Back to top

Image: Bigstock

Lilly's Taltz Positive in Phase III Label Expansion Study

Read MoreHide Full Article

Eli Lilly and Company (LLY - Free Report) announced positive top-line data from a phase III label expansion study evaluating its psoriasis drug, Taltz (ixekizumab), in patients with ankylosing spondylitis (“AS”). The drug met the primary endpoint of improvement in the signs and symptoms of AS and all secondary endpoints as well.

Taltz, an IL-17A antagonist, is currently approved for the treatment of adults with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis or active psoriatic arthritis (PsA).

Shares of the company are down 3.3% in the past year, underperforming the industry’s gain of 11.2% in that period.

 

 

The phase III study – COAST-V – evaluated the drug in AS patients who have not received any prior treatment with a biologic disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drug. The study consisted of a placebo arm and an active control arm with AbbVie’s (ABBV - Free Report) arthritis drug, Humira. Data from the study showed that treatment with Taltz led to statistically significant improvement as measured by the proportion of patients who achieved Assessment of Spondyloarthritis International Society 40 at 16 weeks.

Additional data from the study is expected to be presented later this year.

Ankylosing spondylitis is a type of spondyloarthritis affecting pelvic joints and spine. It is characterized by chronic inflammatory back pain, stiffness and impaired function and mobility.

Taltz sales increased 14% quarter over quarter in the last quarter of 2017, on the back of strong uptake. In January 2018, the drug received approval in Europe for PsA, which is expected to boost sales of the drug in the first quarter of 2018.

However, several drugs are approved for the treatment of AS including Humira and Novartis’ (NVS - Free Report) Cosentyx. Other companies are developing their therapies for treating AS, which includes Galapagos’ (GLPG - Free Report) filgotinib.

 

 

Zacks Rank

Lilly carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).

You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

Don’t Even Think About Buying Bitcoin Until You Read This

The most popular cryptocurrency skyrocketed last year, giving some investors the chance to bank 20X returns or even more. Those gains, however, came with serious volatility and risk. Bitcoin sank 25% or more 3 times in 2017.

Zacks has just released a new Special Report to help readers capitalize on the explosive profit potential of Bitcoin and the other cryptocurrencies with significantly less volatility than buying them directly.

See 4 crypto-related stocks now >>

Published in