Body Positive

Almirall’s humanized monoclonal antibody for the treatment of psoriasis, Ilumetri (tildrakizumab), has demonstrated a significant improvement in patient wellbeing. Findings from the POSITIVE study were reported at the World Congress of Dermatology, Singapore. According to the company, the study is among the first patient-centric clinical studies to measure improvements on wellbeing as a primary endpoint.

With significant and clinical improvements in skin lesions in patients with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis (at least three percent of the body’s skin surface, as defined by the National Psoriasis Foundation), the company also reported high rates of treatment satisfaction with no new safety signals. 

Almirall says that tildrakizumab “targets the p19 subunit of interleukin-23 (IL-23) and inhibits the release of proinflammatory cytokines and chemokines with limited impact on the rest of the immune system. It is indicated for the treatment of adults with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis who are candidates for systemic therapy.”

Almirall CMO Volker Koscielny hailed the results as a big win for patients. “We are raising the bar here by fundamentally asking whether modern medicines can give patients their lives back. We seek unmet needs and undertake regular communication with patients and patient organizations about their challenges regarding drug access and availability, sharing appropriate information to support their educational and advocacy activities.”

Koscielny also pointed to the importance of industrial/academic collaboration in order to discover and develop medical treatments that address unmet needs. “I believe that only the close collaboration between academia and industry will deliver medical advances in the interest of patients and society. The main challenges are the long and costly research and development programs, and clearing a straightforward regulatory pathway for research is extremely important.”

For example, Almirall has worked with the University of Michigan to accelerate the understanding of the factors that trigger hidradenitis suppurativa, a chronic and inflammatory skin condition, and with the University of Dundee, to discover novel drug candidates using targeted protein degradation technology. The company has also joined FACILITATE, an Innovative Medicines Initiative project designed to create a framework for access and reutilization of clinical participant data. the data generated from patient surveys and clinical trials. 

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