AbbVie said its psoriasis treatment Skyrizi met both primary and all-ranked secondary endpoints, including superiority at week 52, in direct comparison with Novartis’ Cosentyx in a head-to-head phase 3 clinical study.

AbbVie's psoriasis treatment Skyrizi

“Skyrizi showed significantly higher rates of skin clearance compared to Cosentyx, meeting the primary endpoint of superiority with at least a 90 percent improvement from baseline in the psoriasis area and severity index (PASI 90) at week 52,” the company said. “Among patients treated with Skyrizi, 87 percent achieved PASI 90 compared to 57 percent of Cosentyx-treated patients at 52 weeks.”

At week 16, Skyrizi also met the other primary endpoint of non-inferiority versus Cosentyx, with 74 percent of Skyrizi patients achieving PASI 90 compared to 66 percent of Cosentyx patients, the company added.

Skyrizi also showed superiority compared to Cosentyx for all ranked secondary endpoints, including PASI 100, and PASI 75, as well as a static Physician Global Assessment score of clear or almost clear (sPGA 0/1) at week 52, the company said.

Current data demonstrated that the safety profile of Skyrizi was consistent with that observed in previously reported studies, with no new safety signals observed through week 52, it added.

The rates of adverse events were comparable between Skyrizi and Cosentyx, and the most common adverse events included nasopharyngitis, upper respiratory tract infection, headache, arthralgia, and diarrhea. The rate of such severe adverse events was 5.5 percent in the Skyrizi group and 3.7 percent in the Cosentyx group. In contrast, the discontinuation of the study due to adverse events was 1.2 percent in the Skyrizi group and 4.9 percent in the Cosentyx group.

“In this study, Skyrizi showed superior efficacy compared to Cosentyx in helping patients achieve and maintain high levels of skin clearance at week 52,” AbbVie President Michael Severino said. Head-to-head data like these are crucial to help patients, and their doctors make informed treatment decisions.”

The company is pleased to add these results to the growing body of evidence supporting Skyrizi as a differentiated treatment option for adults living with psoriasis, Severino said.

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