Background: The phase 3 studies, VOYAGE 1 and 2, were conducted to assess guselkumab in the treatment of patients with moderate-to-severe psoriasis.
Objectives: To investigate the efficacy and safety of guselkumab in Korean patients.
Methods: The Korean sub-population of VOYAGE 1 and 2 study patients were included in this analysis. Efficacy and safety were evaluated through Weeks 24 and 28, respectively.
Results: Of 126 randomized Korean patients, 30, 63, and 33 received placebo, guselkumab, and adalimumab, respectively. At Week 16, guselkumab was superior to placebo in achieving an Investigator's Global Assessment (IGA) score of 0 or 1 (cleared or minimal; 90.5 vs. 20.0%, p<.001) and a Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) 90 response (71.4 vs. 3.3%, p<.001). At week 24, a significantly higher proportion of guselkumab-treated patients achieved PASI 75 and IGA 0 (clear skin) responses compared to adalimumab-treated patients (PASI 75: 93.7 vs. 66.7%, p<.001; IGA 0: 52.4 vs. 21.2%, p=.004). Through Week 28, guselkumab and adalimumab showed comparable safety profiles.
Conclusion: The efficacy and safety of guselkumab in Korean psoriasis patients through 28 weeks were consistent with findings for the overall VOYAGE 1 and 2 study population.
Keywords: Psoriasis; VOYAGE 1; VOYAGE 2; interleukin-23.