Risankizumab for the treatment of moderate to severe psoriasis

ABSTRACT

Introduction: Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory skin disorder pathogenically mediated by multiple cytokines, including interleukin (IL)-23, IL-17, and TNF. An emerging class of therapeutics that selectively blocks IL-23 has been developed. Among these new agents, risankizumab is now being investigated in phase III clinical trials, and the preliminary data are promising in inducing an excellent clinical response.

Areas covered: This review aims to describe the pathogenic role of IL-23 in psoriasis and to collect clinical data related to the efficacy and safety of risankizumab, an anti-IL-23p19 agent, in the treatment of psoriasis.

Expert opinion: Risankizumab showed high response rates in reaching complete or almost complete clearance of psoriasis. When compared to other similarly effective drugs, it may show some advantages related to its mechanism of action (direct blockade of the main pathogenic pathway), safety (no impact on the immune surveillance against Candida infection), therapeutic regimen (every-12-week injections), and effectiveness in the treatment of immune-mediated psoriasis comorbid conditions, such as psoriatic arthritis and Crohn’s disease.

Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT02054481.

Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT03478787.

Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT02684370.

Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT02684357.

Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT 02694523.

Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT02672852.

KEYWORDS:

• Psoriasis
• risankizumab
• IL-23
• pathogenesis
• biologic

Box 1. Drug summary box

Declaration of interest

A Chiricozzi has been scientific consultant and/or clinical study investigator for AbbVie, Biogen, Eli Lilly, Janssen, Leo-Pharma, Novartis, Sanofi Genzyme, UCB Pharma, and speaker for Eli Lilly, Janssen, AbbVie, Leo-Pharma, and Novartis. The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.

Reviewer Disclosures

Peer reviewers on this manuscript have no relevant financial relationships or otherwise to disclose.

Additional information

Funding

No funding or sponsoring has supported this work.