The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Boehringer Ingelheim’s SPEVIGO® (spesolimab-sbzo) injection for the treatment of generalized pustular psoriasis (GPP) in adults and pediatric patients aged 12 and above weighing ≥40 kg.
This approval follows the Chinese National Medical Products Administration’s (NMPA) recent approval of SPEVIGO® for the reduction of occurrence of generalized pustular psoriasis (GPP) in adolescents from 12 years of age with a body weight ≥40 kg and adults.
SPEVIGO® is a novel, humanized selective IgG1 antibody that binds to interleukin-36 receptor (IL-36R), a key part of a signaling pathway within the immune system shown to be involved in the cause of GPP.
The regulatory authorities’ decisions are majorly based on the positive results of the Effisayil® 2 clinical trial, a 48-week clinical trial that showed that SPEVIGO® significantly reduced the risk of GPP flares by 84%, compared with placebo. In the trial with 123 patients, no flares were observed after week 4 of SPEVIGO® subcutaneous treatment in the high-dose group (n=30). In the Effisayil® 2 trial, SPEVIGO® was associated with an increased incidence (≥9 cases per 100 patient-years) of injection site reaction, urinary tract infection, arthralgia, and pruritus compared to placebo.
“Until now, people living with GPP have not had any approved options to treat their disease,” said Bruce Strober, MD, PhD, Clinical Professor, Dermatology, Yale University and Central Connecticut Dermatology. “SPEVIGO® has the potential to redefine the treatment options for the patients we serve.”
Distinct from plaque psoriasis, GPP is a rare, chronic, heterogenous, inflammatory neutrophilic disease associated with painful skin manifestations and systemic symptoms, such as fever, pain, and fatigue. GPP varies widely between individuals living with the condition, with symptoms presenting on a continuum, which means that it can present in either a persistent or a relapsing course. GPP often requires emergency care and can lead to life-threatening complications, such as multi-organ failure and sepsis. GPP’s unpredictable nature can potentially have significant long-term impacts on quality of life for people living with it, and may cause fear and anxiety over the disease course.
“SPEVIGO®’s new approvals constitute a fundamental change for people living with GPP, addressing their huge need for acute and chronic treatment,” said Carinne Brouillon, Member of the Board of Managing Directors and Head of Human Pharma at Boehringer Ingelheim. “Experiencing GPP can be mentally and physically devastating, leaving those affected with uncertainty and fear of the next episode. Therefore, expanding the treatment of GPP is a critical step towards addressing patients’ needs.”
