The approval was backed by results from two late-stage studies – the 12-week induction study INSPIRE and the 52-week maintenance study COMMAND, both of which met the main goal of clinical remission, alongside the secondary endpoint of endoscopic improvement.
AbbVie noted that Skyrizi’s dosing for this indication involves a 12-week induction period with three 1200mg doses every four weeks, followed by a maintenance regimen of either 180mg or 360mg every eight weeks that can be administered at home using an on-body injector. Skyrizi, which is partnered with Boehringer Ingelheim, is also awaiting approval in the EU as a potential treatment for UC, after securing a positive opinion by the European drug advisory panel last month. The biologic made nearly $2.4 billion in global sales last year. AbbVie’s portfolio of targeted therapies for UC also includes Rinvoq (upadacitinib), which was cleared by the FDA in 2022. The drugmaker is looking to strengthen its foothold in IBD through a recent licensing deal potentially worth $1.7 billion with China's FutureGen Biopharmaceutical to develop a next-generation anti-TL1A antibody.