Phase II InnoCare data spell competition in psoriasis

Beijing’s InnoCare Pharma (HKEX: 09969) has announced encouraging Phase II results for its novel TYK2 inhibitor, ICP-488, aimed at treating moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis.

The data signal that ICP-488 could compete with other leading TYK2 inhibitors in development, including Bristol Myers Squibb’s (NYSE: BMY) Sotyktu (deucravacitinib) and Takeda’s (TSE: 4502) TAK-279, which was acquired from Nimbus Therapeutics in a multi-billion dollar deal.

The study revealed that after 12 weeks, ICP-488 hit key efficacy goals. In the 6mg and 9mg dosing groups, 77.3% and 78.6% of patients achieved a particular target, compared to 11.6% in the placebo group.