Bimekizumab for The Treatment of Psoriasis

Abstract

Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory skin condition characterized by Th17 T cell-mediated inflammation. An emerging treatment option for psoriasis is bimekizumab, a humanized monoclonal antibody targeting cytokines IL-17A and IL-17F. Phase I trials evaluating bimekizumab reported strong safety, tolerability, and clinical efficacy with most common treatment emergent adverse events being mild to moderate in nature. Phase II trials evaluated dosing intervals, revealing that higher dosages or more frequent administration of bimekizumab resulted in minimal increases in adverse events. Phase III trials and open label extension studies demonstrated a rapid, sustained clinical response when compared with placebo and active comparators. Bimekizumab shows strong efficacy in the treatment of psoriasis and has potential in the treatment of other Th17-mediated pathologies.

Plain language summary

Psoriasis is a chronic skin problem caused by the body’s immune system. Bimekizumab, a new treatment, targets certain parts of the immune system involved in psoriasis. Studies testing bimekizumab in different phases showed it is safe and effective in treating psoriasis. Many patients taking bimekizumab had good results with mild side effects, and higher doses were well tolerated. When patients taking bimekizumab were followed for multiple years, the longitudinal study showed it worked well and continued to work. Bimekizumab works well for psoriasis but might help with similar immune-related conditions.

Tweetable abstract

The novel bimekizumab shows strong efficacy in the treatment of psoriasis and has potential in the treatment of other Th17-mediated pathologies.

Keywords: :

• bimekizumab
• interleukin 17
• psoriasis
• skin inflammation
• Th17 cells

Author contributions

All authors listed satisfy the following criteria: Substantial contributions to conception or design of the work, or the acquisition, analysis or interpretation of data for the work; drafting of the work or revising it critically for important intellectual content; final approval of the version to be published and agreement to be accountable for all aspects of the work in ensuring that questions related to the accuracy or integrity of any part of the work are appropriately investigated and resolved.

Financial disclosure

M Thapar – none; M Patel – none, K Gordon – has received honoraria or research support from the following pharmaceutical companies: Abbvie, Arcutis, Amgen, BMS, Boerhinger Ingelheim, Dermavant, DICE, Eli Lilly, Incyte, Janssen, Leo, MoonLake, Novartis, Pfizer, Protagonist, UCB, Union. The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.

Competing interests disclosure

The authors have no competing interests or relevant affiliations with any organization or entity with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript. This includes employment, consultancies, honoraria, stock ownership or options, expert testimony, grants or patents received or pending, or royalties.

Writing disclosure

No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.

Ethical conduct of research

The authors state that this review article was not directly involved in studies involving animal and human participants. As such, no specific permissions were required for corresponding locations; no institutional review board approval was required.