EC nod for Janssen's Tremfya as first-in class treatment for PsA

US healthcare giant Johnson & Johnson’s (NYSE: JNJ) subsidiary Janssen says that the European Commission has granted marketing authorization for Tremfya (guselkumab), alone or in combination with methotrexate (MTX), for the treatment of active psoriatic arthritis (PsA) in adult patients who have had an inadequate response or who have been intolerant to a prior disease-modifying antirheumatic drug (DMARD) therapy.

Guselkumab is the first licensed fully-human monoclonal antibody that selectively binds to the p19 subunit of interleukin (IL)-23 and inhibits its interaction with the IL-23 receptor. It is already licensed for the treatment of patients with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis who are candidates for systemic therapy. IL-23 is an important driver of the progression of inflammatory diseases including psoriasis and PsA.

“Psoriatic arthritis can have a highly detrimental impact on those living with this chronic, inflammatory condition. Symptoms are often debilitating, leading to irreversible joint damage in some, and preventing a majority of people getting on with day-to-day life and work,” commented Professor Iain McInnes, Muirhead chairman of medicine and Vice Principal & Head of College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, adding: “There remains a need for additional effective treatment options that improve joint and skin symptoms, and overall quality of life. I welcome the authorization of guselkumab as a new biologic treatment option for adults with psoriatic arthritis.”