Janssen's guselkumab shows significant efficacy in moderate to severe plaque psoriasis

New findings presented for the first time at the 2014 Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) showed up to 86% of patients with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis receiving guselkumab (CNTO 1959) achieved a Physician’s Global Assessment (PGA) score of cleared or minimal at week 16, the study’s primary endpoint, US health care giant Johnson & Johnson’s (NYSE: JNJ) Janssen unit has said.

The Phase IIb Janssen Research & Development-sponsored X-PLORE study demonstrated significantly higher levels of efficacy at all doses of guselkumab studied at week 16 when compared with the placebo group. Similar proportions of patients achieving a PGA score of cleared or minimal were observed at week 40 of the study.

Guselkumab is an investigational human monoclonal antibody with a novel mechanism of action that targets the protein interleukin (IL)-23, and is being developed as a subcutaneously administered therapy for the treatment of moderate to severe plaque psoriasis.