Skyrizi adds psoriatic arthritis indication

enters market with ‘once every 12-weeks' dosing regimen

Fourth interleukin inhibitor to gain psoriatic arthritis indication, approved in January

Patients show high preference for its four-times-a-year administration… company to speed up market entry

Pic of Skyrizi

Abbvie’s ‘Skyrizi’ has expanded its indication to psoriatic arthritis.

 

As the fourth interleukin inhibitor to receive approval for the indication, Skyrizi has set out to overtake the market with its convenience in administration.

 

On the 9th, Abbvie Korea has held a ‘Press Conference to celebrate Skyrizi’s indication expansion to psoriatic arthritis’ online.

 

Skyrizi, which was first approved for moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis in 2019, added the psoriatic arthritis indication on the 5th of last month.

 

Skyrizi may be used to treat adult patients with active psoriatic arthritis who had responded inadequately or were intolerant to disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs).

 

Professor Young-Beom Choi of the Department of Dermatology at Konkuk University Hospital said, “Biologic drugs tend to lose their effect with long-term administration due to tolerance issues and need to be replaced with other drugs.

 

Therefore, we doctors are pleased that a new treatment option has been introduced to the area.

 

Skyrizi has provided new treatment opportunities to patients with its improved convenience in administration.”

Young-Beom Choi, Professor of Dermatology at Konkuk University Hospital

Psoriatic arthritis, which is related to psoriasis, develops in various forms such as peripheral arthritis, dactylitis (inflammation of the fingers and toes), skin psoriasis, and enteritis.

 

It affects all joints but is especially common in smaller joints such as the hands and feet.

 

Around 10% to 15% of patients who develop psoriasis progress to psoriatic arthritis in 4 to 5 years.

 

Skyrizi’s efficacy in psoriatic arthritis was demonstrated in the two Phase III KEEPsAKE-1and KEEPsAKE-2 trials.

 

The drug showed a significant effect compared to placebo in the primary endpoint of ACR20 (20% improvement in joint symptoms) at week 24.

 

In the two studies, 57% and 51% of patients receiving Skyrizi achieved the primary endpoint of ACR20 response at week 24, respectively, compared to the 34% and 27% receiving placebo.

 

Also, the patients’ presence of enthesitis and dactylitis had improved by 24 weeks and the effect was maintained until week 52.

 

Skyrizi was late to receive approval for the psoriatic arthritis indication than Tremfya, another drug that has the same mechanism of action.

 

Tremfya received approval for the psoriatic arthritis indication in April last year and became the 3rd interleukin inhibitor to receive approval for the indication.

 

Other interleukin inhibitors that had been previously used are the IL-17 inhibitor ‘Cosentyx’ and ‘Taltz.’ Late in entering the market, Skyrizi is attempting to expand its market share with its differentiated advantage, its less frequent administration regimen.

 

Professor Choi also pointed to the dosing schedule as Skyrizi’s most prominent feature.

 

Skyrizi is administered the least in a year among all IL-17 and IL-23 inhibitors.

 

Contrary to IL-17 inhibitors that are administered every 4 weeks, 12 times a year, Skyrizi is administered every 12 weeks, 4 times a year.

 

Professor Choi said, “Younger adults who work have difficulty visiting hospitals every month.

 

Patients prefer Skyrizi because they only need to visit once every three months.

 

In addition to comorbidities and symptoms, patient preference is also an important factor considered when selecting drugs.” In addition to psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis, Abbvie plans to expand the reach of Skyrizi further to various autoimmune diseases.

 

Seok-Yui Kim, Director of Medical at AbbVie said, “Global Phase 3 trials for Skyrizi are ongoing in Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, and the rare autoimmune disease hidradenitis suppurativa.”