AbbVie Unveils Latest Data For Skyrizi In Difficult-To-Treat Psoriasis

AbbVie has revealed new 52-week data from a Phase 3b study showing the efficacy of Skyrizi (risankizumab) treatment in a difficult-to-treat patient population with plaque psoriasis. 

In moderate to severe cases of plaque psoriasis, Skyrizi, an interleukin-23 (IL-23) inhibitor, improved signs and symptoms where other treatments such as secukinumab or ixekizumab, both IL-17A inhibitors, were suboptimal. 

The data was presented at a research session during the 2023 American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) Annual Meeting in New Orleans, Louisiana.

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Skyrizi Improves Signs and Symptoms of Psoriasis

Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory skin condition that can be seen as thick, scaly skin due to the rapid growth of skin cells. It affects roughly 7.5 million people in the US alone, with 80-90% having plaque psoriasis. 

Skyrizi selectively blocks IL-23, a cytokine involved in inflammation that is thought to be linked to immune-mediated diseases like psoriasis. The drug is part of a 2016 collaboration between Boehringer Ingelheim and AbbVie, which saw AbbVie make a $595 million upfront payment in exchange for the commercialization rights to Skyrizi. 

In the Phase 3b study which enrolled 252 participants who had been treated with secukinumab or ixekizumab for at least six months with suboptimal response, 56.3% of patients treated with Skyrizi achieved the primary endpoint of signs and symptoms of psoriasis at week 16. 

At week 52, 63% of patients achieved clear or almost clear skin, reaching a primary endpoint. 19.8% of patients achieved completely clear skin at week 16, which grew to 26.2% by week 52. 20.2% of patients reported no symptoms of pain, itching, redness, and burning at week 16, while 27.4% reported no symptoms at week 52. No new safety signals were seen in the analysis.

“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,” said Nicole Selenko-Gebauer, M.D., MBA, vice president, global medical affairs, AbbVie.

Besides psoriasis, Skyrizi is being investigated in Phase 3 trials in Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, and psoriatic arthritis. It has been approved to treat moderate to severe Crohn’s disease and certain adults with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis. 

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Joy Lin

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