WEDNESDAY, April 26, 2023 -- The Hidradenitis Suppurativa Investigator Global Assessment (HS-IGA) score has good psychometric properties compared with existing measures, according to a study published online April 26 in JAMA Dermatology.

Amit Garg, M.D., from the Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell in New Hyde Park, New York, and colleagues assessed psychometric properties of the HS-IGA score using a clinical trial dataset. Trial participants with moderate-to-severe HS were randomly assigned to receive bimekizumab, adalimumab, or placebo. The HS-IGA score was measured at prespecified time points up to 12 weeks after randomization.

The researchers found that at baseline and week 12, the HS-IGA score showed strong convergent validity with the International Hidradenitis Suppurativa Severity Score System and HS Physician Global Assessment (HS-PhGA) scores. Good test-retest reliability was seen for the HS-IGA score assessed during predosing visits at screening and baseline (intraclass correlation coefficient, 0.92). HS-IGA responders were significantly associated with Hidradenitis Suppurativa Clinical Response (HiSCR-50/75/90) responders at week 12. At week 12, the HS-IGA score was predictive of HiSCR-50/75/90 and of HS-PhGA (areas under the curve, 0.69, 0.73, 0.85, and 0.71, respectively). Low predictive validity with patient-reported outcomes at week 12 was seen for the HS-IGA as a measure of disease activity.

"The HS-IGA demonstrated good psychometric properties compared with existing measures and may be considered for use as an end point in clinical trials for HS," the authors write. "The HS-IGA represents a valuable clinician-reported outcome to drug development efforts on behalf of patients with HS."

Several authors disclosed financial ties to the pharmaceutical industry; one author holds patents, including for the HS-IGA.