April 20, 2015
By Krystle Vermes, BioSpace.com Breaking News Staff
Eli Lilly and Company announced on April 20 that its investigational drug, ixekizumab, meets its primary endpoint in a Phase III study for the treatment of active psoriatic arthritis. The medicine showed that it was statistically superior to the placebo. Eli Lilly could not be reached for comment at the time of this report.
ACR 20 was used as a component of the study. The standard assessment represents a 20 percent reduction in the disease, as defined by criteria from the American College of Rheumatology. Patients who took ixekizumab achieved an ACR 20 response in the Phase III trial.
“Psoriatic arthritis is a debilitating disease associated with progressive joint damage and skin involvement, and also has a significant impact on a person’s quality of life,” said J. Anthony Ware, senior vice president of Lilly Bio-Medicines Product Development. “These results strengthen our belief that ixekizumab may have the potential to help people confronting this challenging disease.”
Recently, Eli Lilly made headlines on April 16 when it received the full commercialization rights of Erbitux, also known as cetuximab, from Bristol-Myers Squibb. The rights will extend throughout North America, including Canada and Puerto Rico. Erbitux is a growth factor receptor antagonist for the treatment of various cancers.
Progress in Psoriatic Arthritis
As Eli Lilly and Company makes strides in psoriatic arthritis, other companies are looking to find success as well. MorphoSys, which focuses on therapeutic antibodies, announced on April 13 that it had launched a Phase II clinical trial for psoriatic arthritis. Specifically, the company will be collaborating with Janssen Biotech to examine patients with the condition and an antibody known as guselkumab.
As a result, MorphoSys has received a milestone payment from its partner, but details were not revealed.
“We are delighted to see Janssen moving guselkumab into a new clinical program for psoriatic arthritis,” said Marlies Sproll, chief scientific officer of MorphoSys. “Today’s news marks the first of up to six clinical milestone events we expect to see with partners this year.”
Up to 30 percent of individuals who have psoriasis also develop psoriatic arthritis. This condition causes pain, stiffness and swelling in and around joints, according to the National Psoriasis Foundation. The most common treatments include nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs.
BioSpace Temperature Poll
After last week’s news that Gilead had issued a health advisory to doctors, concern is growing after nine patients taking Harvoni or Sovaldi along with another drug, amiodarone, were treated for abnormally slow heartbeats. One of the patients died of cardiac arrest. Three of the nine patients required a pacemaker. That has BioSpace asking, what next?
