AbbVie gains US FDA approval for new psoriasis treatment

As was largely anticipated, the US Food and Drug Administration late on Tuesday approved Skyrizi (risankizumab-rzaa), an interleukin-23 (IL-23) inhibitor, for the treatment of moderate to severe plaque psoriasis in adults who are candidates for systemic therapy or phototherapy.

The new drug from US biopharma company AbbVie (NYSE: ABBV) is expected to enter the US market early next month, but will face competition, most notably AbbVie’s own drug Humira (adalimumab) which is beginning to face biosimilars competition, but also from Novartis’ (NOVN: VX) anti-IL17 Cosentyx (secukinumab), Johnson & Johnson’s (NYSE: JNJ) anti-IL23 Tremfya (guselkumab) and anti-IL12/23 Stelara (ustekinumab), as well as Eli Lilly’s (NYSE: LLY) anti-IL17 Taltz (ixekizumab).

AbbVie’s shares edged up 0.75% to $79.25 in pre-market trading this morning.