Dive Brief:
- In phase III trials, 78% and 90% of ixekizumab-treated patients who were treated every two weeks or every four weeks, respectively, achieved at least a 75% reduction in the Psoriasis Area and Severity Index Score after 12 weeks of treatment.
- In head-to-head studies with Pfizer’s Enbrel (entanercept), ixekizumab outperformed the Pfizer drug on all measures of skin clearance.
- Lilly plans to submit approval applications for ixekizumab during the first half of 2015.
Dive Insight:
Ixekizumab has performed notably well in phase III trials -- an absolute imperative considering how competitive the late-stage pipeline is in the skin treatment field.
The treatment will certainly have its work cut out once it gains regulatory approval. Lilly will face competition from some of the biggest names in the industry, including Novartis' secukinumab; brodalumab from Amgen and AstraZeneca; Celgene's Otezla (apremalist); MK-3222 from Merck; and several Enbrel biosimilars being developed by a range of companies.