Sustained long-term improvements reported with ixekizumab for plaque psoriasis

Long-term clinically significant and sustained improvements were seen with ixekizumab treatment in patients with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis, according to a study reported at the American Academy of Dermatology virtual meeting.

“Ixekizumab [is] a high-affinity monoclonal antibody that selectively targets interleukin-17A and has been approved for treating moderate to severe psoriasis, active psoriatic arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis,” Melinda Gooderham, MD, of Queens University and SKiN Centre for Dermatology in Peterborough, Canada, and colleagues wrote.

In a randomized, double-blind, multicenter, phase 3 clinical trial, patient-reported outcomes were summarized through 5 years of treatment with ixekizumab. Patients received ixekizumab every 2 weeks during the first 12 weeks and then every 4 weeks during a long-term extension period.

Through 5 years, the response for Itch Numeric Rating Scale was 51.7% and the modified non-responder imputation was 49.8%. The Itch Numeric Rating Scale also saw a 4-point or greater reduction in 82.4% and 75.5%, respectively; 59.3% and 53.5%, respectively, for skin pain; and 75% and 68.8%, respectively, for Dermatology Life Quality Index.

The mean observed change was –21.3 and the modified baseline observation carried forward change was –19.3 for Psoriasis Skin Appearance Bothersomeness; 3.4 and 3.1, respectively, for Mental Component Summary; and 4.4 and 3.8, respectively, for Physical Component Summary.

“Ixekizumab provided clinically meaningful and sustained improvements in itch, skin pain, DLQI, PSAB, and SF-36 MCS and PCS through 5 years of treatment in patients with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis,” the authors wrote.