On August 9, 2021, AbbVie announced that SKYRIZI® (risankizumab-rzaa), an interleukin-23 inhibitor, is now available in the U.S. as a single dose injection for the treatment of adults with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved SKYRIZI® as a single 150mg dose based on three clinical trials which demonstrated that it was bioequivalent, meaning it worked the same as two 75 mg doses. Following the starter doses, it can be administered via 1 prefilled pen or syringe.[1]
“Risankizumab [has been shown to have] long-term safety and efficacy results. Prior to this FDA approval, patients would have to do 2 injections of drug every time the drug was dosed, which is 4 times per year. Now, following this FDA approval, patients only have to do a single injection for each dose. The bottom line is that this new FDA approval now cuts the required number of risankizumab shots to treat psoriasis in half; patients only have to do 4 shots per year, which makes this drug very convenient to use,” shares Andrew Blauvelt, M.D., dermatologist and President of the Oregon Medical Research Center. Dr. Blauvelt was an investigator in one of the studies that reviewed the efficacy, safety, and usability of this new risankizumab formulation and administration.
With this new announcement, SKYRIZI®is now the only 4-dose-a-year biologic treatment for psoriasis that is available as a single-dose pen or prefilled syringe.[1]
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