What is tremfya for?

Tremfya is a prescription medication used to treat plaque psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis in adults. It belongs to the interleukin-23 inhibitor class and works by targeting IL-23, a protein involved in inflammation.

What conditions does Tremfya treat?

Tremfya treats moderate to severe plaque psoriasis in adults who may benefit from systemic therapy or phototherapy. It also treats adults with active psoriatic arthritis, either alone or with methotrexate.

How does Tremfya work?

Tremfya works by blocking IL-23, a cytokine that promotes inflammatory pathways. This reduces skin plaques and joint inflammation.

What clinical data supports its use?

Clinical trials showed that 70% of patients with plaque psoriasis reached PASI 75 at week 16 after two injections. In psoriatic arthritis trials, patients achieved ACR20 responses at week 24.

When does Tremfya's patent expire?

Tremfya's compound patent expires in 2031 in the US. The FDA approved it in 2017 for plaque psoriasis and 2020 for psoriatic arthritis.

Are there alternatives to Tremfya?

Alternatives include other IL-23 inhibitors like Skyrizi, as well as TNF inhibitors such as Humira and Cosentyx, an IL-17A inhibitor.

Can biosimilars enter before patent expiry?

No biosimilars are currently available for Tremfya. Biosimilars of monoclonal antibodies are typically delayed by process patents and manufacturing challenges.

Who makes Tremfya?

Tremfya is manufactured by Janssen, a Johnson & Johnson company.