What is Skyrizi used for and how does it work?

What is Skyrizi used for?

Skyrizi (risankizumab) is a FDA approved medicine used to treat adult patients who have:

• moderate or severe plaque psoriasis (raised, silvery flaking of the skin) which is an ongoing autoimmune condition, which causes inflammation and increased immune response
• active psoriatic arthritis (PsA) which is a systemic inflammatory disease which affects the skin and joints
• moderately to severely active Crohn's disease which is a chronic, systemic disease that causes inflammation in the digestive tract with symptoms of persistent diarrhea and abdominal pain.

How does Skyrizi work?

• Skyrizi is an immunosuppressant that reduces PP by blocking a small protein called interleukin 23 cytokine (IL23), which is a messenger for inflammation and immune response.
• Once IL23 is blocked the inflammation is decreased and the plaque psoriasis improves.
• Skyrizi is an injection given under the skin (subcutaneous injection) on week 0 and week 4, then after these first two doses it is given every 12 weeks.
• Psoriasis trials: In the clinical trial UltIMMa-12 they looked at how many patients had a 90% reduction in their psoriasis score after 16 weeks of treatment. Skyrizi had the best improvement with a reduction in psoriasis by 75%, Ustekinumab had a reduction of 42% and patients on a placebo injection had only 2% reduction.
• Psoriatic arthritis trials: In the studies KEEPsAKE-1 and KEEPsAKE-2 looked at how well Skyrizi worked for PsA after 24 weeks. It meets the endpoint of ACR20 which is a combined measure showing there was a 20% improvement in the number of tender and swollen joints, this also includes a 20% improvement in pain, functional ability measure, and doctor and patient assessment of PsA.
• Crohn’s disease trials: In the clinical trials ADVANCE, MOTIVATE and FORTIFY1 in as early as week 4 in the induction studies, clinical response and clinical remission were achieved by significantly more subjects treated with Skyrizi versus placebo, as were co-primary endpoints of endoscopic response and clinical remission at week 12 and week 52.

Bottom line

• Skyrizi is FDA approved medicine to treat plaque psoriasis in adults who have moderate to severe psoriasis that is at the stage that requires systemic treatment or ultraviolet light treatment.
• Skyrizi is FDA approved medicine to treat active psoriatic arthritis in adults.
• Skyrizi is FDA approved medicine to treat moderate to severely active Crohn's disease.
• Skyrizi works by blocking IL23 which reduces inflammation and improves plaque psoriasis.