AbbVie reported that its experimental therapy for hidradenitis suppurativa, a chronic skin condition, met the primary goal of a late-stage trial but did not perform well enough to satisfy market expectations. The company announced the results on Thursday, noting that while the drug showed efficacy, experts remain skeptical about its ability to compete with existing standard treatments.
In the Phase 3 Intrepid trial, 1,400 patients with moderate-to-severe hidradenitis suppurativa participated. After 16 weeks, 31.4% of participants receiving weekly injections of lutikizumab achieved a reduction of 75% or more in inflamed bumps and abscesses. By comparison, 23.4% of patients in the placebo group reached that same milestone. This specific reduction served as the study's primary endpoint.
AbbVie also stated that lutikizumab met eight secondary endpoints, which included improvements in skin pain and disease flares. The company described the drug as generally safe and well tolerated. Adverse event rates were nearly identical between the treatment group and the placebo group.
Despite these positive safety and efficacy signals, the magnitude of the improvement over placebo has left observers questioning the drug's commercial viability against current options.