Skin health: Johnson & Johnson’s study finds guselkumab effective for psoriasis treatment

09 Sep 2022 --- Successful rates of complete skin clearance via earlier treatment using Tremfya (guselkumab – a human antibody) in adults with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis were revealed in a study. The data was released by Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson, which first developed guselkumab and holds exclusive worldwide marketing rights to Tremfya.

“The new data demonstrated that ‘super responders’ to guselkumab who received a dosage every 16 weeks maintained disease control at a rate that was not inferior to the approved every-eight-week dosing interval (92.6% versus 91.9%), meeting the study’s week 68 primary endpoint,” the company states.

Psoriasis is a skin disease that causes inflamed and scaly plaques that may be painful.

Data from previous studies, comprise the 38 abstracts that Janssen is presenting at a congress in Milan.

Psoriasis is an immune-mediated disease resulting in the overproduction of skin cells, and can be difficult to live with. Clinical trial results
The study data was compiled from previous analyses showing that adults living with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis who initiate treatment with guselkumab less than or equal to two years (versus more than two years) from the onset of signs and symptoms are more likely to achieve super-responder status after controlling for differences in baseline characteristics.

“Currently, patients with psoriasis can face a long and complicated treatment journey as they try and find the regimen that works best for them and their lives,” says Kilian Eyerich, professor and medical director, department of dermatology at the Medical Center – University of Freiburg in Breisgau, Germany.

“These new results suggest patients who receive treatment soon after disease onset may see higher rates of psoriasis clearance. In the future, we hope that dosing-interval flexibility could be a consideration that would allow this patient population to have a therapy strategy tailored to them.”

“As we continue to analyze and understand the data from Guide, we hope to understand clinical outcomes from different patients with varying underlying immunological changes that may help inform individualized guselkumab therapeutic strategies in the future,” he adds.

What is guselkumab?
Guselkumab is the first approved fully human monoclonal antibody that selectively binds to the p19 subunit of interleukin (IL)-23 and inhibits its interaction with the IL-23 receptor.

It is approved in the EU for the treatment of moderate to severe plaque psoriasis in adults who are candidates for systemic therapy and alone or in combination with methotrexate for the treatment of active psoriatic arthritis (PsA) in adult patients who have had an inadequate response or who have been intolerant to a prior disease-modifying antirheumatic drug therapy.

It is also approved in the US, Canada, Japan and several other countries worldwide for the treatment of adults with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis who may benefit from taking systemic therapy (injections or pills) or phototherapy (treatment using ultraviolet light) and for the treatment of adult patients with active PsA.Tremfya (guselkumab) is being trialed by Janssen for the treatment of psoriasis.

Guselkumab is being investigated in other clinical trials in adults with moderately to severely active Crohn’s disease and adults with moderately to severely active ulcerative colitis.

Overproduction of skin cells
Plaque psoriasis is an immune-mediated disease resulting in the overproduction of skin cells, which causes inflamed, scaly plaques that may be itchy or painful.

It is estimated that more than 125 million people worldwide live with the disease. Nearly one-quarter of all people with plaque psoriasis have moderate to severe cases.

Living with plaque psoriasis can be a challenge and impact life beyond a person’s physical health, including emotional health, relationships and handling the stressors of life.

Edited by Radhika Sikaria

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