BRUSSELS and ATLANTA, Sept. 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- UCB, a global biopharmaceutical company, today announced new three-year results from the BE BRIGHT open-label extension (OLE) study evaluating the long-term safety, tolerability and efficacy of bimekizumab in adults with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis who completed one of three pivotal Phase 3 studies.¹ These data, together with a three-year safety analysis of pooled data from Phase 2 and Phase 3 studies,² are being presented at the 31st European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology (EADV) Congress in Milan, Italy, September 7-10. A total of 11 abstracts highlighting data related to bimekizumab in psoriasis are being presented at the congress.

Data presented from the BE BRIGHT OLE study showed that over eight out of 10 patients who achieved complete skin clearance (PASI 100) following 16 weeks of bimekizumab treatment maintained PASI 100 response and health-related quality of life outcomes through to three years with continuous maintenance dosing. In addition, approximately nine out of 10 patients who achieved absolute PASI (PASI ≤2) at week 16 maintained this response through to three years.¹ Pooled data from up to three years of treatment in Phase 2 and 3 clinical trials showed that bimekizumab was generally well-tolerated over this period with no safety signals identified.² Bimekizumab is an investigational product; its efficacy and safety have not been established for any indication in the U.S. and it is not approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

"These positive results highlight the deep and long-lasting skin clearance achieved with bimekizumab, along with a consistent safety and tolerability profile, and reinforce the positive relationship clearing skin has on patients' quality of life. These new data add to the growing body of evidence supporting longer-term use of bimekizumab in moderate to severe plaque psoriasis," said Emmanuel Caeymaex, Executive Vice President, Immunology Solutions and Head of U.S., UCB. 

"The findings presented today show that bimekizumab provided maintenance of completely clear skin and health-related quality of life outcomes in the majority of patients with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis over a three year period," said Dr. Bruce Strober, Clinical Professor of Dermatology at Yale University, New Haven, Conn. "The goal of psoriasis treatment often is complete clearance of skin symptoms, and the availability of long-term data across treatment options is important since it supports healthcare providers and patients to be more informed when making treatment decisions."

Three-year data from the BE BRIGHT OLE study

All patients who had completed one of the pivotal Phase 3 studies (BE SURE, BE VIVID and BE READY) were eligible to enter the BE BRIGHT OLE study.¹ On OLE entry, patients were assigned to bimekizumab 320 mg every four weeks (Q4W) or every eight weeks (Q8W) based on PASI 90 response at the end of the respective Phase 3 study.

 In all bimekizumab-randomized patients: ^1¥

• Among week 16 PASI 100 responders (N=503), 89.3 percent achieved PASI 100 at year one (week 52) and 82.0 percent at year three (OLE week 96)
• Among week 16 PASI ≤2 responders (N=694), 96.5 percent achieved PASI ≤2 at year one (week 52) and 94.2 percent at year three (OLE week 96)
• Among week 16 PASI 100 responders in BE SURE and BE READY only (N=330), 92.0 percent achieved the Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) 0/1 at year one (week 56), and 88.0 percent at year three (OLE week 96)

In bimekizumab-randomized patients (320 mg Q4W for 16 weeks, and then every eight weeks [Q8W] through three years, BE SURE and BE READY only):^1¥

• Among week 16 PASI 100 responders (N=147), 93.6 percent achieved PASI 100 at year one (week 52) and 84.4 percent at year three (OLE week 96)
• Among week 16 PASI ≤2 responders (N=189), 98.9 percent achieved PASI ≤2 at year one (week 52) and 96.8 percent at year three (OLE week 96)
• Among week 16 PASI 100 responders (N=147), 95.8 percent achieved DLQI 0/1 at year one (week 56) and 92.5 percent at year three (OLE week 96)

Pooled safety data from up to three years of treatment in Phase 2 and 3 clinical trials

Total bimekizumab exposure was 4245.3 patient-years (PY; N=1789) across the Phase 2 and 3 trials, and 3876.4 PY (N=1495; Q4W: 1965.6 PY; Q8W: 1914.5 PY) in the Phase 3 trials.² Treatment emergent adverse events (TEAEs) occurred at an exposure-adjusted incidence rate (EAIR) of 186.1 per 100 PY: serious TEAEs were seen at an EAIR of 5.6 new cases per 100 PY and TEAEs leading to discontinuation at 3.5 new cases per 100 PY.² 

The most common TEAEs in the Phase 2 and 3 trials with bimekizumab were nasopharyngitis, oral candidiasis and upper respiratory tract infection at EAIRs of 15.3, 10.2 and 7.1 new cases per 100 PY, respectively.² The EAIR for oral candidiasis showed a decrease compared with two years of bimekizumab treatment (10.2 versus 12.6 new cases per 100 PY) and was lower with bimekizumab dosed Q8W compared with Q4W (7.1 and 15.9 per 100 PY, respectively).² The vast majority of oral candidiasis events were mild to moderate (99.4 percent), and none were serious.² Serious infections occurred at a rate of 1.2/100 PY. The most frequently reported were serious coronavirus infections (0.2 per 100 PY).² 

^¥ Modified non-responder imputation analyses

Notes to editors :

About BE BRIGHT

BE BRIGHT (NCT03598790) is an ongoing, multicenter, open-label extension study assessing the long-term safety, tolerability and efficacy of bimekizumab in adult patients with moderate to severe chronic plaque psoriasis.³ Patients who completed one of three bimekizumab Phase 3 studies, BE READY, BE VIVID and BE SURE, were eligible to enroll in the BE BRIGHT study.⁴ More details on BE BRIGHT can be found at ClinicalTrials.gov.³

BE VIVID, BE READY and BE SURE evaluated the efficacy and safety of bimekizumab in the treatment of adults with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis versus placebo and ustekinumab, versus placebo, and versus adalimumab, respectively.^4,5,6

About psoriasis

Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory disease with primary involvement of the skin.⁷ Psoriasis signs and symptoms can vary but may include red patches of skin covered with silvery scales; dry, cracked skin that may bleed; and thickened, pitted or ridged nails.⁸ Psoriasis also has a considerable psychological and quality-of-life impact, potentially affecting work, recreation, relationships, sexual functioning, family and social life.⁹ This skin condition affects men and women of all ages and ethnicities.⁷

About bimekizumab

Bimekizumab is a humanized monoclonal IgG1 antibody that is designed to selectively inhibit both interleukin 17A (IL-17A) and interleukin 17F (IL-17F), two key cytokines driving inflammatory processes.^10,11

In August 2021, bimekizumab was approved in the European Union (EU)/European Economic Area (EEA) and in Great Britain, for the treatment of moderate to severe plaque psoriasis in adults who are candidates for systemic therapy.^10,12 In January 2022, bimekizumab received marketing authorization in Japan for the treatment of plaque psoriasis, generalized pustular psoriasis and psoriatic erythroderma in patients who are not sufficiently responding to existing treatments.¹³ In February and March 2022, bimekizumab was approved in Canada and Australia, respectively, for the treatment of moderate to severe plaque psoriasis in adults who are candidates for systemic therapy or phototherapy.^14,15

Bimekizumab is an investigational product; its efficacy and safety have not been established for any indication in the U.S. and it is not approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

For further information, contact UCB:

Investor Relations
Antje Witte
T +32.2.559.94.14 
email antje.witte@ucb.com 

U.S. Immunology Communications
Nicole Herga
T +1.404.226.7591
email nicole.herga@ucb.com