
FDA Approves Ixekizumab for Treatment of Moderate-to-Severe Plaque Psoriasis
The drug is marketed by Eli Lilly in the US, and will be available at the beginning of the second quarter of 2016.
FDA approved Eli Lilly’s Taltz (ixekizumab) injection 80 mg/mL to treat adults with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis, on March 22, 2016.
Taltz’s active ingredient is an antibody (ixekizumab) that binds tointerleukin (IL)-17A, a protein that causes inflammation. By binding to the protein, ixekizumab is able to inhibit the inflammatory response that plays a role in the development of plaque psoriasis.
Taltz’s safety and efficacy were established in three randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trials with a total of 3,866 participants from 21 countries with plaque psoriasis who were candidates for systemic or phototherapy therapy. The results showed that Taltz achieved greater clinical response than placebo, with skin that was clear or almost clear, as assessed by scoring of the extent, nature and severity of psoriatic changes of the skin.
The drug may be a direct competitor for Enbrel (etanercept).
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