medwireNews: The indication for risankizumab has been expanded to include psoriatic arthritis (PsA) in the USA.
Previously approved for plaque psoriasis, the interleukin-23 inhibitor may now be given to adult patients with active PsA at a dose of 150 mg every 12 weeks, following loading doses at weeks 0 and 4, and is administered by subcutaneous injection. Risankizumab may be used alone or in combination with nonbiologic DMARDs.
This FDA approval is based on findings from the placebo-controlled KEEPsAKE 1 and 2 trials, which showed that risankizumab significantly improved a range of PsA outcomes. KEEPsAKE 1 included patients with an inadequate response to conventional DMARDs but no prior biologic exposure, whereas KEEPsAKE 2 also included those with prior biologic exposure.
Commenting on the announcement, Saakshi Khattri (Mount Sinai Hospital, New York, USA) says that the approval of the risankizumab “is great news because it adds another biologic treatment to our arsenal to better care for our patients with skin and joint symptoms.”
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