Brodalumab: A Review of Safety

Interleukin (IL)-17 is important in the pathophysiology of psoriasis and has proven to be an effective therapeutic target. Brodalumab, the third commercially available IL-17 antagonist, was approved by the US FDA in February 2017 for the treatment of moderate-tosevere plaque psoriasis. As brodalumab enters the marketplace, it is imperative to investigate its safety profile. We conducted a safety assessment of brodalumab using publically available adverse event data from phase II and III clinical trials. The most common adverse events were nasopharyngitis, upper respiratory tract infection, and candidiasis. The FDA issued a black box warning after six patients treated with brodalumab across four clinical trials committed suicide, but no causal relationship was identified. Current evidence suggests a similar safety profile for brodalumab compared to other IL-17 antagonists used to treat moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis.