Taltz® delivers more cumulative days with completely clear skin for adults with psoriasis compared to seven other biologics in novel network meta-analysis

Results from first network meta-analysis based on area under the curve of 52-week clinical trial data. Taltz also helped patients stay on treatment longer and have more days without additional therapy in three real-world analyses of U.S. claims data

TORONTO, ON – April 30, 2021 – Through clinical trial meta-analysis and real-world evidence, Eli Lilly and Company’s Taltz® (ixekizumab) demonstrated greater success in key measured treatment outcomes compared to other biologics in adults with moderate- to severe plaque psoriasis. In the first one-year network meta-analysis based on area under the curve, Taltz showed numerically greater cumulative benefits on completely clear skin over one year compared to seven other biologics, as measured by Psoriasis Area Severity Index (PASI) 100. In three real-world analyses of U.S. claims data ranging from one to three years, patients treated with Taltz stayed on treatment longer, were more adherent to the prescription and had more days on monotherapy compared to the other biologics studied. These results were presented virtually at the American Academy of Dermatology’s Virtual Meeting Experience (AAD VMX), April 23-25, 2021.

“Results of the clinical trial meta-analysis showed Taltz offered more cumulative days of clear skin for patients with moderate- to severe psoriasis, compared to seven other biologics,” says Dr. Doron Sagman, vice president, R&D and Medical Affairs, Eli Lilly Canada. “This further anchors Taltz as an important treatment option for patients who are looking for completely clear skin long-term.”

Taltz provided patients with longest-lasting complete skin clearance over a one-year period 1

In the network meta-analysis to assess the cumulative clinical benefits of biologics in psoriasis, using PASI 100 to measure the early and sustained effect of biologic medications approved for psoriasis over one year, Taltz offered patients with psoriasis the greatest number of cumulative days of completely clear skin compared to adalimumab, brodalumab, etanercept, guselkumab, risankizumab, secukinumab and ustekinumab. In this analysis, Taltz showed one to 18 more cumulative weeks of completely clear skin over one year compared to these seven other biologics.

Taltz provided patients with a total of 159 cumulative days (95% credible interval, 147.4-170.0 days), or 23 weeks of completely clear skin (PASI 100), which translates into a patient having completely clear skin for approximately 44% of the year compared to:

  • risankizumab (152 days [141.6-162.0 days], or 22 weeks and 42% of the year);

  • brodalumab (138 days [119.0-157.2 days], 20 weeks and 38% of the year);

  • guselkumab (131 days, [120.8-141.6 days], 19 weeks and 36% of the year);

  • secukinumab (119 days [111.7-127.0 days], or 17 weeks and 33% of the year);

  • ustekinumab (74 days [63.3-84.4 days], or 11 weeks and 20% of the year);

  • adalimumab (67 days [55.7-77.9 days], or 10 weeks and 18% of the year) and,

  • etanercept (32 days [23.7-39.7 days], or 5 weeks and 9% of the year).

For methodology, see “About the studies” section below.

Taltz helped patients stay on prescribed treatment, and to avoid additional psoriasis therapy significantly longer, compared to secukinumab, ustekinumab, adalimumab and etanercept 2

People with psoriasis taking Taltz achieved greater success taking medication as prescribed (adherence) and staying on medication for the prescribed duration (persistence), without needing additional medications (monotherapy), compared to those taking secukinumab, ustekinumab, adalimumab and etanercept up to three years. Patients on Taltz stayed on treatment an observed median of nearly 22 weeks longer vs. all other biologics pooled (414 vs. 259 days, [59 vs. 37 weeks], p<0.001) and approximately 11 to 34 weeks longer vs. individual treatments: secukinumab (335 days [48 weeks]), adalimumab (301 days [43 weeks]), etanercept (181 days [26 weeks]) and ustekinumab (176 days [25 weeks]). Compared with the pooled set of other biologics where patients stayed on prescription for less than half of the year (45.7%), patients on Taltz took treatment as prescribed for over half of the year (53.2%), as measured by proportion of days covered (PDC) by prescribed treatment (p<0.001). Patients taking Taltz also experienced more time (52.7% of the year) on monotherapy compared to the pooled set of other biologics (44.8% of the year) (p<0.001). For methodology, see “About the studies” section below.

