Bimekizumab maintains scalp, palmoplantar psoriasis clearance through 4 years

Key takeaways:

• Complete scalp and palmoplantar psoriasis clearance was achieved by 85.6% and 86.6% of patients at 1 year.
• After 4 years of treatment, 79.5% and 88.7% maintained these results.

Patients with scalp and palmoplantar psoriasis treated with bimekizumab had a high rate of clearance maintained through 4 years of treatment, according to a poster presented at the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology Congress.

“Scalp and palmoplantar psoriasis and psoriatic changes in the nails can have a large impact on functional ability and health-related quality of life; these are referred to as high-impact areas,” Joseph F. Merola, MD, MMSc, chair of dermatology at the University of Texas Southwestern, and colleagues wrote.

The 3-year, open-label extension BE BRIGHT study included patients from the phase 3 BE VIVID, BE SURE and BE READY trials. Patients received bimekizumab (Bimzelx, UCB) 320 mg every 4 weeks to week 16 and then every 4 or 8 weeks throughout the trial. These data are pooled from all trials.

At 1 year, 85.6% of all bimekizumab-treated patients achieved scalp IGA 0 and 86.6% achieved palmoplantar IGA 0, with 79.5% and 88.7% maintaining these results at year 4, respectively.

In patients who received treatment every 8 weeks after the initial 16-weeks of every 4-week dosing (Q4W/Q8W), scalp IGA 0 was achieved by 94.7% at year 1 and 86.8% at year 4, whereas palmoplantar IGA 0 was reached by 91.7% at year 1 and 83.4% at year 4.

A clear score on the modified Nail Psoriasis Severity Index was achieved by 58.8% and 61.6% of all bimekizumab-treated patients at years 1 and 4, with those in the Q4W/Q8W group seeing 59.7% reach this goal at year 1 and 67.4% at year 4.

“A high percentage of bimekizumab-treated patients achieved and maintained complete clearance of scalp and palmoplantar psoriasis over 4 years,” the authors wrote. “Most achieved complete nail clearance by year 1, with rates numerically increasing to year 2 and remaining high through year 4.”

Reference:

• UCB presents new 4-year data for Bimzelx (bimekizumab-bkzx) in moderate to severe plaque psoriasis at EADV 2024. https://www.ucb.com/stories-media/Press-Releases/article/UCB-presents-new-4-year-data-for-BIMZELXRVbimekizumab-in-moderate-to-severe-plaque-psoriasis-at-EADV-2024. Published Sept. 25, 2024. Accessed Sept. 25, 2024.