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Drug Discovery and Development

Tremfya shows durable efficacy for psoriatic arthritis joint and axial symptoms 

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Johnson & Johnson Janssen pharmaceutical business in the Pharma 50Janssen (NYSE:JNJ) has released new data showing the efficacy of the IL-23 inhibitor Tremfya (guselkumab) for a variety of psoriatic arthritis (PsA) symptoms for up to two years.

Patients with active psoriatic arthritis treated with guselkumab in Phase 3 studies had consistent, long-term efficacy over two years. Specifically, patients who received the drug had improvements related to joint, skin, enthesitis, dactylitis, spinal pain and disease severity endpoints.

Janssen also noted that analyses of its clinical trial data revealed that guselkumab supported broad improvements in health-related quality of life (HRQoL), including metrics such as fatigue, pain and work productivity.

Janssen presented the data culled from the DISCOVER-1, DISCOVER-2, and COSMOS clinical trials at the 2022 Annual European Congress for Rheumatology (EULAR) meeting held June 1-4.

Data from the DISCOVER-2 study showed that patients who received guselkumab had improvement across joint and axial symptoms of active PsA over two years. The analysis of the study also found low rates of radiographic progression in guselkumab recipients. A total of 40% of guselkumab recipients in the DISCOVER-2 study achieved minimal disease activity (MDA) through week 100. In addition, 59% had an Activity Index for Psoriatic Arthritis (DAPSA) of ≤14, indicating low disease activity. A total of 24% had a DAPSA score of ≤4, which means remission.

Guselkumab is the only fully human selective interleukin (IL)-23 inhibitor to win FDA approval for adults with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis (PsO) and adults with active psoriatic arthritis.

“Psoriatic arthritis is a complex disease, with a range of joint, skin, and axial symptoms. Patients need long-lasting therapies that can provide efficacy across these varied challenges,” said presenting study author Dr. Philip Mease, Swedish Medical Center/Providence St. Joseph Health and the University of Washington, in a press release. “These new data reinforce previous research showing the durable efficacy of TREMFYA and demonstrate its effect on health-related quality of life, which is important for patients facing the debilitating effects of psoriatic arthritis in their everyday lives.”

Tremfya first received FDA approval in 2017 for plaque psoriasis. It won an indication for psoriatic arthritis in 2020.

Filed Under: clinical trials, Drug Discovery, Rheumatology
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About The Author

Brian Buntz

As the pharma and biotech editor at WTWH Media, Brian has almost two decades of experience in B2B media, with a focus on healthcare and technology. While he has long maintained a keen interest in AI, more recently Brian has made making data analysis a central focus, and is exploring tools ranging from NLP and clustering to predictive analytics.

Throughout his 18-year tenure, Brian has covered an array of life science topics, including clinical trials, medical devices, and drug discovery and development. Prior to WTWH, he held the title of content director at Informa, where he focused on topics such as connected devices, cybersecurity, AI and Industry 4.0. A dedicated decade at UBM saw Brian providing in-depth coverage of the medical device sector. Engage with Brian on LinkedIn or drop him an email at bbuntz@wtwhmedia.com.

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