Bimekizumab Long-Term On-Treatment Remission and Associated Sustained Improvements in Quality of Life in Moderate to Severe Plaque Psoriasis Across Five Phase 3/3b Trials

Abstract

Introduction In 2025, a National Psoriasis Foundation (NPF) consensus defined on-treatment remission in psoriasis as the continuous maintenance of either body surface area (BSA)=0% or Investigator’s Global Assessment (IGA)=0 for ≥6 months (NPF-defined on-treatment remission).¹ Longer periods of on-treatment remission were also defined as ≥12 or ≥24 months to allow for benchmarking of more durable treatments.¹ Here, we assessed whether patients with moderate to severe psoriasis treated with bimekizumab (BKZ), an interleukin (IL)-17A and IL-17F inhibitor, demonstrated long-term on-treatment remission and whether this was associated with improved quality of life, through 3 years.

Procedure/study Data were pooled from the 52-week BE VIVID and 56-week BE SURE/BE READY phase 3 trials, their 144-week open-label extension (OLE) BE BRIGHT, and the 144-week BE RADIANT phase 3b trial.^2–6 Patients included in this analysis were randomized to BKZ 320mg every 4 weeks (Q4W) to Week16, then received BKZ Q4W or Q8W into the OLEs, and completed 3 years with no missing BSA or IGA assessments (BKZ Total). A subgroup (BKZ Q4W/Q8W) received BKZ Q4W to Week16 then Q8W continuously thereafter (approved dosing regimen for most patients with psoriasis).⁷ The proportion of patients who achieved on-treatment remission for ≥6/≥12/≥24 months are reported based on two definitions: NPF-defined remission and continuous achievement of 100% improvement from baseline in Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI 100 remission). Rates of Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) 0/1, indicating no effect of skin disease on patients’ lives,⁸ are reported among patients achieving remission. All data are reported as observed.

Results Overall, 615 BKZ Total patients and 207 BKZ Q4W/Q8W patients were included in this analysis. In the BKZ Total group, 87.8%/77.9%/57.2% achieved NPF-defined on-treatment remission for at least one ≥6/≥12/≥24-month period through Year3, respectively. Among BKZ Total patients who achieved ≥6/≥12/≥24-month NPF-defined on-treatment remission at any point (n=540/479/352), DLQI 0/1 rates were 78.3%/79.3%/82.1% at Week16, 90.9%/92.9%/95.7% at Year1, and 90.1%/93.1%/93.7% at Year3, respectively. Similar results were observed using PASI 100 on-treatment remission, and consistent findings were seen in the BKZ Q4W/Q8W subgroup.

Conclusion Bimekizumab treatment over 3 years led to the achievement of long-term on-treatment remission in a high proportion of patients with moderate to severe psoriasis, resulting in considerable improvements in quality of life. This highlights bimekizumab’s long-term deep clinical control and its meaningful impact on patients.