Phase II success for ixekizumab(EliLilly) in Psoriasis

New Phase II data, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, showed that Eli Lilly and Company's ixekizumab , (previously known as LY2439821), an anti-IL-17 monoclonal antibody, met its primary endpoint in patients with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis, with significantly more patients achieving at least a 75 percent improvement in Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) scores from baseline (PASI 75) compared with placebo at week 12. PASI score represents a combined assessment of overall skin lesions ranging from 0 for no psoriasis to 72 for the worst possible psoriasis in a patient and is a standard measure of skin disease severity in clinical trials in psoriasis. A PASI 75 response in a patient represents a 75 percent reduction of PASI scores from baseline. In the 142-subject study, significantly more patients achieved a PASI 75 response in the 150 mg (82 percent), 75 mg (83 percent) and 25 mg (77 percent) ixekizumab groups compared with placebo (8 percent, p < 0.001) at week 12. The 10 mg dose (29 percent) did not separate from placebo at week 12. see "Anti�Interleukin-17 Monoclonal Antibody Ixekizumab in Chronic Plaque Psoriasis" March 29, 2012 Leonardi C., Matheson R., Zachariae C., et al.N Engl J Med 2012; 366:1190 - 1199