Key Takeaways:
Taltz plus Zepbound sustained gains at 52 weeks, with 30.6% of psoriasis patients achieving complete skin clearance and 10% weight loss, versus 4.4% on Taltz alone.
"The durability across disease activity, inflammation and metabolic outcomes supports treating these chronic conditions together," Mark Genovese, senior vice president of Lilly Immunology development, said.
In the TOGETHER-PsA trial, 39.2% on the combination achieved ACR50 plus 10% weight loss at 52 weeks, versus 1.7% on Taltz alone. Complete skin clearance (PASI 100) was maintained at 40.5% versus 29.1%, while ACR50 reached 43.7% versus 15.7%. Improvements in BMI, blood pressure, glucose, HbA1c, triglycerides and total cholesterol were sustained or deepened, and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein fell further.
The data come as Lilly presses into the obesity market, where Zepbound (tirzepatide) competes with Novo Nordisk's Wegovy. Roughly 61% of US psoriasis patients and 65% of psoriatic arthritis patients also have obesity or overweight with a weight-related comorbidity, which is often tied to poorer treatment outcomes. Mean baseline BMI was 39.2 in TOGETHER-PsO and 37.6 in TOGETHER-PsA.
The two open-label Phase 3b studies enrolled 274 adults with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis and 271 with active psoriatic arthritis, randomized 1:1 to Taltz (ixekizumab) alone or with Zepbound, plus counseling on a reduced-calorie diet and physical activity. Adverse events were generally mild to moderate, with nausea, diarrhea, constipation, injection site reactions, vomiting, dizziness and headache reported in at least 5% of the combination arm.
"In psoriatic arthritis, the greater improvements in disease activity seen with Taltz and Zepbound in the first month, before clinically meaningful weight loss occurred, continued through one year," Joseph F. Merola, president of the Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis Clinics Multicenter Advancement Network, said.
Taltz is an IL-17A monoclonal antibody approved for plaque psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis; Zepbound is the only FDA-approved dual GIP and GLP-1 receptor agonist obesity medication. The 52-week analyses are pre-specified exploratory endpoints without multiplicity control.
The results strengthen the case for treating psoriatic disease and obesity together rather than as separate conditions. Lilly plans to present detailed 52-week data at future medical meetings and publish in peer-reviewed journals, with investors watching for regulatory and commercial follow-through in the obesity market.
This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice.
