Clinical Review

Emerging Therapies In Psoriasis: A Systematic Review

Cutis. 2018 March;101(3S):5-9

References

Langley RG, Krueger GG, Griffiths CE. Psoriasis: epidemiology, clinical features, and quality of life. Ann Rheum Dis. 2005;64(suppl 2):ii18-ii23; discussion, ii24, ii25.
Lynde CW, Poulin Y, Vender R, et al. Interleukin 17A: toward a new understanding of psoriasis pathogenesis. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2014;71:141-150.
Amin M, Darji K, No DJ, et al. Review of phase III trial data on IL-23 inhibitors tildrakizumab and guselkumab for psoriasis. J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol. 2017;31:1627-1632.
Arican O, Aral M, Sasmaz S, et al. Levels of TNF-alpha, IFN-gamma, IL6, IL-8, IL-12, IL-17, and IL-18 in patients with active psoriasis and correlation with disease severity. Mediators Inflamm. 2005:273-279.
Griffiths CE, Reich K, Lebwohl M, et al; UNCOVER-2 and UNCOVER-3 investigators. Comparison of ixekizumab with etanercept or placebo in moderate-to-severe psoriasis (UNCOVER-2 and UNCOVER-3): results from two phase 3 randomised trials. Lancet. 2015;386:541-551.
Gordon KB, Blauvelt A, Papp KA, et al; UNCOVER-1 study group, UNCOVER-2 study group, UNCOVER-3 study group. Phase 3 trials of ixekizumab in moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis. N Engl J Med. 2016;375:345-356.
FDA approves new psoriasis drug Taltz [news release]. Silver Spring, MD: US Food and Drug Administration; March 22, 2016. https://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/ucm491872.htm. Accessed January 29, 2018.
Papp KA, Reich K, Paul C, et al. A prospective phase III, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of brodalumab in patients with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis. Br J Dermatol. 2016;175:273-286.
Lebwohl M, Strober B, Mentor A, et al. Phase 3 studies comparing brodalumab with ustekinumab for psoriasis. N Engl J Med. 2015;373:1318-1328.
FDA approves new psoriasis drug [news release]. Silver Spring, MD: US Food and Drug Administration; February 15, 2017. https://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/ucm541981.htm. Accessed January 29, 2018.
Blauvelt A, Papp KA, Griffiths CE, et al. Efficacy and safety of guselkumab, an anti-interleukin-23 monoclonal antibody, compared with adalimumab for the continuous treatment of patients with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis: results from the phase III, double-blinded placebo- and active comparator-controlled VOYAGE 1 trial. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2017;76:405-417.
Reich K, Armstrong AW, Foley P, et al. Efficacy and safety of guselkumab, an anti-interleukin-23 monoclonal antibody, compared with adalimumab for the treatment of patients with moderate to severe psoriasis with randomized withdrawal and retreatment: results from the phase III, double-blind, placebo- and active comparator-controlled VOYAGE 2 trial. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2017;76:418-431.
Janssen announces U.S. FDA approval of Tremfya™ (guselkumab) for the treatment of moderate to severe plaque psoriasis [news release]. Horsham, PA: Johnson & Johnson; July 13, 2017. https://www.jnj.com/media-center/press-releases/janssen-announces-us-fda-approval-of-tremfya-guselkumab-for-the-treatment-of-moderate-to-severe-plaque-psoriasis. Accessed January 29, 2018.
Reich K, Papp KA, Blauvelt A, et al. Tildrakizumab versus placebo or etanercept for chronic plaque psoriasis (reSURFACE1 and reSURFACE 2): results from two randomized controlled, phase 3 trials. Lancet. 2017;390:276-288.
Papp KA, Blauvelt A, Bukhalo M, et al. Risankizumab versus ustekinumab for moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis. N Engl J Med. 2017;376:1551-1560.
Risankizumab. AbbVie Inc website. https://www.abbvie.com/our-science/pipeline/risankizumab.html. Accessed January 29, 2018.
Risankizumab meets all co-primary and ranked secondary endpoints, achieving significantly greater efficacy versus standard biologic therapies in three pivotal phase 3 psoriasis studies [news release]. North Chicago, IL: AbbVie Inc; October 26, 2017. https://news.abbvie.com/news/risankizumab-meets-all-co-primary-and-ranked-secondary-endpoints-achieving-significantly-greater-efficacy-versus-standard-biologic-therapies-in-three-pivotal-phase-3-psoriasis-studies.htm. Accessed January 29, 2018.
Glatt S, Helmer E, Haier B, et al. First-in-human randomized study of bimekizumab, a humanized monoclonal antibody and selective dual inhibitor of IL-17A and IL-17F, in mild psoriasis. Br J Clin Pharmacol. 2017;83:991-1001.
Reich K, Ortonne JP, Gottlieb AB, et al. Successful treatment of moderate to severe plaque psoriasis with the PEGylated Fab‘ certolizumab pegol: results of a phase II randomized, placebo-controlled trial with a re-treatment extension. Br J Dermatol. 2012;167:180-190.
Kimball AB, Luger T, Gottlieb A, et al. Impact of ixekizumab on psoriasis itch severity and other psoriasis symptoms: results from 3 phase III psoriasis clinical trials. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2016;75:1156-1161.
Dennehy EB, Zhang L, Amato D, et al. Ixekizumab is effective in subjects with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis with significant nail involvement: results from UNCOVER 3. J Drugs Dermatol. 2016;15:958-961.
Gottlieb AB, Lacour JP, Korman N, et al. Treatment outcomes with ixekizumab in patients with moderate-to-severe psoriasis who have not received prior biological therapies: an integrated analysis of two phase III randomized studies. J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol. 2017;31:679-685.
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Papp K, Leonardi C, Menter A, et al. Safety and efficacy of brodalumab for psoriasis after 120 weeks of treatment. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2014;71:1183-1190.
Papp K, Menter A, Strober B, et al. Efficacy and safety of brodalumab in subpopulations of patients with difficult-to-treat moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2015;72:436-439.
SILIQ [package insert]. Thousand Oaks, CA: Amgen, Inc; 2017.

