The following is a summary of “Bimekizumab efficacy and safety through 3 years in patients with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis: Long-term results from the BE RADIANT phase 3b trial open-label extension period,” published in the January 2025 issue of Dermatology by Warren et al. 

Overexpression of interleukin (IL)-17A and IL-17F played a significant role in psoriasis pathology, with bimekizumab, a monoclonal antibody targeting both IL-17A and IL-17F, showing improved clinical responses over secukinumab in the BE RADIANT phase 3 study.  

Researchers conducted a retrospective study to report the 3-year efficacy and safety of continuous bimekizumab or switching from secukinumab after 1 year in patients with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis.  

They performed the BE RADIANT phase 3b randomized controlled trial with a 48-week double-blind period. Patients were assigned to receive either bimekizumab (320 mg every 4 weeks [Q4W]) or secukinumab (300 mg weekly until Week 4, then Q4W). At Week 16, patients with bimekizumab were re-randomized to receive Q4W or Q8W maintenance dosing. From Week 48 onward, all patients transitioned to bimekizumab in the open-label extension.  

The results showed 336 bimekizumab- and 318 secukinumab-randomized patients entered the open-label extension. At year 1, more bimekizumab patients achieved PASI 100 (74.9%) compared to patients with secukinumab (52.8%). After 3 years, PASI 100 response rates were 68.8% in bimekizumab-treated patients and increased to 68.8% in patients who switched from secukinumab to bimekizumab. Bimekizumab was well-tolerated over 3 years, with the most common treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs) being nasopharyngitis, oral candidiasis, and upper respiratory tract infection (incidence rates: 12.2, 10.0, and 5.5/100 patient-years, respectively). Rates of TEAEs of interest, including serious infections, inflammatory bowel disease, and suicidal ideation/behavior, remained stable over the 3-year period.  

Investigators concluded that a substantial proportion of patients treated with bimekizumab, including those switching from secukinumab, achieved and maintained complete skin clearance over 3 years of treatment, while the drug was well-tolerated with no increase in TEAEs over the extended period.

Source: academic.oup.com/bjd/advance-article/doi/10.1093/bjd/ljaf032/7979209