Patients on Taltz took treatment as prescribed nearly eight weeks longer than guselkumab, despite more frequent dosing 3

Compared to guselkumab, patients with psoriasis on Taltz adhered to treatment for nearly eight weeks more time (Taltz: median of 272 days or 39 weeks [PDC=0.75]; guselkumab: 219 days or 31 weeks [PDC=0.60], p=0.001) and had approximately six weeks more time on monotherapy (Taltz: median of 247 days or 35 weeks [PDC=0.68]; guselkumab: 202 days or 29 weeks [PDC=0.55], p=0.002) over one year. Among those patients who required additional psoriasis therapies, the need for systemic medication was similar for patients taking Taltz or guselkumab over the year. For methodology, see “About the studies” section below.

Patients on Taltz with prior biologic use were more likely to continue treatment as prescribed compared to secukinumab 4

Among participants who had previously used a biologic, patients with psoriasis treated with Taltz were more likely to be “highly adherent,” which was measured by more than 80% of days where they took treatments as prescribed (Taltz: 42.0% vs. secukinumab: 35.0%, p=0.019). Taltz was associated with 25% lower risk of switching treatments, 20% lower risk of stopping treatment before the end of the prescribed duration (non-persistence), 19% lower risk of discontinuing treatment, and 36% higher odds of taking treatment as prescribed (adherence) than secukinumab. For methodology, see “About the studies” section below.

“When compared to seven other biologics over a period of one year, Taltz provided patients with the greatest number of days of complete skin clearance. This real-world evidence demonstrates the effectiveness of Taltz. Taltz-treated patients had more days without the need for additional therapy,” says Dr. Kim Papp, MD, PhD, FRCPC.

More than 175,000 patients have been treated with Taltz worldwide since launch, giving healthcare providers confidence in making informed prescribing decisions for patients with moderate- to severe plaque psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis, as well as in other approved conditions including ankylosing spondylitis and non-radiographic axial spondyloarthritis.

About the studies

  • Cumulative clinical benefits of biologic treatments for psoriasis over 1 year
    The network meta-analysis used data from published Phase 3 clinical trials for Taltz, adalimumab, brodalumab, etanercept, guselkumab, infliximab, risankizumab, secukinumab and ustekinumab to evaluate the cumulative clinical benefits of psoriasis treatments. The area under-the-curve (AUC) method was used to measure total cumulative benefit, which takes into account the early effect seen from week 0 and sustained effect through week 52, using four-week increments, whereas traditional analyses use one-time measurements at week 12, 16 or 52. The cumulative benefits for each treatment were normalized as a percentage of maximum possible AUC. Cumulative days at PASI 90 and PASI 100 were calculated by multiplying normalized AUC by the study duration. Sensitivity analysis was conducted using the same clinical trials with 48-week data.

  • Ixekizumab demonstrates greater medication adherence, persistence and longer monotherapy duration than secukinumab, ustekinumab, adalimumab and etanercept up to 3 years in the treatment of psoriasis: real-world results from IBM MarketScan® database
    Using claims from the IBM MarketScan Database from January 1, 2016, to April 30, 2020, adherence, persistence and monotherapy rates were evaluated for 7,797 adult patients with psoriasis prescribed Taltz (n=742), secukinumab (n=1,027), ustekinumab (n=1,912), adalimumab (n=3,592), or etanercept (n=524). Patients had ≥6 months pre-index and ≥1-year post-index continuous enrollment and were followed up to three years after their first prescription. Treatment comparisons were based on balanced samples after inverse probability of treatment weighting.

  • Real-world comparison of monotherapy and concomitant medication use with biologic therapies for psoriasis: ixekizumab vs. guselkumab
    Using claims from the IBM MarketScan Database from July 1, 2017, through December 31, 2018, monotherapy and additional medication usage were compared between Taltz and guselkumab, the first IL-23 to have a large enough sample size to do a robust analysis. Adult patients with psoriasis with ≥1 prescription claim for Taltz (n=676) or guselkumab (n=739) were included. The first prescription claim was the index date; patients had continuous enrollment for ≥6 months pre-index and ≥1-year post-index. Treatment comparisons were based on balanced samples after inverse probability of treatment weighting.

  • Comparison of long-term treatment patterns between ixekizumab and secukinumab users among biologic-experienced psoriasis patients
    Using claims from the IBM MarketScan Database from March 1, 2016, to October 31, 2019, long-term treatment patterns were compared among patients previously treated with a biologic who were then treated with Taltz (n=411) or secukinumab (n=780). The index date was the date of first Taltz or secukinumab claim. Adults with psoriasis with ≥1 prior biologic prescription six months pre-index and 18 months post-index period continuous enrollment with medical and pharmacy benefits were included in this study. Treatment comparisons were based on balanced samples after inverse probability of treatment weighting.

