Key findings include delayed diagnosis and treatment initiation, with biologic therapy start occurring nearly a decade post-diagnosis.
• NH-Black participants had the highest disease severity (Hurley score 2.1), higher rates of diabetes (31.6%) and obesity (42.1%), and the lowest private insurance coverage (53.4%) but were most likely to use biologics (50.5%). In contrast, Hispanic participants had lower biologic use (31.3%) but higher reliance on topical antiseptics and alternative therapies. Mental health disparities were also observed, with depression more prevalent among NH-White participants (35.1%).

"We're immensely proud of our dermatology registry of over 7,000 enrolled patients across diverse demographics and clinical presentations," said Michael W. Fried, MD, FAASLD, Co-Founder and Chief Medical Officer at Target RWE. "This diversity enables researchers to identify disparities in care, understand disease burden across different populations, and ultimately develop more equitable treatment approaches. The robustness of our patient population positions our data as an invaluable resource for advancing RWE in dermatology and improving outcomes."

Target RWE’s real-world data can help inform HS management through risk stratification algorithms that enable earlier intervention for high-risk patients, demonstrating how RWE from observational studies can be converted into actionable care to help improve patient outcomes with more personalized treatment pathways.

Further, the synchronization of biosample collection with PROs and ClinROs enables researchers to more precisely identify and characterize patients with suboptimal treatment responses, creating opportunities to develop predictive models that optimize therapy selection.

To learn more about Target RWE’s dermatology study, contact info@targetrwe.com or visit our website today!