Efficacy and Safety of Risankizumab for the Treatment of Hidradenitis Suppurativa: A Phase 2, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Trial

Alexa B. Kimball*, Errol P. Prens, Thierry Passeron, Emanual Maverakis, Irina Turchin, Stefan Beeck, Leonidas Drogaris, Ziqian Geng, Tianyu Zhan, Izabella Messina, Falk G. Bechara

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleAcademicpeer-review

38 Citations (Scopus)
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Abstract

Introduction: Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is a chronic, immune-mediated skin condition characterized by inflammatory lesions that can cause pain, impaired physical activity, and reduced quality of life. This study evaluated the efficacy and safety of risankizumab, a humanized immunoglobulin G1 monoclonal antibody that specifically inhibits interleukin 23 by binding to its p19 subunit, for the treatment of HS. Methods: This phase II multicenter, randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind study investigated the efficacy and safety of risankizumab in patients with moderate-to-severe HS. Patients were randomized 1:1:1 to receive subcutaneous risankizumab 180 mg; risankizumab 360 mg; or placebo at weeks 0, 1, 2, 4, and 12. Patients initially randomized to placebo received blinded risankizumab 360 mg at weeks 16, 17, and 18; patients initially randomized to risankizumab received blinded matching placebo at the same time points. From weeks 20–60, all patients received open-label risankizumab 360 mg every 8 weeks. The primary endpoint was the achievement of HS Clinical Response (HiSCR) at week 16. Safety was assessed by monitoring of treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs). Results: A total of 243 patients were randomized (risankizumab 180 mg, n = 80; risankizumab 360 mg, n = 81; placebo, n = 82). HiSCR was achieved by 46.8% of patients with risankizumab 180 mg, 43.4% with risankizumab 360 mg, and 41.5% with placebo at week 16. The primary endpoint was not met, and the study was terminated early. Incidence of TEAEs, severe TEAEs, TEAEs considered possibly related to study drug, and TEAEs leading to discontinuation of study drug were generally low and comparable across treatment groups. Conclusion: Risankizumab does not appear to be an efficacious treatment for moderate-to-severe HS. Future studies to understand the complex molecular mechanisms underlying HS pathogenesis and develop improved therapies are warranted. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT03926169.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1099-1111
Number of pages13
JournalDermatology and Therapy
Volume13
Issue number5
Early online date9 Mar 2023
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - May 2023

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
Medical writing support was provided by Callie AS Corsa, PhD, of JB Ashtin and funded by AbbVie. JB Ashtin adheres to Good Publication Practice (GPP3) guidelines and International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) recommendations.

Funding:
AbbVie funded this study and
participated in the study design, research,
analysis, data collection, interpretation of data,
reviewing, and approval of the publication. All
authors had access to relevant data and participated in the drafting, review, and approval of
this publication. No honoraria or payments
were made for authorship. AbbVie also provided
funding for the journal’s Rapid Service Fee.

Publisher Copyright:
© 2023, The Author(s).

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