AbbVie's SKYRIZI® for the Treatment of Moderate to Severe Plaque Psoriasis now Publicly Reimbursed across Canada

• SKYRIZI® is an interleukin-23 (IL-23) inhibitor used for the treatment of moderate to severe plaque psoriasis.¹
• In clinical studies, SKYRIZI® significantly improved levels of skin clearance after just 16 weeks and maintained clearance at one year (52 weeks).¹
• Prince Edward Island lists SKYRIZI^® on its Pharmacare Formulary effective February 22, 2021.
• SKYRIZI® is now listed for public payer coverage across all Canadian jurisdictions.

MONTRÉAL, Feb. 24, 2021 /CNW/ - AbbVie (NYSE: ABBV), a global, research and development-based biopharmaceutical company, announced today that SKYRIZI® (risankizumab) is now listed as a special authorization drug on the formulary of Prince Edward Island for the treatment of moderate to severe plaque psoriasis.  With the addition of the PEI formulary listing, SKYRIZI® is now listed for public payer coverage in all Canadian jurisdictions. 

SKYRIZI® is part of a collaboration between Boehringer Ingelheim and AbbVie, with AbbVie leading development and commercialization globally.

A case of moderate psoriasis shown on patient. (CNW Group/AbbVie Canada)

"New psoriasis treatments, which improve the quality of patients lives, are always welcome.  In clinical trials, SKYRIZI® demonstrated high levels of skin clearance and persistence of effect.  It is great news to know that people living in PEI with moderate-to-severe psoriasis, can now access this drug under the provincial formulary," shares Dr. Catherine Rodriguez, MD, FRCPC, Dermatologist. 

Psoriasis is a chronic condition affecting 125 million people worldwide, including 1 million Canadians, and many patients despite treatment still do not reach their goals or lose treatment response over time.^2-4  The most common form is plaque psoriasis, which affects approximately 90% of patients. ⁵

"Psoriasis is a burdensome disease. The first biologic was approved in 2004 in Canada. Since then, research on different triggers of the disease has led to other classes of medication.  The newest are the IL-23 inhibitors that have greatly improved outcomes", states Dr. Ron Vender, MD, FRCPC, Dermatologist.  "Working with SKYRIZI for four years, as I was involved in the clinical trials, I have witnessed that many of my SKYRIZI patients have experienced complete skin clearance - and with only four maintenance doses per year, the effects last.  Ontario was the first province to publicly reimburse SKYRIZI - so good to hear that it is now accessible to all Canadians coast-to-coast."

As psoriasis causes a great physical, emotional, and social burden, quality of life in general is often significantly impaired.  Early diagnosis and appropriate therapy give the best chance to prevent psoriasis patients from unnecessary suffering, and irreversible disability.  Optimum therapy also reduces societal costs of the disease. ⁶  

Information regarding specific reimbursement criteria may be found by consulting the link below:

• Prince Edward Island Pharmacare Bulletin

About SKYRIZI®
SKYRIZI® is a novel, humanized immunoglobulin monoclonal antibody designed to selectively inhibit IL-23, a naturally occurring cytokine involved in inflammatory and immune responses.¹  On April 17, 2019, SKYRIZI™ received a NOC from Health Canada for the treatment of moderate to severe plaque psoriasis in patients who are candidates for systemic therapy or phototherapy, based on results from clinical studies showing significant improvement in levels of skin clearance after just 16 weeks and at 52 weeks with every 3-month dosing in more than 2000 adult patients.¹  Four pivotal Phase 3 studies, ultIMMa-1, ultIMMa-2, IMMvent and IMMhance evaluated more than 2,000 patients with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis.⁴ Canadians living with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis were well represented in all four of the pivotal clinical trials leading to Health Canada's approval, showing the Canadian leadership in this clinical development program. 

About AbbVie in Dermatology
For more than a decade, AbbVie has worked to uncover new solutions and improve care for people with serious skin diseases. With a broad clinical trial program, we continue to actively research and adapt to the evolving needs of the dermatology community and advance our pipeline to help people achieve their treatment goals and live beyond their skin disease.

About AbbVie
AbbVie's mission is to discover and deliver innovative medicines that solve serious health issues today and address the medical challenges of tomorrow. We strive to have a remarkable impact on people's lives across several key therapeutic areas: immunology, oncology, neuroscience, eye care, virology, women's health and gastroenterology, in addition to products and services across its Allergan Aesthetics portfolio. For more information about AbbVie, please visit us at www.abbvie.ca and www.abbvie.com. Follow @abbvieCanada and @abbvie on Twitter or view careers on our Facebook or LinkedIn page.

References:
1.	SKYRIZI^® (risankizumab) [Canadian Product Monograph].  AbbVie Corporation, September 24, 2020.
2.	International Federation of Psoriasis Associations. Accessed March 22, 2019. Available at: https://ifpa-pso.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/Brochure-Psoriasis-is-a-serious-disease-deserving-global-attention.pdf.
3.	Mroweitz, U., et al. Definition of treatment goals for moderate to severe psoriasis: a European consensus. Arch Dermatol Res. 2011 Jan; 303(1): 1–10.
4.	Levin, et al. Biologic fatigue in psoriasis. J Dermatolog Treat. 2014 Feb;25(1):78-82. doi: 10.3109/09546634.2013.826341.
5.	Canadian Dermatology Association – Psoriasis. Accessed on September 30, 2020.
6.	World Health Organisation Psoriasis Information Sheet. February 6, 2016. Available at https://www.who.int/docs/default-source/ncds/psoriasis-info-sheet-3.pdf?sfvrsn=a5d14e81_2.

SOURCE AbbVie Canada

Media: Kim Hogan, AbbVie Canada, [phone], [email protected]