Long-Term Risankizumab Treatment for Moderate to Severe Plaque Psoriasis

A study published in the Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology found that risankizumab showed durable, long-term efficacy across various patient subgroups and provided substantial improvements in specific high-impact psoriatic manifestations.

Researchers assessed the long-term efficacy of risankizumab for moderate to severe plaque psoriasis, over 256 weeks, focusing on patient subgroups and specific high-impact manifestations like nail, scalp, and palmoplantar psoriasis. The analysis pooled data from patients who participated in 2 initial phase 3, double-blind studies and continued into the open-label extension study, LIMMitless.

The primary goal was to evaluate how baseline characteristics such as age, sex, body mass index (BMI), weight, and psoriatic arthritis status influenced the long-term efficacy of risankizumab. Additionally, the study focused on the treatment's effectiveness in resolving high-impact psoriatic manifestations, including nail, scalp, and palmoplantar psoriasis.

Patients were assessed for their improvement in Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) scores, specifically looking at those achieving 90% or 100% improvement (PASI 90/100). The analysis also included patients with additional manifestations of nail, scalp, or palmoplantar psoriasis, tracking their progress in these areas from baseline to week 256.

Across a cohort of 525 patients, risankizumab demonstrated consistent efficacy, with similar proportions of patients achieving PASI 90/100, regardless of baseline characteristics. Significant improvements were observed in patients with nail, scalp, and palmoplantar psoriasis, with mean improvements exceeding 81%, 94%, and 97%, respectively. Among patients with all 3 manifestations, 44.6% achieved complete clearance by week 256.

Risankizumab’s long-term efficacy across various patient subgroups and improvements in specific high-impact psoriatic manifestations may assist in maintaining consistent results for patients.

Reference
Strober B, Bachelez H, Crowley J, et al. Efficacy of long-term risankizumab treatment for moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis: subgroup analyses by baseline characteristics and psoriatic disease manifestations through 256 weeks (LIMMitless trial). J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol. 2024;38(5):864-872. doi:10.1111/jdv.19748