About Taltz®

Taltz is approved for the treatment of patients 6 years of age and older with moderate- to severe plaque psoriasis who are candidates for systemic therapy or phototherapy and for the treatment of adults with active psoriatic arthritis, active ankylosing spondylitis, or active non-radiographic axial spondyloarthritis with objective signs of inflammation. 5

About Moderate- to Severe Plaque Psoriasis

Psoriasis is a chronic, immune disease that affects the skin. It occurs when the immune system sends out faulty signals that speed up the growth cycle of skin cells. Psoriasis affects approximately 125 million people worldwide, approximately 20 percent of whom have moderate- to severe plaque psoriasis. The most common form of psoriasis, plaque psoriasis, appears as raised, red patches covered with a silvery white buildup of dead skin cells. Patients with plaque psoriasis often have other serious health conditions, such as diabetes and heart disease and experience negative impact on their quality of life.

About Lilly in Dermatology

By following the science through uncharted territory, we continue Lilly's legacy of delivering innovative medicines that address unmet needs and have significant impacts on people's lives around the world. Skin-related diseases are more than skin deep. We understand the devastating impact this can have on people's lives. At Lilly, we are relentlessly pursuing a robust dermatology pipeline to provide innovative, patient-centered solutions so patients with skin-related diseases can aspire to live life without limitations.

About Lilly Canada

Eli Lilly and Company is a global healthcare leader that unites caring with discovery to make life better for people around the world. We were founded more than a century ago by Colonel Eli Lilly, who was committed to creating high quality medicines that meet people’s needs, and today we remain true to that mission in all our work. Lilly employees work to discover and bring life-changing medicines to people who need them, improve the understanding and management of disease, and contribute to our communities through philanthropy and volunteerism.

Eli Lilly Canada was established in 1938, the result of a research collaboration with scientists at the University of Toronto which eventually produced the world’s first commercially available insulin. Our work focuses on oncology, diabetes, autoimmunity, neurodegeneration, and pain. To learn more about Lilly Canada, please visit us at www.lilly.ca.

For our perspective on issues in healthcare and innovation, follow us on twitter @LillyPadCA and @LillyMedicalCA.

This press release contains forward-looking statements (as that term is defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995) about Taltz (ixekizumab) as a treatment for patients with psoriasis or psoriatic arthritis and reflects Lilly's current belief and expectations. However, as with any pharmaceutical product, there are substantial risks and uncertainties in the process of research, development and commercialization. Among other things, there can be no guarantee that future study results will be consistent with the results to date or that Taltz will receive additional regulatory approvals or be commercially successful. For further discussion of these and other risks and uncertainties, see Lilly's most recent Form 10-K and Form 10-Q filings with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission. Except as required by law, Lilly undertakes no duty to update forward-looking statements to reflect events after the date of this release.

—30—

References

  1. Blauvelt et al. Cumulative Clinical Benefits of Biologic Treatments for Psoriasis Over 1 Year. American Academy of Dermatology (AAD VMX); Virtual; 23-25 April 2021.

  2. Blauvelt et al. Ixekizumab Demonstrates Greater Medication Adherence, Persistence, and Longer Monotherapy Duration Than Secukinumab, Adalimumab, Ustekinumab, and Etanercept up to 3 Years in the Treatment of Psoriasis: Real-world Results From IBM® MarketScan® Databases. American Academy of Dermatology (AAD VMX); Virtual; 23-25 April 2021.

  3. Blauvelt et al. Real-World Comparison of Monotherapy and Concomitant Medication Use with Biologic Therapies for Psoriasis: Ixekizumab vs. Guselkumab. American Academy of Dermatology (AAD VMX); Virtual; 23-25 April 2021.

  4. Blauvelt et al. Comparison of Long-Term Treatment Patterns between Ixekizumab and Secukinumab Users among Biologic-experienced Psoriasis Patients. American Academy of Dermatology (AAD VMX); Virtual; 23-25 April 2021.

  5. Taltz Product Monograph, March 29, 2021

To read Lilly’s 2021 AAD disclosures, click here.

Media Contact:

Samira Rehman
 [email protected]
647-617-1994