Improvements in psoriasis within different body regions vary over time following treatment with ixekizumab

<p><b>Background:</b> Ixekizumab is a high-affinity monoclonal antibody that selectively targets interleukin-17 A.</p> <p><b>Objective:</b> Examine the efficacy of ixekizumab in clearing psoriasis within different body regions.</p> <p><b>Methods:</b> Data from 3 placebo- (PBO) or PBO- and etanercept (ETN)-controlled trials were integrated. Patients with moderate-to-severe psoriasis were randomized to 12 weeks of PBO (UNCOVER-1, -2, -3, <i>N</i> = 792; UNCOVER-2, -3, <i>N</i> = 361), 50 mg ETN twice weekly (<i>N</i> = 740), or 80 mg ixekizumab every 2 (IXE Q2W; <i>N</i> = 1169; <i>N</i> = 736) or 4 weeks (IXE Q4W; <i>N</i> = 1165; <i>N</i> = 733) after a 160-mg starting dose.</p> <p><b>Results:</b> Mean percent improvements in regional Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) were noted at Week 1 and increased through Week 12 in the IXE Q2W (approved dosing regimen) group for each body region. Week 12 improvements were 91.4% (head/neck); 92.8% (trunk); 89.9% (arms); and 88.7% (legs) (all regions <i>p</i> < .001 vs. PBO). Mean regional PASI improvements at Week 12 were ≥84.2% for ixekizumab versus ≤70.9% for ETN in all regions (<i>p <</i> .001). Scaling and thickness reduced faster than erythema.</p> <p><b>Conclusions:</b> Within 12 weeks of ixekizumab treatment, all signs of psoriasis across all body regions reached clinically meaningful improvements, with the head/neck and trunk responding quicker than psoriasis of the arms and legs, especially with reduced scaling and thickness.</p