Abbott's ABT-874 shows positive results in Ph II psoriasis trial

USA-based health care major Abbott Laboratories says that results from a Phase II trial of its investigational psoriasis treatment ABT-874 indicate that it brings about a significant symptom reduction. The firm explained that, after 12 weeks of treatment, 90% of patients with moderate-to-severe forms of the disease experienced a 75% improvement in psoriasis signs and symptoms (PASI75) in four of the five dosing groups, compared with just 3% of the placebo cohort.

During the trial, full data from which will be presented at the upcoming Society for Investigative Dermatology meeting in Los Angeles, 180 patients were randomized to receive either: a 200mg infusion at week zero; 100mg every other week (eow) for 12 weeks; 200mg per week for four weeks; 200mg eow for 12 weeks; 200mg a week for 12 weeks; or placebo.

Abbott added that improvements of PASI-90 were achieved by at least half the subjects in four of the five treatment groups (17%, 53%, 63%, 77% and 53%), while such inprovement was not observed in any of the patients that received placebo. The firm said that it plans to initiate a Phase III trial of the drug later in the year.