LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND – In biologic-experienced patients with psoriatic arthritis, the interleukin-17 inhibitor ixekizumab not only met the primary efficacy endpoint of a pivotal phase 3 trial, but also improved multiple patient-reported outcomes in doing so.
Newly-released results from the Study of Ixekizumab in Participants With Active Psoriatic Arthritis (SPIRIT-P2) showed that patients who received active treatment exhibited significantly better changes in physical function, quality of life, itch score, and work productivity compared with those given placebo.
Sara Freeman/MDedge News
Dr. Helena Marzo-Ortega
Patients treated with ixekizumab 80 mg every 2 or 4 weeks more often achieved the MCID by week 24, reaching 40% for 80 mg every 2 weeks and 43% for every 4 weeks, compared with 17% for placebo.
A total of 363 patients who met CASPAR (Classification Criteria for Psoriatic Arthritis) criteria were randomized into the SPIRIT-P2 trial. Patients could be included only if they had at least three tender and three swollen joints, active skin lesions, or a documented history of skin psoriasis, and had received prior treatment with a tumor necrosis factor inhibitor (TNFi).
“The population of patients studied is representative of the patients we see in our clinics,” said Dr. Marzo-Ortega, a consultant rheumatologist at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, England. The mean age was 52 years, a similar percentage of men and women were seen, and the majority (53%-58%) were inadequate responders to one TNFi. One-third had not responded to two TNFis, and 8%-10% had an intolerance.
The primary endpoint results, which have been previously presented and published (Lancet. 2017;389[10086]:2317-27), showed that a significantly (P less than .0001) higher percentage of patients treated with either of the two regimens of ixekizumab achieved a 20% response level on American College of Rheumatology criteria (ACR20) at 24 weeks. Indeed, 48% of 123 patients given 80 mg of ixekizumab every 2 weeks and 53% of 122 given 80 mg every 4 weeks achieved an ACR20 versus 20% of 118 placebo-treated patients. Also, on two key secondary endpoints at 24 weeks, an ACR50 response was achieved by a respective 33%, 35%, and 5% of patients, and an ACR70 by 12%, 22%, and 0%, she said.