Tremfya reduces psoriatic arthritis severity, progression of structural damage
Key takeaways:
- Tremfya is an interleukin-23 inhibitor being evaluated for the treatment of psoriatic arthritis.
- Twenty-four-week results showed Tremfya reduced signs, symptoms and structural progression of the disease.
Tremfya reduced signs and symptoms of psoriatic arthritis, as well as progression of structural damage, according to new phase 3 results.
“Psoriatic arthritis can be a progressive and debilitating disease, and without early identification and treatment, patients may experience irreversible joint damage that significantly impacts their daily activities,” Terence Rooney, vice president, rheumatology disease area leader at Johnson & Johnson Innovative Medicine, said in a press release. “These new topline data highlight the importance of addressing both inflammation and structural damage at the source as early as possible.”
Approved to treat psoriatic arthritis (PsA), Tremfya (guselkumab) is a dual-acting monoclonal antibody that blocks interleukin-23 and binds to the receptor CD64, which is located on IL-23-producing cells.
According to a press release, the phase 3b APEX study showed that patients treated with Tremfya for PsA saw a higher reduction in their signs and symptoms of disease by week 24 compared with those treated with placebo. As measured by radiographic progression, the investigators also observed a reduction in joint space narrowing and erosion subscores, indicating Tremfya slows down the progression of structural damage from PsA.
The investigators also reported no new safety signals from Tremfya treatment.
As 24-week results from the APEX study are being prepared for presentation at upcoming medical congresses, the ongoing study will continue to evaluate the efficacy of Tremfya through 3 years for patients with PsA.
Perspective
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The release of data from the APEX trial, especially guselkumab’s ability to significantly reduce progression of structural damage of involved psoriatic arthritis joints at 24 weeks, adds to the notable benefits of IL-23 inhibition for treating psoriatic disease. When also taking into account evolving research narratives suggesting IL-23 inhibition may decrease incidence of psoriatic arthritis in patients with psoriasis and that relatively high doses of IL-23 inhibitors may induce fairly durable psoriasis remissions and decrease numbers of pathogenic T-helper 17 memory T-cells in skin, the novel APEX trial data support that we still may not understand the full potential of IL-23 inhibition within the context of psoriatic disease. Further exploration of the benefits of IL-23 inhibition and various IL-23 inhibitor dosing strategies will hopefully teach us how to best use this medication class in the future to achieve optimal outcomes in our psoriatic patients.
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