IL-17 Inhibitors

Ixekizumab
This recombinant, high-affinity IgG4κ antibody selectively binds and neutralizes IL-17A.^5,6 Three phase 3 clinical trials—UNCOVER-1, UNCOVER-2, and UNCOVER-3—evaluated ixekizumab for moderate to severe plaque psoriasis.⁷

The 3 UNCOVER trials were randomized, double-blind, phase 3 trials of 1296, 1224, and 1346 patients, respectively, assigned to a placebo group; a group treated with ixekizumab 80 mg every 2 weeks; and a group treated with ixekizumab 80 mg every 4 weeks. Both ixekizumab groups received a loading dose of 160 mg at week 0.^5,6 UNCOVER-2 and UNCOVER-3 also included a comparator group of patients on etanercept 50 mg.⁵ Co-primary end points included the percentage of patients reaching a psoriasis area and severity index (PASI) of 75 and with a static physician global assessment (PGA) score of clear (0) or almost clear (1) at week 12.^5,6

Ixekizumab achieved greater efficacy than placebo: 89.1%, 89.7%, and 87.3% of patients achieved PASI 75 in the every 2-week dosing group, and 82.6%, 77.5% and 84.2% achieved PASI 75 in the every 4-week dosing group in UNCOVER-1, UNCOVER-2, and UNCOVER-3, respectively (P<.001 for both treatment arms compared to placebo in all trials). The percentage of patients achieving a static PGA score of 0 or 1 also was higher in the ixekizumab groups in the 2-week and 4-week dosing groups in all UNCOVER trials—81.8% and 76.4% in UNCOVER-1, 83.2% and 72.9% in UNCOVER-2, and 80.5% and 75.4% in UNCOVER-3—compared to 3.2%, 2.4%, and 6.7% in the placebo groups of the 3 trials (P<.001 for both ixekizumab groups compared to placebo in all trials).^5,6 Ixekizumab also was found to be more effective than etanercept for both co-primary end points in both UNCOVER-2 and UNCOVER-3 (eTable 1).⁵

