Risankizumab vs. ustekinumab for moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis – Pharmacy Today, American Pharmacists Association, pharmacist.com

The results of a Phase II study suggest that selective inhibition of interleukin-23 with risankizumab may be more effective in treating moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis than ustekinumab. "Although these findings are preliminary, the data suggest that selective blockade of interleukin-23 through the inhibition of the p19 subunit rather than p40 provides a more complete inhibition of interleukin-23 activity, potentially resulting in greater efficacy in the treatment of plaque psoriasis at the doses used," the researchers report. "However, differences in binding affinity or in potency between risankizumab and ustekinumab may have contributed to the differences in efficacy we found in this trial." For the study, 166 patients were randomized to receive subcutaneous injections of risankizumab (a single 18-mg dose at week 0 or 90-mg or 180-mg doses at weeks 0, 4, and 16) or ustekinumab (45 or 90 mg, according to body weight, at weeks 0, 4, and 16). At week 12, the percentage of patients with a 90% or greater reduction in the Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) scorethe primary endpointwas 77% for the risankizumab group (90-mg and 180-mg groups, pooled) and 40% for the ustekinumab group. In addition, 45% of the pooled 90-mg and 180-mg risankizumab groups saw a 100% reduction in the PASI score, compared with 18% of the ustekinumab group. Efficacy was generally maintained up to 20 weeks after the last dose of 90 or 180 mg of risankizumab. Serious adverse events were reported in five patients in the 18-mg risankizumab group, six in the 90-mg risankizumab group, and three in the ustekinumab group. Further study is needed, according to the researchers, noting that the trial was not big enough or long enough to assess risankizumab's safety profile.

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Risankizumab vs. ustekinumab for moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis - Pharmacy Today, American Pharmacists Association, pharmacist.com