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Janssen’s Tremfya shows skin clearance benefit for psoriatic arthritis patients in two Phase 3 studies

pharmafile | June 4, 2020 | News story | Research and Development Janssen, Tremfya, psoriatic arthritis 

Janssen has revealed data from two Phase 3 trials for Tremfya (guselkumab), showing improvement in skin clearance and symptoms in adult patients with active psoriatic arthritis (PsA).

The DISCOVER-1 study examined the efficacy of Tremfya in biologic-naïve patients or those who have previously received anti-TNF alpha biologics, while the DISCOVER-2 study looked at only biologic-naïve patients, while also assessing radiographic progression of joint damage.  

In the first study, it was found that 73% of participants receiving 100mg Tremfya every four weeks achieved a score of 20 on the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) response scale after 52 weeks, while 60% of participants receiving the same dose of the drug every eight weeks achieved the same. Furthermore, 54% and 39% of the two groups respectively went on to achieve an ACR50 score.

Janssen also reported that 83% of participants with clinically relevant psoriasis at baseline in the four-week dosage group, 69% of the eight-week group, and 82% of those who switched to Tremfya every four weeks from placebo achieved “clear or almost clear skin”, according to Investigator Global Assessment (IGA) scores.

In the second study, 71% and 75% of four-week and eight-week Tremfya patients scored an ACR20 response, with 46% and 48% respectively going on to achieve ACR50. In those with clinically relevant disease at baseline, 84% of four-week patients, 77% of eight-week patients, and 84% of patients who crossed over to Tremfya from placebo showed an IGA improvement signifying clear or almost clear skin.

Tremfya also showed “sustained improvements in inhibition of radiographic progression of joint structural damage” after 52 weeks of treatment.

“Those who are living with active psoriatic arthritis are faced with debilitating symptoms and inflammation which may ultimately lead to irreversible damage to the joints,” explained Dr Christopher Ritchlin, lead investigator on the DISCOVER-1 trial and Chief of the Division of Allergy, Immunology and Rheumatology and Director of the Clinical Immunology Research Center at the University of Rochester Medical Center. “Findings from the DISCOVER-1 and DISCOVER-2 studies are encouraging for patients and physicians alike who may be seeking new treatment options that utilise mechanisms of action different to anti-tumour necrosis factor (TNF) alpha biologics to combat the multi-faceted combination of symptoms presented by psoriatic arthritis.”

Matt Fellows

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