New possibilities of systemic therapy of plaque psoriasis with the IL23p19 inhibitor risankizumab
Authors: Zhukova O. V. , Kasikhina E. I. , Ostretsova M. N. , Potekaev N. N. 
Published: June 2021

Introduction. There is a trend towards rising incidence of psoriasis and increase in the degree of incidence of severe, atypical and treatment-resistant clinical forms of psoriasis in the Russian Federation. In this regard, cases of early disability of patients and deterioration of their quality of life are recorded, which determines the medical and social significance of this disease. In the last few years, a much deeper understanding of the pathogenesis of psoriasis has been gained. This is especially true of the role of T-helper 17 cells, the role of the IL-23 cytokine in the development of the disease, which has resulted in the development of new classes of biological drugs, which creation introduced significant changes in the treatment of psoriasis that has become more effective, safer and convenient for patients. More new biologics undergo clinical trials and receive approvals with each passing year. Among them is risankizumab, interleukin-23 inhibitor, which is a safe and effective drug for the treatment of moderate to severe plaque psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis in adult patients. Interleukin-23 inhibitors are not required to be administered as often as interleukin-17 inhibitors and may have a more favourable safety profile without an increased risk of candidiasis or inflammatory bowel disease. Overall, these highly effective drugs contribute to the improvement of the long-term efficacy of psoriasis therapy due to relief of skin lesions and joint symptoms, as well as to the enhancement of patients’ quality of life and lengthening of remissions.Purpose. To analyse key information about risankizumab using the results of clinical trials published in the current scientific literature.Materials and methods. This analysis used literature sources from the international medical databases: PubMed, Cochrane Library, MEDLINE.Results. Presently, a number of phase III registrational trials of risankizumab in 2,109 patients with plaque psoriasis have been published: UltIMMa-1, UltIMMa-2, IMMvent and IMMhance, as well as an additional side by side comparative study of risankizumab with secukinumab (IMMerge) in 327 patients with plaque psoriasis. The results of these studies were used as the grounds for approval of risankizumab for the treatment of patients with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis by the Russian Ministry of Health on September 14, 2020. There have also been several reports of interim results of the open-label enhanced LIMMitless study, which included patients from pivotal studies. Our records show that the percentage of patients receiving risankizumab for 3 years (172 weeks) and maintaining PASI 90 and PASI 100 was 88 and 63%, respectively, and the percentage of those maintaining sPGA 0/1 was 88%.Conclusion. The analysed data showed that risankizumab is one of the most effective target drugs for the treatment of psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis, it has a favourable safety profile and a more convenient dosage regimen as compared with other genetically engineered biologic drugs (GEBD) (the recommended dose of Skyrizi is 150 mg (two 75 mg injections) administered by subcutaneous injection at week 0, week 4, and every 12 weeks thereafter).