Bimekizumab and Unmet Needs of Patients with HS, with Christopher J. Sayed, MD

At the 2025 American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) Annual Meeting, new 2-year findings on bimekizumab-bkzx (Bimzelx) demonstrated that the treatment is effective in promoting sustained disease control in those with moderate-to-severe hidradenitis suppurativa (HS), along with prevention of long-term draining tunnel damage.¹

The findings were discussed in a new interview with HCPLive and Christopher J. Sayed, MD, a BE HEARD trial investigator and professor at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine.¹ The BE HEARD studies assessed bimekizumab as a selective inhibitor of both interleukin (IL)-17A and IL-17F among those with HS.

“Bimekizumab is very exciting because it's the first approved IL-17 agent that doesn't just go after IL-17A or the IL-17 receptor,” Sayed said. “It's unique in that it's a dual antagonism of both IL-17A and IL-17F. We've known that IL-17A is important for a long time, and people kind of ignored F, thinking that it's around but it's not as potent as IL-17 A…But it turns out, there's a ton of IL-17 F around and if you leave it alone, let it do its own thing, and only block IL-17A, you probably don't get as much of a blockade in that pathway. So something that gives a more complete blockade, ideally, would mean it results in improved clinical benefit.”

The BE HEARD investigators’ positive findings on the results of bimekizumab support the drug’s use among patients with HS. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the medication in November 2024 for the treatment of adults suffering from moderate-to-severe HS, and these data further support this decision.²

Sayed was asked by the team about the significance of these findings and the drug’s potential for unmet needs among those with HS.

“There are 2 other approved drugs, and they're great for some patients,” Sayed explained. “I think what stands out here, probably, is that depth of response and maintenance of response. There's a greater percentage of patients who have these high scores of 75, 90, and 100 responses. Looking at adalimumab, which has been approved for a long time, only about maybe a quarter of patients at best will see that kind of response over a long period. I think it's probably significantly less than that, actually. So the idea that we have a drug that's going to be more likely to have patients respond, and then if they respond, it's a deeper response, is a big step forward.”

To find out more on this topic, view Sayed’s full interview posted above. For more from the AAD 2025 conference, view our latest conference articles.

The quotes contained here were edited for clarity. Sayed's disclosures include the following: Investigator for AbbVie, Astrazeneca, ChemoCentryx, Incyte, InflaRx, Novartis, and UCB; consultancy fees from AbbVie, Alumis, AstraZeneca, InflaRx, Incyte, Logical Images, Sandoz, Sanofi, Sonoma Biotherapeutics, and UCB; speaker for AbbVie, UCB and Novartis.

References

1. BIMZELX® (bimekizumab-bkzx) Two-Year Data at AAD Showed Potential to Eliminate Draining Tunnels in Hidradenitis Suppurativa, and Reduction in Disease Burden. UCB. March 7, 2025. https://www.ucb-usa.com/stories-media/UCB-U-S-News/detail/article/bimzelxr-bimekizumab-bkzx-two-year-data-at-aad-showed-potential-to-eliminate-draining-tunnels-in-hidradenitis-suppurativa-and-reduction-in-disease-burden. Date accessed: March 17, 2025.

2. UCB Receives U.S. FDA Approval for BIMZELX® (bimekizumab-bkzx) as the First IL-17A and IL-17F Inhibitor for Adults with Moderate-to-Severe Hidradenitis Suppurativa. UCB. November 20. https://www.ucb-usa.com/stories-media/UCB-U-S-News/detail/article/ucb-receives-us-fda-approval-for-bimzelxr-bimekizumab-bkzx-as-the-first-il-17a-and-il-17f-inhibitor-for-adults-with-moderate-to-severe-hidradenitis-suppurativa. Date accessed: March 17, 2025.