Positive New for Sun Pharma- Promising Phase 2 study results of inhibitor ILUMYA reported

Mumbai: After facing a series of setbacks on the stock market front Dilip Shanghvi led Sun Pharmaceuticals Limited (Sun Pharma) recently saw some positive light, as the company recently witnessed promising interim results from a Phase 2 study of interleukin-23 (IL-23) inhibitor ILUMYA (tildrakizumab-asmn) in patients with active psoriatic arthritis.

This promising result will help the firm in taking control of the turbulence in the business and focus on the commitment towards the pharma business. Medical Dialogues had earlier reported that after a four-year decline that erased 65 per cent from the value of Sun Pharma Industries, Shanghvi was preparing to make a comeback.

Also Read: Dilip Shanghvi plans comeback; Sun Pharma to develop its own medicines: Report

The current results of the Phase 2 study of interleukin-23 (IL-23) inhibitor ILUMYA (tildrakizumab-asmn) come as a ray of hope for the pharma giant.

ILUMYA is approved in the U.S. for the treatment of adults with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis who are candidates for systemic therapy or phototherapy and is being investigated for psoriatic arthritis. Psoriatic arthritis, which affects up to 42 per cent of people with plaque psoriasis, is an inflammatory condition that impacts both the joints and skin. It is painful, causes fatigue, and can lead to swelling and stiffness of the joints that may reduce the range of motion. If left untreated, this chronic condition can lead to permanent joint damage.

The interim analysis revealed that over 71 per cent of patients treated with ILUMYA experienced a 20 per cent improvement in joint and skin symptoms (ACR20), meeting the primary endpoint of the study. The interim results showed ILUMYA was well tolerated with a low rate of serious treatment-emergent adverse events.

Commenting on the same, Kyle Ferguson, Business Unit Head, Vice President Sales & Marketing, Sun Pharma said, “We are committed to the continued clinical development of ILUMYA and are pleased with the interim results in our first study for psoriatic arthritis.”

“To help us determine the potential of ILUMYA across psoriatic disease, we are now exploring a possible Phase 3 trial for psoriatic arthritis with regulatory authorities, ” Kyle added.

The Phase 2 study interim results showed that across all patients receiving ILUMYA, 75.3 per cent experienced a 20 per cent improvement in symptoms of psoriatic arthritis (ACR20) at week 24 compared to 50.6 per cent of patients on placebo. The findings were similar in patients receiving 100 mg or 200 mg of ILUMYA on a quarterly dosing schedule. For some patients on 100 mg ILUMYA, results were seen as early as 8 weeks. Furthermore, an average of 47.1 per cent of all patients receiving ILUMYA achieved an ACR50 response with some results seen as early as 12 weeks, compared to 24.1 per cent of patients on placebo.

The interim results also showed ILUMYA was well tolerated with a low and comparable rate of adverse events to placebo. Serious treatment-emergent adverse events occurred in 2.2 per cent of patients treated with ILUMYA and 2.5 per cent in those on placebo, with no patients discontinuing treatment due to these events. The most common adverse events through week 24 included common cold (nasopharyngitis), upper respiratory tract infection, and headache. There were no reports of candidiasis, inflammatory bowel disease, major adverse cardiac events, malignancy, or deaths.

Study investigator Philip J. Mease, MD, MACR, director of rheumatology research at the Swedish Medical Center/Providence St Joseph Health and clinical professor at the University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA said, “As a researcher and clinician, it’s encouraging to see these improvements in pain, joint swelling and skin plaques. Our interim findings showed that about half of the patients treated with 100 mg or 200 mg of tildrakizumab saw a 50 per cent improvement in psoriatic arthritis symptoms and about a quarter saw a 70 per cent improvement within 24 weeks.”

“These data insights are promising for patients who continue to struggle with the impact psoriatic arthritis has on their daily lives, ” the study investigator added.

The interim results were presented in a late-breaking oral presentation at the Annual European Congress of Rheumatology.