Secukinumab improves hidradenitis suppurativa signs, symptoms

MILAN — Secukinumab was effective in improving the signs and symptoms of moderate to severe hidradenitis suppurativa in two phase 3 clinical trials.

“The results of this study are exciting for patients with hidradenitis suppurativa,” Alexa B. Kimball, MD, MPH, professor of dermatology at Harvard Medical School and CEO and president of the Harvard Medical Faculty Physicians at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, told Healio.

Kimball presented data from the randomized, double-blind, multicenter SUNSHINE and SUNRISE programs, which included 1,084 patients with hidradenitis suppurativa (HS), at the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology Congress.

Subjects were randomly assigned to receive 300 mg of subcutaneous secukinumab (Novartis), an IL-17A inhibitor, every 2 or 4 weeks, or placebo.

At week 16, the proportion of patients who achieved a hidradenitis suppurativa clinical response was 45% and 42.3% in the 2-week dosing cohorts, 41.8% and 46.1% in the 4-week dosing cohorts and 33.7% and 31.2% in the placebo groups. These results showed significant differences from placebo in all except the SUNSHINE 4-week group.

Abscess and inflammatory nodules count decreased by 46.8% and 39.3% in the 2-week dosing groups, 42.4% and 45.5% in the 4-week groups and 24.3% and 22.4% in the placebo groups.

“This study strongly supports secukinumab and IL-17 inhibition as an important treatment pathway for patients,” Kimball said. “There are many patients with HS who are either undertreated or have failed current treatments and rigorously identifying a new approach is a breakthrough for them.”