AbbVie’s risankizumab and upadacitinib show promising study data

Recent studies of AbbVie’s interleukin-23 inhibitor risankizumab in psoriasis, and mid-stage data on its JAK1 inhibitor upadacitinib in atopic dermatitis, have rendered positive results.

Upadacitinib is currently in a phase III trial in atopic dermatitis and has received a breakthrough designation from the FDA for this indication. In phase 2b results it improved skin lesions and itching in patients with moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis for all doses tested. Average improvements on the EASI symptom scale were 69% for 30mg, 44% for 15mg and 48% for 7.5mg versus 34% for placebo.

Risankizumab was compared with J&J’s interleukin-12/ interleukin-23 inhibitor Stelara (ustekinumab). 56% of patients reported they were symptom free after being treated with risankizumab for 12 months whilst 30% of patients treated with Stelara reported the same. Improvements were also evident for risankizumab versus Stelara on anxiety and depression.

In a separate study, risankizumab was compared with AbbVie’s own TNF inhibitor Humira (adalimumab). Again, risankizumab evidenced significant improvements versus Humira, the biggest -selling drug in the world, on quality of life measures. It also showed better results than both Stelara and Humira for keeping patients in work without loss of productivity caused by psoriasis.