Ryan DeMasi, MD: Long-Term Safety, Efficacy of Risankizumab in Patients with Psoriatic Arthritis

In an interview with HCPLive, Ryan DeMasi, MD, therapeutic area head of medical affairs, rheumatology, at AbbVie, discussed the study “Long-Term Efficacy and Safety of Risankizumab for Active Psoriatic Arthritis: 148-Week Results from the KEEPsAKE 2 Trial,” presented at the American College of Rheumatology’s 2023 Convergence in San Diego, California.1

The KEEPsAKE-2 study focused on a patient population with psoriatic arthritis (PsA) and inadequate response to conventional synthetic drugs or biologic therapies. DeMasi explained these data mirrored real-world scenarios in which individuals have been exposed to various treatments. With risankizumab administered every 3 months, assessing the durability of response is crucial. The 148-week duration of the study evaluated multiple domains of PsA, providing insights into patients' holistic improvement over time.

Particularly noteworthy is the achievement and maintenance of minimal disease activity (MDA), a stringent criteria encompassing joints, skin, physical function, pain, and overall health. The study addressed the challenge of assessing remission in patients with PsA, underscoring the importance of considering the patient comprehensively. The long-term data also emphasized safety, revealing no new signals or unexpected outcomes after three years of treatment. The strengths of the study include enrolling patients exposed to various therapies, which offered real-world insights for clinicians.

As a veteran of the America College of Rheumatology Convergence, DeMasi highlighted the transformative trends in rheumatology, where the advent of biologic therapies has significantly improved patients' quality of life, reducing disability. This optimism spreads towards diseases like lupus, Sjögren's syndrome, and vasculitis, with exciting data emerging, showcasing the discipline's potential to offer more treatment options in the future.

“If you walked into a rheumatology office in 1998, when I started medical school, there would be many chairs missing because we needed room for wheelchairs for our patients,” DeMasi explained. “We didn't have any approved biologic therapies and disability was a very common outcome for patients with these diseases. If you go into a rheumatology office today, it's rare to see a single patient in a wheelchair. The fact that we can now give our patients hope to live a normal life, despite their chronic illness, is truly incredible.”

This transcript was edited for clarity.

References

1. ^{Östör A, Van den Bosch F, Papp K, Asnal C, et al. Long-Term Efficacy and Safety of Risankizumab for Active Psoriatic Arthritis: 148-Week Results from the KEEPsAKE 2 Trial. Presented at: American College of Rheumatology Convergence 2023. San Diego, CA. November 10-15, 2023.}