By Sneha S K (Reuters) – Johnson & Johnson said on Wednesday its experimental psoriasis drug has shown superior skin clearance compared to Bristol Myers Squibb’s Sotyktu in two late-stage head-to-head trials. J&J has been working on more convenient treatment options for psoriasis as its injectable drug Stelara, which recorded over $10 billion in sales […]
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J&J’s experimental psoriasis drug shows promise against Bristol’s treatment
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By Sneha S K
(Reuters) – Johnson & Johnson said on Wednesday its experimental psoriasis drug has shown superior skin clearance compared to Bristol Myers Squibb’s Sotyktu in two late-stage head-to-head trials.
J&J has been working on more convenient treatment options for psoriasis as its injectable drug Stelara, which recorded over $10 billion in sales last year, faces stiff competition from cheaper rivals.
The drugmaker said its oral pill, icotrokinra, met both main and secondary goals when compared to placebo and Bristol’s Sotyktu at weeks 16 and 24 in adult patients in the trials.
Icotrokinra also showed similar adverse event rates to placebo with no new safety signals.
Bristol’s Sotyktu is already approved to treat moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis in adults who are candidates for systemic therapy. The drug generated $246 million in sales in 2024. J&J had previously expected icotrokinra to generate sales of $700 million in 2028.
J&J is testing its drug in adult and pediatric patients 12 years of age and older with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis, which is an immune-mediated condition characterized by thick, scaly patches or plaques.
Icotrokinra, which offers efficacy similar to a injectable biologic, with a very favorable safety profile that can be orally administered is a game changer for patients, said Liza O’Dowd, Immunodermatology and Respiratory Disease Areas Lead, Johnson & Johnson.
Over 8 million people in the U.S. have psoriasis, according to the National Psoriasis Foundation.
J&J’s oral pill is designed to block a protein, IL-23, involved in inflammatory responses and is developed in partnership with Protagonist Therapeutics.
The company filed an application earlier this year seeking marketing approval for icotrokinra with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
J&J said it has also begun a late-stage head-to-head study to compare icotrokinra with its blockbuster Stelara.
(Reporting by Sneha S K and Padmanabhan Ananthan in Bengaluru; Editing by Shailesh Kuber)