Johnson & Johnson, Protagonist Tout Positive Results For Psoriasis Oral Pill Study

Protagonist Therapeutics, Inc. PTGX on Thursday announced new data for a pill that treats moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis. The Phase 3 study was conducted in adolescents and adults simultaneously.

The ICONIC program, with icotrokinra (JNJ-2113) data from a subgroup analysis, came about through a partnership with Johnson & Johnson JNJ.

Data at the 2025 World Congress of Pediatric Dermatology (WCPD) Annual Meeting show adolescents treated with once daily icotrokinra achieved higher rates of clear or almost clear skin at Week 16 compared to patients receiving placebo, with no new safety signals identified.

Also Read: Why Is Protagonist Therapeutics Stock Trading Higher On Monday?

Key findings from the adolescent cohort of the ICONIC-LEAD study:

• At week 16, 84.1% of adolescent patients treated with once daily icotrokinra achieved an Investigator’s Global Assessment (IGA) score of 0/1 (clear or almost clear skin)
• 70.5% achieved a Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) 90 response, compared to 27.3% and 13.6% receiving placebo, respectively.
• Response rates continued to improve through Week 24, where 86.4% of adolescents achieved IGA 0/1 and 88.6% achieved PASI 90.
• At week 24, 75% of adolescents achieved IGA 0 (completely clear skin), and 63.6% achieved PASI 100.
• Icotrokinra demonstrated a favorable safety profile, with 50% of adolescents treated with icotrokinra experienced ≥1 adverse event (AE), compared to 73% of adolescents receiving placebo at 16 weeks. No new safety signals were identified.

In March, Protagonist Therapeutics announced new icotrokinra (JNJ-2113) data from the comprehensive Phase 3 clinical program and the planned initiation of the first-ever head-to-head study in plaque psoriasis.

Nearly half of the patients with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis (PsO) treated with icotrokinra achieved completely clear skin at Week 24.

Price Action: PTGX stock is down 0.16% at $42.50, and JNJ stock is down 0.11% at $150.81 during the premarket session at the last check Tuesday.

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