Johnson & Johnson’s Tremfya shows positive results in psoriatic arthritis

Johnson & Johnson announced new data from the Phase 3b APEX study showing that Tremfya continued to reduce both signs and symptoms of active psoriatic arthritis and inhibit progression of structural damage at 48 weeks. At Week 24, Tremfya demonstrated two and a half times greater ability to inhibit joint structural damage versus placebo with results consistent for patients with active PsA receiving Tremfya every four weeks or every eight weeks. The inhibition of structural joint damage was sustained through Week 48. The 24 Week data from the APEX study was recently published in the Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases. Additionally, for patients in the study’s placebo group, who switched to Tremfya at Week 24, the rate of radiographic progression from baseline to Week 24 was reduced by 57% from Week 24 through Week 48. Tremfya also showed continued clinically meaningful improvement in American College of Rheumatology response criteria rates. ACR50 response rates increased from Week 24 to Week 48 in both the Q4W and Q8W dose groups. Nearly half of patients in the placebo group that transitioned to Tremfya at Week 24 achieved ACR50 by Week 48. The data from the APEX study were consistent with the well-established safety profile of Tremfya, with no new safety signals identified. These results support Johnson & Johnson’s recent submission of a supplemental Biologics License Application to the FDA for approval to include new evidence in the Tremfya label for the inhibition of progression of structural damage in adults with active PsA.