Oral psoriasis drug 'Sotyktu' lands at Big 5 hospitals

Landing has been completed in hospitals nationwide, including St. Mary's hospital

The efficacy of the drug was demonstrated through the POETYK PSO-1 studies

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Oral psoriasis drug 'Sotyktu' is now available for prescription at tertiary general hospitals.

 

According to industry sources, BMS Korea’s TYK2 inhibitor, Sotyktu (deucravacitinib), has passed the drug committees of the 'Big 5' tertiary hospitals, including Samsung Medical Center, Seoul University Hospital, Seoul St.

 

Mary's Hospital, Seoul Asan Medical Center, and Sinchon Severance Hospital.

 

Prescription code is also available in major hospitals nationwide, including Gangnam Severance Hospital, Konyang University Hospital, Soonchunghyang University Bucheon Hospital, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Soonchunghyang University Hospital Seoul, Ewha Womans University Medical Center, Chosun University Hospital, and Soonchunghyang University Cheonan Hospital.

 

Since being added to the reimbursement list in April, this drug is increasingly available in hospitals.

 

Sotyktu is the first TYK2 inhibitor approved for adults with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis.

 

It was approved in August 2023 in South Korea to treat adult patients with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis who are candidates for phototherapy or systemic therapy.

 

The insurance coverage was made available eight months after receiving approval.

 

It is covered by insurance reimbursement for the treatment of patients over 18 with chronic severe plaque psoriasis who have symptoms lasting over six months.

 

Coverage requirements include ▲Plaque psoriasis with over 10% of the total skin areas ▲Patients who have Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) score of over 10 ▲Patients who have undergone methotrexate or cyclosporine for over 3 months but cannot continue the treatment due to no response or side effects ▲Patients who have undergone light therapy or UPV photo therapy for over 3 months but cannot continue the treatment due to no response or side effects.

 

Clinical efficacy of Sotyktu was demonstrated in Phase 3 POETYK PSO-1 and POETYK PSO-2 clinical studies, which compared the drug with placebo or Otezla in 1,684 adult patients 18 years or above with plaque psoriasis.

 

POETYK PSO-1 studies have shown that the Sotyktu treatment group had a PASI 75 response rate of 58.4% at week 16, which was significantly higher than the apremilast group's 35.1% and the placebo group's 12.7%.

 

Furthermore, 53.6% of the Sotyktu treatment group achieved sPGA score of 0 or 1, higher than 32.1% in the apremilast group and 7.2% in the placebo group.

 

In POETYK PSO-2 study, the Sotyktu treatment group had a PASI 75 response rate of 53.0% at week 16, which was significantly higher than the apremilast group's 39.8% and the placebo group's 9.4%.

 

Additionally, 49.5% of the Sotyktu treatment group achieved sPGA score of 0 or 1, higher than the apremilast group's 33.9% and the placebo group's 8.6%.

 

Sotyktu’s high response was maintained for up to 52 weeks.

 

"Previously, patients who did not respond to or have had side effects when treated with conventional treatments, such as systemic therapy or light therapy, had biological agents as their only option.

 

Sotyktu, which offers the convenience of once-daily oral administration, is expected to meet the unmet needs of psoriasis patients," Choe Yong-beom, President of the Korean Society for Psoriasis, said.