Combination Ixekizumab and Tirzepatide Therapy Outperforms Ixekizumab Alone in Psoriasis

Key Takeaways

• Primary 36-week results from the Phase 3b TOGETHER-PsO trial showed concomitant ixekizumab and tirzepatide outperformed ixekizumab alone in adults with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis and obesity or overweight with at least one weight-related comorbidity.
• Patients receiving combination therapy achieved higher rates of complete skin clearance and greater improvements in dermatology-related quality of life at Week 36.
• No new safety concerns were identified with the concomitant use of ixekizumab and tirzepatide.

Concomitant treatment with ixekizumab (Taltz, Eli Lilly and Company) and tirzepatide (Zepbound, Eli Lilly and Company) led to superior skin clearance and quality-of-life outcomes compared with ixekizumab alone in adults with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis and obesity or overweight with at least one weight-related comorbidity, according to primary 36-week findings from the Phase 3b TOGETHER-PsO study published in JAMA Dermatology.

The study evaluated the effects of simultaneously targeting psoriasis and obesity, two chronic inflammatory conditions that commonly coexist and may complicate disease management. According to Lilly, approximately 61% of people with psoriasis in the United States also have obesity or overweight with at least one weight-related comorbidity.

Detailed findings expanded on topline data previously announced in February, showing that concomitant treatment with ixekizumab and tirzepatide was superior to ixekizumab alone across key efficacy endpoints at Week 36, including complete skin clearance measured by Psoriasis Area and Severity Index 100 (PASI 100).

Investigators also reported new quality-of-life findings from the trial. Among patients who entered the study with a Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) score greater than 1, a higher proportion of those treated with concomitant ixekizumab and tirzepatide achieved a DLQI score of 0 or 1 at Week 36 compared with patients receiving ixekizumab alone. A DLQI score of 0 or 1 indicates no effect of psoriasis on a patient’s quality of life.

No new safety signals were observed with concomitant treatment, according to the company.

“Living with both psoriasis and obesity creates a compound burden that can have a profound impact on patients and result in poorer outcomes,” said Mark Genovese, MD, senior vice president of Lilly Immunology development. “These published data demonstrated that treating both chronic conditions simultaneously with Taltz and Zepbound delivered complete skin clearance, metabolic benefits, and improved disease-related quality of life, which are outcomes that matter in the clinic and in patients' lives.”

The TOGETHER-PsO study is continuing through 52 weeks to further evaluate long-term outcomes associated with concomitant treatment.