Lilly posts impressive psoriasis results in comparison study

Eli Lilly has revealed strong results in a study comparing its psoriasis treatment, Taltz (ixekizumab), to Johnson & Johnson’s Stelara. The study was held over a duration of 52 weeks, with Taltz displaying high proportion of response from patients.

By week 24, the study had met its primary endpoint, with 83% of patients taking Lilly’s medication achieving a 90 on the Psoriasis Area Severity Index (PASI) used to determine the extent and severity of the condition. This compared favourably against patients taking Stelara, which achieved only 59% at the same level.

On top of this, Lilly noted that 49% of patients receiving Taltz also achieved a 100 on the PSAI scale against 23.5% of those taking Stelera. At the lower level of the PASI, 91% of patients achieved PASI 75 compared to 81.9% treated with Stelara.

"For many years, achieving PASI 75 - or 75 percent improvement in skin plaques - has been the standard treatment goal for moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis," said Kristian Reich, Lead Author and Professor, Georg-August-University Göttingen and Dermatologikum Hamburg. "With the introduction of treatments like Taltz, dermatologists can offer treatment options that allow more patients to achieve PASI 90 or PASI 100. The data of the IXORA-S study is significant, as it demonstrates both high levels of skin improvement for patients treated with Taltz, consistent with pivotal Phase 3 trials, as well as higher response rates over Stelara, which is one of the most frequently used biologics in the treatment of moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis."

With such strong showings in results, especially compared to current treatment, Taltz is almost certain to achieve the blockbuster status that it has been predicted to achieve by 2022.