Protagonist Therapeutics-Janssen Partnered Psoriasis Candidate Fall Short Of Rival Treatment

Protagonist Therapeutics Inc PTGX announced topline results from the Phase 2b FRONTIER 1 trial of the oral interleukin-23 receptor (IL-23R) antagonist JNJ-2113 (formerly PN-235) in adult patients with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis presented at World Congress of Dermatology in Singapore. 

JNJ-2113 is being developed by Janssen Biotech Inc, a unit of Johnson & Johnson JNJ.

In March, Protagonist released preliminary results from the trial, saying it had outperformed the placebo on the PASI 75 primary endpoint.

Results from the Phase 2b FRONTIER 1 trial showed that JNJ-2113 hit its primary and secondary endpoints, beating the placebo when measuring 75%, 90%, and 100% improvements in skin lesions at 16 weeks. 

Also Read: Promising Phase 1 Results: Protagonist Therapeutics and Janssen Biotech Unlock New Potential in Colitis and Inflammation Treatment.

Those results held across dose groups and were statistically significant.

In the FRONTIER 1 trial, 37.2% of patients on the lowest 25 mg dose of JNJ-2113 hit the 75% improvement primary endpoint, and 78.6% of patients also hit that goal on a twice-daily 100 mg dose. That compared with 9.3% of patients on placebo.

On the 90% improvement measurement, 59.5% of patients getting the highest dose twice daily reached that threshold. 

Targeting PASI 100, 41% of patients on the highest twice-daily dose reached that goal.

In comparison, Skyrizi, another psoriasis drug targeting IL-23, commercialized by AbbVie Inc ABBV, reported 75% values for the PASI 90 score.

Price Action: PTGX shares are up 3.41% at $23.07 premarket on the last check Wednesday.