New dose of AbbVie’s psoriasis drug halves injection frequency for patients

Pharma News: AbbVie’s biologic treatment, Skyrizi (risankizumab), for severe plaque psoriasis is now available on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) as a single 150mg/mL dose injection.

Psoriasis affects approximately 618,800 people and its prevalence in adults in Australia is amongst the highest globally. Its visible nature often leads to psychological distress, lowering self-esteem, increasing anxiety, and elevating depression risk.

Associate Professor Peter Foley, Director of Research at the Skin Health Institute, commented “The journey for people living with severe psoriasis can be long and difficult, and after several years of trying and failing on treatments, they may come out the other side feeling deflated and like there is nothing more that they can do. Some patients may lose hope of the possibility that they can live a life unhindered by psoriasis.”

Murray Turner, CEO of Psoriasis Australia, said “As someone living with psoriasis, I know what it is like to deal with the physical and psychological aspects of the disease. Experiencing symptom flare ups or struggling to find the right help or treatment creates a heavy emotional toll. There is also significant misunderstanding about psoriasis amongst the public leading to social stigma, making life for those affected extremely hard.”

Associate Professor Foley further added “It is important to have multiple treatment options available, including medicines with different mechanisms of action and ways to administer, to help provide patients with a management plan that’s right for their condition.”

After a year of treatment, Skyrizi cleared or almost cleared skin (sPGA 0/1) in 63% of patients with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis who had a suboptimal response to either Novartis’ Cosentyx and Eli Lilly’s Taltz. The result, from the phase 3b trial, was presented at the American Academy of Dermatology annual meeting last year.

Administered via an auto-injector pre-filled pen, the 150mg/mL Skyrizi presentation halves the number of injections patients need per year by providing a single concentrated dose. The introduction of a new autoinjector pen and the reduction of injections is a reflection of AbbVie’s ongoing commitment to invest in its medicines to support patients, the company noted.

The Skyrizi 150mg/mL pre-filled pen will be made available for eligible Australian patients, and the 75mg/mL formulation will eventually be discontinued.

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