Infectious Risk of New Immunomodulatory Therapies in Immune-Mediated Inflammatory Diseases: A National Cohort Using Data from The French National Health Data System
Post-doctoral researcher
PhD in Public Health, Nurse
Supervisor: Émilie Sbidian · Funding: ANSM
Abstract
Immune-mediated inflammatory diseases (IMIDs) are a heterogeneous group of chronic conditions that share common pathways. They include psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis, spondyloarthritis, Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis and rheumatoid arthritis. Biologic and targeted synthetic therapies have improved disease control and quality of life for many patients. However, by modulating the immune system, they can also increase the risk of serious infections. Identifying which patients are most at risk is important for safer treatment decisions.
This thesis uses the French National Health Data System (SNDS) to study large real-world cohorts of IMID patients starting biologic or targeted synthetic DMARDs from 2010 to 2023.
The objectives are to :
- Construct a nationwide cohort of IMID patients starting biologic or targeted synthetic therapies, and to describe their demographics, comorbidities, and trends in therapy use over time.
- Develop and validate a model for predicting serious infection risk in rheumatoid arthritis.
- Assess the risk of herpes zoster in IMIDs, identify patients at greatest risk, and inform targeted prevention strategies.