Safety data for all UNCOVER trials were pooled and reported.⁶ At week 12 the rate of at least 1 AE was 58.4% in patients on ixekizumab every 2 weeks and 58.8% in patients on ixekizumab every 4 weeks compared to 54.0% in the etanercept group in UNCOVER-2 and UNCOVER-3 and 46.8% in the placebo group. At week 12, 72 nonfatal serious AEs were reported: 12 in the placebo group, 14 in the etanercept group, 20 in the ixekizumab every 2 weeks group, and 26 in the ixekizumab every 4 weeks group.⁶

The most common AE across all groups was nasopharyngitis. Overall, infections were more frequent in patients treated with ixekizumab than in patients treated with placebo or etanercept. Specifically, oral candidiasis occurred more frequently in the ixekizumab groups, with a higher rate in the 2-week dosing group than in the 4-week dosing group.⁶ Two myocardial infarctions (MIs) occurred: 1 in the etanercept group and 1 in the placebo group.⁵

Brodalumab
This human monoclonal antibody binds to IL-17ra.^8,9 Three double-blind, placebo-controlled, phase 3 trials—AMAGINE-1, AMAGINE-2, and AMAGINE-3—evaluated its use for plaque psoriasis.¹⁰

In AMAGINE-1 (N=661), patients were randomized to receive brodalumab 140 mg or 210 mg (every 2 weeks for 12 weeks), or placebo.⁸ In AMAGINE-2 (N=1831) and AMAGINE-3 (N=1881), patients were randomized to receive brodalumab 140 mg or 210 mg (every 2 weeks for 12 weeks), ustekinumab 45 mg or 90 mg by weight (at weeks 0 and 4, then every 12 weeks thereafter), or placebo. In all trials, patients on brodalumab received a dose at week 0 and week 1. Co-primary end points were PASI 75 and a static PGA score of 0 or 1 at 12 weeks compared to placebo and to ustekinumab (in AMAGINE-2 and AMAGINE-3 only).⁸

At week 12, 83.3%, 86.3%, and 85.1% of patients on brodalumab 210 mg, and 60.3%, 66.6%, and 69.2% of patients on brodalumab 140 mg, achieved PASI 75 in AMAGINE-1, AMAGINE-2, and AMAGINE-3, respectively, compared to 2.7%, 8.1%, and 6.0% in the placebo groups (P<.001 between both brodalumab groups and placebo in all trials).⁸ Both brodalumab groups were noninferior but not significantly superior to ustekinumab, which achieved a PASI 75 of 70.0% in AMAGINE-2 and 69.3% in AMAGINE-3. The PASI 90 rate was higher, however, in both brodalumab groups compared to ustekinumab but significance was not reported (eTable 1).⁹ For both brodalumab groups, significantly more patients achieved a static PGA value of 0 or 1 compared to placebo (P<.001 across all trials). However, only the brodalumab 210-mg group achieved a significantly higher rate of static PGA 0 or 1 compared to ustekinumab in AMAGINE-2 and AMAGINE-3 (P<.001).⁹

After 12 weeks, the percentage of patients reporting at least 1 AE was 59.0%, 57.8%, and 56.8% in the brodalumab 210-mg group in AMAGINE-1, AMAGINE-2, and AMAGINE-3, respectively; 58.0%, 60.1%, and 52.6% in the brodalumab 140-mg group; and 51.0%, 53.4%, and 48.6% in the placebo group. Patients taking ustekinumab had an AE rate of 59.0% in AMAGINE-2 and 53.7% in AMAGINE-3. The most common AE was nasopharyngitis, followed by upper respiratory infection (URI) and headache across all trials.^8,9 Serious AEs were rare: 10 in AMAGINE-1, 31 in AMAGINE-2, and 24 in AMAGINE-3 across all groups. One death occurred from stroke in the brodalumab 210-mg group in AMAGINE-2.⁹

Pushing the Limits: Developing a New Standard of Care for Psoriasis

Emerging Therapies In Psoriasis: A Systematic Review

References

IL-17 Inhibitors

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