Johnson & Johnson’s (NYSE:JNJ) pharmaceutical subsidiary Janssen has announced that its Tremfya (guselkumab) selective interleukin (IL)-23 inhibitor therapy led to durable, complete skin clearance in the majority of adults with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis (PsO) for up to five years. The drug also showed substantial efficacy in treating active psoriatic arthritis (PsA) for up to one year.
A total of 55% of patients receiving Tremfya had complete skin clearance, while 85% had an Investigator’s Global Assessment (IGA) score of either 0 or 1 at week 252 in the Phase 3 trial. IGA is a five-point system for characterizing psoriasis severity. A score of zero indicates complete clearing, while a score of one is for “almost clear” skin.
With 2020 sales hitting $1.35 billion, Tremfya is the only interleukin (IL)-23 inhibitor that is FDA approved for both moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis.
Janssen had concluded earlier that seven out of 10 plaque psoriasis patient taking Tremfya saw 90% clearer skin after 16 weeks of therapy.
In April, AbbVie (NYSE:ABBV) also filed an FDA submission for an (IL)-23 inhibitor known as Skyrizi (risankizumab) for PsA.
The company presented the data at the American Academy of Dermatology Virtual Meeting Experience 2021.
“People living with psoriatic disease can face a lifetime of physical pain and discomfort, which places a significant burden on their lives,” said Dr. Kristian Reich, a professor at the University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Germany, in a statement. The recent clinical trial results “add to a growing body of evidence for this first-in-class IL-23 inhibitor treatment for moderate to severe plaque psoriasis and active psoriatic arthritis,” said Reich, who is also a Janssen consultant.
The drug is available as a subcutaneous injection. In two PsA trials known as DISCOVER-1 and -2, investigators periodically administered 100 mg of the drug.
Its FDA indication recommends administering the drug twice at four-week intervals before administering it every eight weeks.