AbbVie's SKYRIZI™ Now Listed on the Nova Scotia Formulary for the Treatment of Moderate to Severe Plaque Psoriasis

• SKYRIZI™ is an interleukin-23 (IL-23) inhibitor used for the treatment of moderate to severe psoriasis.¹
• In clinical studies, SKYRIZI™ significantly improved levels of skin clearance after just 16 weeks and maintained clearance at one year (52 weeks).¹
• SKYRIZI™ is the only IL-23 inhibitor to arrive at a positive conclusion with the pCPA and is currently listed on the provincial formularies of Ontario, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Quebec and Nova Scotia.
• Nova Scotia lists SKYRIZI™ on its provincial formulary effective February 06, 2020.

MONTRÉAL, Feb. 13, 2020 /CNW/ - AbbVie (NYSE: ABBV), a global, research and development-based biopharmaceutical company, announced today that Nova Scotia has listed SKYRIZI™ (risankizumab) on its provincial formulary for the treatment of moderate to severe plaque psoriasis.  This announcement comes just two months after AbbVie successfully reached an agreement with the pan-Canadian Pharmaceutical Alliance (pCPA).  Nova Scotia joins Ontario, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Quebec in bringing a much-needed treatment to patients living with psoriasis.

A case of moderate psoriasis shown on patient (CNW Group/AbbVie Canada)

SKYRIZI™ (risankizumab) is part of a collaboration between Boehringer Ingelheim and AbbVie, with AbbVie leading development and commercialization globally.

"Risankizumab demonstrated high levels of skin clearance and persistence of effect. I am delighted that Dermatologists in Nova Scotia and our patients have a new option that can help patients achieve and maintain a high level of treatment response", states Dr. Richard Langley MD, Professor and Director of Research in the Division of Dermatology at Dalhousie University and a principal investigator for the pivotal trials and senior author of the IMMhance study.

Psoriasis is a chronic condition affecting 125 million people worldwide, including 1 million Canadians, and many patients despite treatment still do not reach their goals or lose treatment response over time.^2-4  The most common form is plaque psoriasis, which affects approximately 90% of patients. ⁵  Of these patients, 28% or approximately 325,000 Canadians are considered moderate to severe.⁶

"At CAPP we are always excited to hear of new treatment options being made available to psoriasis patients.  We know that, while being a physical burden to patients, plaque psoriasis also has a huge emotional burden on patients.  When patients can access more effective treatments and experience desired skin clearance, this gives them not just physical comfort, but also relief from the emotional burden of living with such a visible condition," explains Rachael Manion, Executive Director, Canadian Association of Psoriasis Patients.

Information regarding the provincial criteria may be found by consulting the following link:

• Nova Scotia Department of Health - Nova Scotia Pharmacare

About SKYRIZI™
SKYRIZI™ is a novel, humanized immunoglobulin monoclonal antibody designed to selectively inhibit IL-23, a naturally occurring cytokine involved in inflammatory and immune responses.¹  On April 17, 2019, SKYRIZI™ received a NOC from Health Canada for the treatment of moderate to severe plaque psoriasis in patients who are candidates for systemic therapy or phototherapy, based on results from clinical studies showing significant improvement in levels of skin clearance after just 16 weeks and at 52 weeks with every 3-month dosing in more than 2000 adult patients.¹  Four pivotal Phase 3 studies, ultIMMa-1, ultIMMa-2, IMMvent and IMMhance evaluated more than 2,000 patients with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis.⁴ Canadians living with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis were well represented in all four of the pivotal clinical trials leading to Health Canada's approval, showing the Canadian leadership in this clinical development program.  SKYRIZI™ is the only IL-23 inhibitor to arrive to a positive conclusion with the pCPA and is currently listed on the provincial formularies of Ontario, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Quebec, and Nova Scotia.

About AbbVie Care
The AbbVie Care program is designed to provide a wide range of customized services including reimbursement and financial support, pharmacy services, lab work reminders and coordination, personalized education and ongoing disease management support throughout the treatment journey.  For more information, consult www.abbviecare.ca.

About AbbVie
AbbVie is a global, research and development-based biopharmaceutical company committed to developing innovative advanced therapies for some of the world's most complex and critical conditions. The company's mission is to use its expertise, dedicated people and unique approach to innovation to markedly improve treatments across four primary therapeutic areas: immunology, oncology, virology and neuroscience. In more than 75 countries, AbbVie employees are working every day to advance health solutions for people around the world. For more information about AbbVie, please visit us at www.abbvie.ca and www.abbvie.com. Follow @abbvieCanada and @abbvie on Twitter or view careers on our Facebook or LinkedIn page.

References:

1. SKYRIZI™ (risankizumab) [Canadian Product Monograph].  AbbVie Corporation, April 17, 2019.
2. International Federation of Psoriasis Associations. Available at: https://ifpa-pso.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/Brochure-Psoriasis-is-a-serious-disease-deserving-global-attention.pdf. Accessed March 22, 2019.
3. Mroweitz, U., et al. Definition of treatment goals for moderate to severe psoriasis: a European consensus. Arch Dermatol Res. 2011 Jan; 303(1): 1–10.
4. Levin, et al. Biologic fatigue in psoriasis. J Dermatolog Treat. 2014 Feb;25(1):78-82. doi: 10.3109/09546634.2013.826341.
5. Canadian Dermatology Association – Psoriasis. Accessed on February 5, 2020. Available at: https://dermatology.ca/public-patients/skin/psoriasis/
6. Petrella RJ, Gregory V, Luciani L, Barbeau M . Characteristics of chronic plaque psoriasis in Canada: a retrospective database study. (PSS7) Poster presented at ISPOR 19th Annual International Meeting, Montréal, QC, Canada, May 2014. Accessed on February 5, 2020. Available at: www.valueinhealthjournal.com/article/S1098-3015(14)01705-7/abstract

SOURCE AbbVie Canada

Media: Kim Hogan, AbbVie Canada, [phone], [email protected]