Patients Treated with Guselkumab Achieve Durable Efficacy Across Joint, Axial Symptoms of Active Psoriatic Arthritis Through 2 Years

New data from a series of phase 3 studies showed that patients treated with guselkumab (Tremfya) achieved consistent, long-term efficacy through 2 years across the domains of active psoriatic arthritis (PsA), which include joint, skin, enthesitis, dactyltisis, spinal pain, and disease severity endpoints, according to a Johnson & Johnson press release.

Further analyses showed guselkumab provided patients with sustained improvements in measures of health-related quality of life, fatigue, pain, and work productivity.

The DISCOVER-1, DISCOVER-2, and COSMOS studies analyzed guselkumab as the first and only fully human selective interleukin-23 inhibitor therapy approved in the United States for adults with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis (PSO) and adults with active PsA.

“Psoriatic arthritis is a complex disease, with a range of joint, skin, and axial symptoms. Patients need long-lasting therapies that can provide efficacy across these varied challenges,” said study author Philip Mease, MD, Swedish Medical Center/Providence St. Joseph Health and University of Washington, in a press release. “These new data reinforce previous research showing the durable efficacy of Tremfya and demonstrate its effect on health-related quality of life, which is important for patients facing the debilitating effects of psoriatic arthritis in their everyday lives.”

Further analysis into data from DISCOVER-2 show guselkumab provided continued improvements across the key domains of active PsA recommended by the Group for Research and Assessment of Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis. Additionally, increasing proportions of guselkumab-treated patients with active PsA met minimal disease activity criteria through week 100.

In terms of rates of radiographic progression, substantial proportions of guselkumab-treated patients in DISCOVER-2 also maintained resolution of dactylitis and enthesitis through 2 years. Resolution rates of dactylitis and enthesitis were observed at 64% and 54%, respectively, at week 24 among patients treated every 8 weeks with guselkumab.

Data from 4 phase 2 and 3 clinical trials showed the safety profile for guselkumab was consistent across patients with active PsA who were biologic-naïve and in those who were previously administered tumor necrosis factor inhibitors. Further, no new safety concerns were seen through 2 years of guselkumab treatment in active PsA and through 5 years in plaque PsO, which supports a consistent safety profile across patients with active PsA and moderate to severe plaque PsO, according to the study investigators.

“We know that the challenging and underestimated symptoms of active psoriatic arthritis can impact patients’ ability to perform daily tasks and their overall quality of life,” said Terence Rooney, MD, PhD, vice president of Rheumatology and Maternal Fetal Disease Area at Janssen Research & Development, LLC, in a press release. “These robust Tremfya data help us provide more options for patients living with active psoriatic arthritis.”

REFERENCE

New Data Show Patients Treated with First-in-Class TREMFYA® (guselkumab) Achieve Durable Efficacy Across Joint and Axial Symptoms of Active Psoriatic Arthritis Through Two Years. Johnson and Johnson. June 1, 2022. Accessed June 2, 2022. https://www.jnj.com/new-data-show-patients-treated-with-first-in-class-tremfya-guselkumab-achieve-durable-efficacy-across-joint-and-axial-symptoms-of-active-psoriatic-arthritis-through-two-years