Bimekizumab shows positive phase 3b results against Cosentyx

Bimekizumab was superior to Cosentyx for the treatment of moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis, according to phase 3b study results released by UCB.

The randomized, multicenter, double-blind, active comparator-controlled, parallel-group BE RADIANT trial compared UCB’s investigational IL-17A and IL-17F inhibitor bimekizumab to Cosentyx (secukinumab, Novartis). It included 743 psoriasis patients who had a baseline Psoriasis Area and Severity Index score of 12 or greater and a body surface area affected by psoriasis of 10% or greater, as well as an Investigator’s Global Assessment score equal or above 3.

The bimekizumab group was superior to the secukinumab group in achieving a 75% improvement in PASI by week 4, and complete skin clearance at week 48.

“Psoriasis places a heavy burden on patients, often causing pain, discomfort and stigma. Patients may not get the complete skin clearance that they want and may not even realize that it’s possible,” Emmanuel Caeymaex, executive vice president of Immunology Solutions and head of UCB in the U.S., said in a press release. “Health care providers may also feel forced to make trade-offs between therapies that work quickly, versus those that have shown durable efficacy. The BE RADIANT results demonstrate that bimekizumab has the potential to raise the treatment bar for patients and their dermatologists. UCB is proud to lead the way in connecting science to unmet patient needs and developing bimekizumab. It is our ambition to provide a transformative experience for psoriasis patients.”

UCB is continuing to study bimekizumab’s safety and efficacy for the treatment of psoriatic arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, non-radiographic axial spondylarthritis and hidradenitis suppurativa, the release said.