New Data Shows the Long Term Effectiveness of AbbVie’s Psoriatic Arthritis Treatment

AbbVie announced positive results from Phase 3 Clinical Trials evaluating an NSAID treatment for active psoriatic arthritis. SKYRIZI® (risankizumab), evaluated by the KEEPsAKE trials, showed a reduction in symptoms over a 100 week period. AbbVie presented the results in the “Late Breaking News” session at the 31st European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology (EADV) Hybrid Congress.

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Psoriatic arthritis and its Treatments

Arthritis is a condition in which a patient’s joints swell and ache due to cartilage breakdown. Psoriatic arthritis is a version of arthritis linked to another chronic condition, psoriasis. Psoriasis causes red rashes across the skin and thick pitted fingernails, whereas in psoriatic arthritis, these rashes are the result of inflamed and painful joints.This inflammation can lead to deformed joints.

Treatments for psoriatic arthritis are Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs), which also treats arthritis. NSAIDs work by inhibiting chemicals responsible for inflammation. Common drugs such as Advil(ibuprofen) and Aleve(naproxen) fall into this category. However, chronic diseases require stronger NSAIDs.

SKYRIZI is one of these stronger NSAIDs. The drug inhibits interleukin-23 (IL-23), a chemical in the immune system responsible for inflammation. The United States Food and Drug Administration has already approved SKYRIZI for the treatment of Crohn’s Disease, moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis, and active psoriatic arthritis. 

The Positive Findings of the KEEPsAKE Studies

KEEPsAKE 1 and 2 analyzed the safety and efficacy of SKYRIZI in adult patients with active psoriatic arthritis. KEEPsAKE 1 studied patients with an inadequate response or intolerance to one or more conventional synthetic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs. KEEPsAKE 2 included patients with an inadequate response or intolerance to one or two biologic therapies.

Both studies started with a split group of patients taking SKYRIZI and another taking a placebo. However, at week 24, the placebo group shifted to SKYRIZI. By week 100, 64% and 57% of patients initially treated with SKYRIZI achieved an American College of Rheumatology 20 (ACR20) response. In addition, over half of patients from each study saw a  90% reduction in the Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI 90). 

On the results, Lars Erik Kristensen, M.D., Ph.D., consultant and head of science at the Parker Institute in Copenhagen, Denmark and associate professor, SUS University Hospital in Lund, Sweden, said, “These results highlight SKYRIZI’s potential to relieve symptoms in both biologic-naïve and -experienced patients with active psoriatic arthritis in the long-term.

Author

Max Heirich