Frequently Asked Questions:
What did the bimekizumab network meta-analysis compare?
It indirectly compared bimekizumab 320 mg every 2 weeks with adalimumab, secukinumab, sonelokimab, izokibep, povorcitinib and placebo across 17 randomized trials in moderate to severe HS.
Did bimekizumab outperform every comparator?
Bimekizumab ranked first on all 3 outcomes. However, several comparisons, including those with sonelokimab and izokibep on HiSCR75, weren’t statistically significant.
Who funded the study?
UCB, which markets bimekizumab, funded the analysis, and 4 of the 10 authors are UCB employees.
Bimekizumab (Bimzelx) ranked first for short-term efficacy among approved and emerging therapies for moderate to severe hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) in a UCB-funded network meta-analysis. The study was presented at the 2026 Symposium on Hidradenitis Suppurativa Advances (SHSA) in Tucson, Arizona.¹ Across 17 randomized controlled trials, the IL-17A and IL-17F inhibitor led on HiSCR50, HiSCR75 and IHS4-55 at weeks 12 to 16, although its advantage over some newer agents wasn’t statistically significant.
Head-to-head trials are still known to be rare in HS, even as the list of approved and investigational options increases. Until direct evidence is available, indirect comparisons may provide a way to estimate relative efficacy. This analysis builds on the phase 3 BE HEARD I and BE HEARD II trials, in which bimekizumab was shown to outperform placebo.²
The analysis was led by such investigators as Haley Naik, MD, MHSc, of the University of California, San Francisco. Her co-authors included Amit Garg, MD, of Northwell; April Armstrong, MD, MPH, of UCLA; and Brian Kirby, MD, of St Vincent’s University Hospital in Dublin, Ireland.¹
How Was the Network Meta-Analysis Conducted?
Investigators ran a systematic literature review of randomized controlled trials published through February 2026, plus a targeted search in March 2026 for additional phase 3 readouts.¹ Eligible therapies were either approved for HS or had positive phase 3 results suggesting future approval.
The network compared bimekizumab 320 mg every 2 weeks with adalimumab, secukinumab, sonelokimab, izokibep, povorcitinib and placebo. The investigators tested Bayesian models with fixed and random effects, with and without placebo adjustment, and ranked treatments by surface under the cumulative ranking curve (SUCRA).¹ HiSCR50 data came from 17 studies, HiSCR75 data from 15 and IHS4-55 data from 9. The izokibep and povorcitinib trials didn’t report IHS4-55.
How Did Bimekizumab Compare With Other HS Therapies?
Odds ratios favored bimekizumab over every comparator on all 3 outcomes. Its SUCRA values were 92.6% for HiSCR75, 96.2% for HiSCR50 and 95.0% for IHS4-55.¹ For HiSCR75, bimekizumab showed statistically significant advantages over adalimumab 40 mg weekly (odds ratio [OR], 1.60; 95% credible interval [CrI], 1.17-2.28), both secukinumab regimens and both povorcitinib doses.
