AbbVie's Skyrizi wins its first FDA approval, springing blockbuster ambitions

The psoriasis approval for Skyrizi (risankizumab) in the U.S. was expected, following a similar go-ahead from regulators in Japan and a positive recommendation from the European Medicines Agency's Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use. In Phase 3 studies of the drug, roughly 80% of patients with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis achieved 90% clear skin and slightly more than half reached complete skin clearance using Skyrizi. However, the anti-IL23 antibody is far from alone in the next generation of immunology drugs. Other interleukin inhibitors already on the market include J&J's anti-IL 12/23 Stelara (ustekinumab) as well as the IL-17 inhibitors Cosentyx (secukinumab) and Taltz (ixekizumab), respectively marketed by Novartis and Eli Lilly.