Effectiveness and Continuous 2-Week Dosing of Ixekizumab in Practice: A Multicenter Study

Area of Science:

• Dermatology
• Immunology
• Pharmacology

Background:

• Ixekizumab, an interleukin-17A (IL-17A) inhibitor, is approved for psoriasis treatment.
• Standard dosing in Japan involves initial high dose, followed by every two weeks (Q2W) then every four weeks (Q4W) dosing.
• Continued Q2W dosing is an option for patients with insufficient response.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the long-term effectiveness of ixekizumab in a real-world setting.
• To identify factors associated with sustained Q2W dosing in psoriasis patients.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of data from the Western Japan Psoriasis Registry for patients treated over one year.
• Assessment of outcomes including body surface area (BSA) and physician global assessment (PGA).
• Logistic regression used to identify predictors of Q2W maintenance, adjusting for covariates.

Main Results:

• High rates of achieving BSA ≤3% (88.6%) and PGA 0/1 (82.9%) were observed at one year.
• Sustained Q2W dosing was utilized by 38.6% of patients.
• Higher body mass index (BMI) and prior biologic therapy were significant predictors for continued Q2W dosing.

Conclusions:

• Ixekizumab provides durable effectiveness for psoriasis in real-world practice.
• Sustained Q2W dosing is a viable option, particularly for patients with higher BMI or previous biologic exposure.
• The study highlights practical considerations for ixekizumab dosing strategies.