Lilly reveals initial Phase III Results for ankylosing spondylitis

US pharma major Eli Lilly (NYSE: LLY) today revealed that Taltz (ixekizumab) met the primary and all key secondary endpoints in COAST-V, a Phase III study evaluating the safety and efficacy of Taltz for the treatment of ankylosing spondylitis (AS), also known as radiographic axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA), in patients who had never received a biologic disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drug (bDMARD).

More specifically, Taltz demonstrated a statistically-significant improvement in the signs and symptoms of AS as measured by the proportion of patients who achieved Assessment of Spondyloarthritis International Society 40 (ASAS40) response at 16 weeks, when compared to placebo.

Taltz is currently approved for treatment of psoriatic arthritis in adults, and to treat adults with moderate-to-severs plaque psoriasis. Taltz generated sales of $172.5 million in the fourth quarter of last year, an increase of 182%; full-year sales were $559.2 million, an increase of 394%.