Research & Development

AbbVie has announced new 52-week data from a study assessing the efficacy of new IL-23 inhibitor, Skyrizi (risankizumab). Patients with moderate to severe psoriasis plaques had seem suboptimal responses to treatment with secukinumab or ixekizumab, both IL-17A inhibitor therapies, for over six months before switching to the new treatment.

The data from this study was presented at a Late-Breaking Research session during the 2023 American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) Annual Meeting in New Orleans, US. The results showed that 56.3% of patients who received Skyrizi, without a washout period following their suboptimal response to other treatments, achieved the week 16 primary endpoint of reduced signs and symptoms of psoriasis.

Results from the 52-week analysis show that 63% of patients showed clear or almost clear skin at this endpoint; patients reported clear skin at both the 16 and 52-week endpoints; and patients reported no symptoms including pain, itching, redness or burning, at week 16 and week 52.

Nicole Selenko-Gebauer, vice president of global medical affairs at AbbVie, commented: “The evidence presented at the AAD meeting underscores the important role of SKYRIZI in helping patients in a difficult-to-treat population achieve skin clearance and a resolution of their burdensome psoriasis symptoms. Science is at the core of our work, and our continuing research represents our steady commitment to improving the standards of care, now and in the future, for patients with serious immune-mediated conditions like plaque psoriasis.”

Professor Richard Warren from the University of Manchester and Norten Care Alliance, UK, added: “Advanced therapies represent an important option in the treatment of plaque psoriasis, but as a physician, it's critically important to continually assess if patients are having an optimal response to treatment, as residual psoriasis can still have a significant impact on a patient's life. This study showed that risankizumab was able to improve clinical signs and symptoms of patients who had a suboptimal response with the anti-IL-17 therapies secukinumab and ixekizumab, contributing to the whole of evidence supporting risankizumab use in moderate to severe plaque psoriasis.”