Tuesday, March, 19, 2024 06:25:05

The successful trial will allow doctors to prescribe Taltz as a treatment to newly diagnosed arthritis patients

Global pharmaceutical company, Eli Lilly and Co. has reportedly announced that its psoriatic arthritis drug, Taltz (ixekizumab) has successfully met the primary and secondary endpoints in the Phase 3b/4 SPIRIT-H2H study.

Sources close to the study cite that Taltz was found to be more effective than the current best-selling prescription arthritis drug, AbbVie Inc’s Humira (adalimumab), in a late-stage trial.

According to Lilly, the study showed Taltz to be more effective than Humira in treating psoriatic arthritis symptoms, as it measured reduction in disease activity by at least 50% compared with patients that exhibited symptoms on Humira after 24 weeks.

It said that the drug was also found to be superior to Humira in clearing skin completely in several patients and attaining both the positive outcomes simultaneously.

According to Reuters, Lotus Mallbris, VP of Immunology Development, Lilly, said that the success in the late-stage trial is a significant milestone, as it gives doctors confidence to prescribe Taltz as a treatment for newly diagnosed active psoriatic arthritis patients. She said that the drug effectively treats joints as well as provides the added value of clearing skin.

For the record, Lilly’s Taltz was first permitted in the U.S. in 2016 for treating plaque psoriasis and attained total revenue of about $560 million in 2017. Meanwhile, in 2017, AbbVie ‘s Humira brought in global sales of $18 billion, accounting for about two-thirds of the company’s net revenue. However, Humira’s sales are likely to come under pressure with several biosimilar drugs stepping foot in the market, cite sources.

Speaking of further plans, Lilly said that it will submit detailed insights from the SPIRIT-H2H study for disclosure in peer-reviewed journals and at scientific meetings in 2019.