Risankizumab Maintains High Skin Clearance Over 36 Months

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Among available biologic therapies, risankizumab, an interleukin-23 (IL-23) inhibitor, has been approved for treating moderate to severe plaque psoriasis. While clinical trials have demonstrated the short-term efficacy of risankizumab, long-term real-world data remain crucial to understanding its sustained effectiveness and impact on treatment goals. A recent study, presented as a poster at the 2025 American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) Annual Meeting, examines the achievement of National Psoriasis Foundation (NPF) treatment goals and the durability of clinical response in patients who received risankizumab continuously for 36 months. The data were sourced from the CorEvitas Psoriasis Registry, a prospective observational registry across the United States and Canada.

Methods

This analysis included adult patients diagnosed with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis, as defined by an Investigator’s Global Assessment (IGA) score of ≥3. To be eligible, patients must have initiated risankizumab treatment at baseline and maintained persistent use for 36 months (±3 months). The study evaluated treatment success based on the NPF’s predefined treatment goals:

• Acceptable response: Defined as achieving either body surface area (BSA) involvement ≤3% or a ≥75% improvement in BSA from baseline.
• Target response: Defined as achieving BSA ≤1%.
• Quality of life improvement: Evaluated through the Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI), with success defined as a DLQI score of 0/1, indicating minimal impact on daily life.

In addition, the study assessed the durability of response in patients who achieved a 90% reduction in the Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI90) at 12 months, measuring whether they maintained this response through 36 months.

Results

The study cohort consisted of 179 patients, with 40.8% being women. The mean patient age was 48.8 years (SD ±15.4), and the average duration of psoriasis was 17 years (SD ±13.9). Baseline disease severity was characterized by a mean BSA involvement of 14.7% (SD ±14.6).

According to the poster presented at AAD, following 36 months of continuous risankizumab treatment:

• 96.2% of patients (152/158) with baseline BSA >3% achieved the NPF-defined acceptable response.
• 84.2% of patients (133/158) achieved the NPF-defined target response.
• 68.8% of patients (110/160) with a baseline DLQI >1 reached a score of 0/1, indicating minimal or no impact on quality of life.
• 86.1% of patients (99/115) who had achieved PASI90 at 12 months maintained this level of skin clearance at 36 months.

These results suggest that risankizumab provides long-term and sustained improvements in skin clearance and quality of life. As the study notes, “96.2% of patients achieved an acceptable response, and 84.2% met the target response criteria,” reinforcing the drug’s effectiveness. Additionally, “86.1% of those achieving PASI90 at 12 months maintained their response through 36 months,” further demonstrating its durability.

Conclusion

This real-world study provides strong evidence that risankizumab is effective for maintaining long-term skin clearance in patients with moderate to severe psoriasis. Over 36 months, the majority of patients met or exceeded the NPF’s treatment goals, showing both high efficacy and durability. Importantly, a significant proportion of patients also reported an improved quality of life, reinforcing the role of risankizumab as a viable long-term treatment option for psoriasis.

References

1. Armstrong A, Ferris L, Callis Duffin K, et al. Long-term real-world achievement of skin clearance treatment targets and maintenance of response in patients with moderate to severe psoriasis treated with risankizumab: 3-year results from theCorEvitas Psoriasis Registry. Poster presented at the 2025 American Academy of Dermatology Annual Meeting. March 7-11, 2025. Orlando, Florida.