Key clinical point: Bimekizumab demonstrated superior efficacy outcomes compared with placebo and was well-tolerated with a consistent safety profile in patients with active psoriatic arthritis (PsA) who were naive to biologic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (bDMARD).
Major finding: At week 16, a significantly higher proportion of patients receiving bimekizumab vs placebo achieved ≥50% improvement in American College of Rheumatology response (44% vs 10%; odds ratio 7.1; P < .0001). Treatment-emergent adverse events were reported by 60% vs 49% of patients in the bimekizumab vs placebo arm, respectively, and no deaths occurred.
Study details: Findings are from the phase 3 BE OPTIMAL study including 852 patients with active PsA who were naive to bDMARD and were randomly assigned to receive bimekizumab, placebo, or adalimumab.
Disclosures: This study was funded by UCB Pharma. Five authors declared being employees and shareholders of UCB Pharma, and the other authors declared receiving grants, fees, honoraria, or having other ties with several sources, including UCB Pharma.
Source: McInnes IB et al. Bimekizumab in patients with psoriatic arthritis, naive to biologic treatment: A randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, phase 3 trial (BE OPTIMAL). Lancet. 2022 (Dec 5). Doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(22)02302-9