AbbVie reported on Thursday that an experimental therapy for hidradenitis suppurativa, a chronic skin condition, succeeded in a late-stage trial but missed market expectations, leaving experts doubtful the drug can compete with the current standard of care.
In the Phase 3 Intrepid trial, which enrolled 1,400 patients with moderate-to-severe hidradenitis suppurativa, 31.4% of participants given weekly injections of AbbVie’s therapy, lutikizumab, reported a 75% or greater reduction in the number of inflamed bumps and abscesses across their skin, compared to 23.4% of those in the placebo group after 16 weeks. This measure was the study’s primary endpoint.
The company also reported that the drug met eight secondary endpoints, including improvements in skin pain and flares. Lutikizumab was generally safe and well tolerated, with adverse event rates that were nearly identical between the placebo and treatment groups.