Investigational Antibiotic Shows Promise in Treating Psoriasis Symptoms

An experimental biologic known as brodalumab may prove to be an effective treatment for symptoms of psoriasis, according to the results of a recent study published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

The multicenter clinical trial randomly assigned 3712 patients, across 2 studies, to receive either brodalumab, a therapeutic antibody designed to block the function of the immune-signaling protein interleukin 17 (IL-17), or the commonly used psoriasis treatment ustekinumab (Stelara). In one study, the research team found that after 2 weeks, 44% of patients in the brodalumab group achieved a 100% reduction in psoriasis symptoms compared with only 22% of those in the ustekinumab group. In the second study, 37% of patients who received brodalumab experienced a 100% reduction in psoriasis symptoms compared with only 19% of those who received ustekinumab. Additionally, 86% of patients treated with brodalumab were found to have at least a 75% reduction in symptoms.

“When it comes to complete clearing, our results are better than any previously published and confirm that targeting the IL-17 receptor is highly effective in the treatment of moderate to severe plaque psoriasis,” said study author Mark Lebwohl, MD, in a press release. “Treatment was so effective that many patients did not have a dot of psoriasis left on their bodies.”

Adverse events associated with the use of brodalumab include upper respiratory tract infection, headache, joint pain, low white blood cell count, inflammation of the mucous membranes, and yeast infection.