AbbVie's Skyrizi to stand out in crowded PsO biologics space, says analyst

The late-breaking data on AbbVie’s (NYSE: ABBV) blocker Skyrizi (risankizumab) in plaque psoriasis (PsO) that was presented at the recently concluded American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) Annual Meeting is expected to help Skyrizi’s positioning in the crowded PsO biologics space, according to data and analytics company GlobalData.

Vinie Varkey, managing analyst immunology at GlobalData, noted that the latest results which highlight Skyrizi’s potential to achieve clear skin clearance help AbbVie towards building a commendable data set in favour of Skyrizi, and the therapy’s positioning within the PsO market. It is worth noting that this therapy had previously demonstrated its superiority over its rival and leading PsO brand, Novartis’ (NOVN: VX) Cosentyx (secukinumab), in the Phase III active - comparator IMMerge trial, he pointed out.

Although interleukin-17 (IL-17) inhibitor therapies such as Cosentyx have been first-to-market compared to IL-23 inhibitor therapies such as Skyrizi in the PsO market, the latter set of therapies have been able to gain traction among patients and physicians alike.