Filgotinib (FIL) 200mg was associated with numerical reductions in the number of draining perianal fistulas based on combined clinical and MRI findings compared with placebo. Reinisch et al. reported a numerically higher proportion of patients achieving the primary endpoint of a combined fistula response and/or remission at Week 24 with FIL 200mg compared with placebo.

This post hoc analysis provides additional support for the utility of risankizumab therapy in patients with moderately to severely active CD. Investigators examined the efficacy of risankizumab for providing early symptom relief, along with the prognostic value of early symptom relief for achieving future clinical and endoscopic endpoints.

Patients classified as having a high neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR-High) who received filgotinib 200mg + MTX/csDMARDs exhibited consistently better responses after 12 weeks across clinical trials, clinical endpoints, and PROs, compared with NLR-Low patients. Taylor et al. analysed data from the 3 FINCH trials to investigate the potential association of baseline NLR with improved clinical response to filgotinib in MTX-naïve or MTX-experienced RA populations.

In a large pool of Phase 2b/3 trial data, the incidence rate of uveitis with bimekizumab over 2034.4 patient years (PYs) remained low at 1.2/100 PYs, suggesting bimekizumab may be an appropriate treatment option for patients with axSpA and uveitis. Compared with placebo, bimekizumab had a lower incidence rate of uveitis in patients with and without a history of uveitis.

Vedolizumab, Adalimumab, and Methotrexate Combination Therapy in Crohn's Disease (EXPLORER)

Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol 2024;22:1487–96 doi: 10.1016/j.cgh.2023.09.010

This Phase 4, prospective, open-label study provides additional support for the utility of vedolizumab, adalimumab, and methotrexate combination therapy in biologic-naïve patients with newly diagnosed, moderate to high-risk Crohn's disease. Investigators examined the efficacy of this triple therapy for achieving endoscopic and clinical remission at Week 26.

Tofacitinib in acute severe ulcerative colitis (TACOS): A randomized controlled trial

Journal Reference: Am J Gastroenterol 2024;119:1365–72 doi: 10.14309/ajg.0000000000002635

A combination of tofacitinib and corticosteroids improved treatment responsiveness and decreased the need for rescue therapy in patients with acute severe ulcerative colitis (ASUC). Singh et al. investigated whether addition of tofacitinib to corticosteroids was superior to corticosteroids alone in patients hospitalised with ASUC.

Results of this analysis by Blauvelt, et al. showed a low adjudicated suicidal ideation and behaviour (SIB) rate of 0.13/100 patient-years for bimekizumab, consistent with general psoriasis population ranges. Bimekizumab did not increase the risk of SIB compared to other anti-IL-17A/anti-IL-23 therapies.

June 2024

Deucravacitinib onset of action and maintenance of response in Phase 3 plaque psoriasis trials

J Dermatolog Treat 2024;35:2371045 doi: 10.1080/09546634.2024.2371045

The analysis of the POETYK PSO-1 and POETYK PSO-2 clinical trials showed that deucravacitinib 6mg QD displayed efficacy as early as 1 week, and clinical responses were maintained over 52 weeks in patients with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis.

Worth, et al. found that namilumab did not show efficacy compared with placebo in patients with active axSpA, but the treatment was generally well tolerated. An unusually high proportion of ASAS20 responders at Week 12 were observed in the placebo group, which had a small sample size compared to the namilumab arm.

This study by Karakas, et al. found that obesity did not affect secukinumab treatment response and drug retention in ankylosing spondylitis patients.