Deucravacitinib, an oral, selective, allosteric tyrosine kinase 2 inhibitor, in moderate to severe plaque psoriasis: evaluation of lipid parameters in the phase 3 POETYK PSO-1 and PSO-2 trials
Authors: Lebwohl Mark , Strober Bruce , Linaberry Misti , Hoyt Kim , Banerjee Subhashis , Kisa Renata M. , Mehta Nehal N. 
Published: March 2023

Introduction: Tyrosine kinase 2 (TYK2), an intracellular kinase, mediates signaling of cytokines (IL-23 and Type I interferons) involved in psoriasis pathogenesis. Deucravacitinib, an oral, selective, allosteric TYK2 inhibitor, is approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of adults with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis who are candidates for systemic therapy or phototherapy. Deucravacitinib was significantly more efficacious than placebo or apremilast and was well tolerated in the phase 3 POETYK PSO-1 and PSO-2 trials. We evaluated changes in lipid parameters in these trials.

Methods: PSO-1 (NCT03624127) and PSO-2 (NCT03611751) were 52-week, double-blind trials conducted globally. Patients with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis (PASI ≥12, sPGA ≥3, BSA involvement ≥10%) were randomized 1:2:1 to oral placebo, deucravacitinib 6 mg once daily, or apremilast 30 mg twice daily. This analysis evaluated serum lipids in patients taking placebo, deucravacitinib, or apremilast during Weeks 0-16 and those taking deucravacitinib continuously during Weeks 0-52 in PSO-1 and PSO-2. Mean changes in total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, and triglyceride levels are reported, as are shifts from baseline in CTCAE v5 severity grade of hypercholesterolemia and hypertriglyceridemia.

Results: 666 and 1020 patients were randomized in PSO-1 and PSO-2, respectively. Mean baseline levels of total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, and LDL cholesterol were comparable between treatment groups. Mean changes from baseline to Week 16 were small; none was clinically meaningful. Worsening of hypercholesterolemia grade from baseline was observed with similar frequencies among patients receiving placebo, deucravacitinib, and apremilast (10.6%, 11.7%, and 8.4%, respectively); nearly all shifts were 1 grade, and there was no grade ≥3 event. Baseline triglyceride levels were near the upper limit of normal (150 mg/dL) across treatment groups. A 10.3 mg/dL increase in mean triglycerides from baseline to Week 16 was observed with deucravacitinib, but worsening in hypertriglyceridemia >1 grade from baseline was rare (1.2%) and comparable to placebo (1.4%). Most deucravacitinib-treated patients maintained the same or shifted to a lower grade of hypertriglyceridemia from baseline to Week 16. Among patients treated with deucravacitinib continuously for 52 weeks, mean changes in total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, and triglycerides were small. Shifts in >1 grade from baseline for hypercholesterolemia and hypertriglyceridemia were uncommon (0.2% and 1.9%, respectively). No patient discontinued deucravacitinib due to a lipid-related adverse event.

Conclusion: There were no meaningful changes in total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, and LDL cholesterol levels with deucravacitinib treatment. Minimal increases in mean triglyceride levels from baseline to Weeks 16 and 52 were accompanied by very few worsening shifts >1 grade.