Health Boards
Psoriasis trial drug halted due to suicide concerns
According to a statement released last week, one of the makers of brodalumab, a biologic drug currently being tested as a treatment for psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis, will no longer participate in developing the drug. Amgen, which, along with the company AstraZeneca, had been developing brodalumab, has stopped developing the drug based on reports of suicidal thoughts and behavior during clinical trials for the drug, the company stated in a press release.
AstraZeneca is still considering whether to continue with the drug development, according to a statement released by AstraZeneca last week.Brodalumab targets the receptor of a cytokine, or inflammatory protein, involved in psoriasis known as interleukin-17 (IL-17).
Brodalumab is still in the testing phase, and is not available to patients outside of clinical trials.
It differs from Cosentyx (secukinumab), a drug recently approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). While brodalumab targets the receptor of IL-17, Cosentyx targets the inflammatory protein itself, IL-17A. Ixekizumab, which is being developed by Eli Lilly, also targets IL-17A and still is in clinical trials and not available to patients.
So far, there have been few reports of serious side effects from Cosentyx. The most commonly reported side effects are upper respiratory tract infections, the common cold and diarrhea.
“There does not appear to be any concern over suicidal behavior in patients receiving either secukinumab or ixekizumab, two other drugs that also block IL-17A function,” said Dr. Andrew Blauvelt, a dermatologist and president and investigator at Oregon Medical Research Center, a clinical research center.
Regarding brodalumab, Blauvelt also said that he “did not see any documentation from the trials that the rate of suicidal behavior was higher than expected in the general population.” However, he said, the FDA had asked Amgen to monitor all patients on brodalumab for suicidal behavior.
According to a statement released last week, one of the makers of brodalumab, a biologic drug currently being tested as a treatment for psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis, will no longer participate in developing the drug. Amgen, which, along with the company AstraZeneca, had been developing brodalumab, has stopped developing the drug based on reports of suicidal thoughts and behavior during clinical trials for the drug, the company stated in a press release.
AstraZeneca is still considering whether to continue with the drug development, according to a statement released by AstraZeneca last week.Brodalumab targets the receptor of a cytokine, or inflammatory protein, involved in psoriasis known as interleukin-17 (IL-17).
Brodalumab is still in the testing phase, and is not available to patients outside of clinical trials.
It differs from Cosentyx (secukinumab), a drug recently approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). While brodalumab targets the receptor of IL-17, Cosentyx targets the inflammatory protein itself, IL-17A. Ixekizumab, which is being developed by Eli Lilly, also targets IL-17A and still is in clinical trials and not available to patients.
So far, there have been few reports of serious side effects from Cosentyx. The most commonly reported side effects are upper respiratory tract infections, the common cold and diarrhea.
“There does not appear to be any concern over suicidal behavior in patients receiving either secukinumab or ixekizumab, two other drugs that also block IL-17A function,” said Dr. Andrew Blauvelt, a dermatologist and president and investigator at Oregon Medical Research Center, a clinical research center.
Regarding brodalumab, Blauvelt also said that he “did not see any documentation from the trials that the rate of suicidal behavior was higher than expected in the general population.” However, he said, the FDA had asked Amgen to monitor all patients on brodalumab for suicidal behavior.
