INCY - Incyte skin disorder drug shows durable efficacy in 1 year data from mis-stage trial

Incyte ( NASDAQ: INCY ) said an extension period of a phase 2 trial showed that longer-term treatment with povorcitinib 75 mg resulted in sustained and durable efficacy in patients with a type of skin condition called Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS).

The company reported new 52-week data from a phase 2 evaluating or al drug povorcitinib (formerly INCB54707) in adult patients with HS — a condition that causes small, painful lumps to form under the skin, usually in the areas where the skin rubs together, such as armpits.

Incyte said the trial had previously met its main goal, showing that at Week 16 patients receiving povorcitinib once daily (QD) had significantly greater decreases from baseline in Abscess (pus) and Inflammatory Nodule (AN) count, compared to placebo.

Results at week 52, which included a 36-week open-label extension period during which all patients received povorcitinib 75 mg QD, showed that average efficacy was sustained for all treatment groups after switching to povorcitinib 75 mg QD, according to the company.

Incyte added that povorcitinib also showed durable efficacy at week 52 in high-threshold outcomes, as seen by 22% to 29% of patients achieving HS Clinical Response 100 (HiSCR100) — defined as a 100% reduction in total AN count and no increase in abscess or draining tunnel count, from baseline.

The company noted that the most common treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs) at week 52 (n=174) were COVID-19 (21.3%), acne (11.5%), upper respiratory tract infection (10.9%), urinary tract infection (5.7%) and increased blood creatine kinase (CK) (5.2%), among others.

Increased CK levels may suggests muscle damage or disease.

Six patients (3.4%) experienced a TEAE that led to treatment discontinuation. No fatal TEAEs were see, the company added.

"We are encouraged by these Phase 2 data and believe they reinforce the potential of povorcitinib to be a safe and efficacious treatment for HS that is tolerable with longer-term administration, even at the higher doses," said Kurt Brown, global program head, povorcitinib, and associate vice president, Drug Development, Inflammation & AutoImmunity, Incyte.

Brown added that the povorcitinib is currently undergoing a phase 3 trial to treat patients with moderate-to-severe HS.

INCY -0.30% to $81 premarket Feb. 10

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