Vunakizumab safe, effective in moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis

Treatment with vunakizumab, a novel interleukin 17A monoclonal antibody, shows promise for moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis and good tolerability, according to the results of a recent study.

A team of investigators conducted a 36-week multicentre, double-blind phase II trial on 187 eligible patients with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis. Participants were randomly assigned to receive vunakizumab (40, 80, 160, or 240 mg) or placebo subcutaneously every 4 weeks until week 12, with two more drug administrations for the vunakizumab groups on weeks 16 and 20. The primary endpoint was at least 75-percent improvement in the Psoriasis Area and Severity Index at week 12.

All four vunakizumab groups had significantly greater proportion of responders with at least 75-percent improvement in the Psoriasis Area and Severity Index at week 12 compared to placebo (40, 80, 160, and 240 mg: 56.8 percent, 65.8 percent, 81.6 percent, and 86.5 percent, respectively, vs 5.4 percent; p<0.001 for all).

The number of patients who achieved Physician’s Global Assessment responses of 0 or 1 were also higher in the vunakizumab groups (45.9 percent, 47.4 percent, 60.5 percent, and 70.3 percent, respectively, vs 8.1 percent). Of note, there were no serious adverse effects seen among participants.

This study was limited by its relative short duration and the absence of an active control. Larger and longer-term studies are warranted to confirm the efficacy of vunakizumab, according to the investigators.