ATLANTA — UCB, a global biopharmaceutical company, today announced that it will present six abstracts in hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) at the 8th Annual Symposium on Hidradenitis Suppurativa Advances (SHSA) in Phoenix, Arizona. Data and analyses in HS will be presented across two oral presentations and four posters.
“The data to be presented at SHSA reinforce our commitment to advancing medicines in areas where patients have the greatest need,” said Emmanuel Caeymaex, Executive Vice President, Immunology Solutions and Head of U.S., UCB. “These new analyses complement and build on the bimekizumab Phase 3 evidence in hidradenitis suppurativa shared to date and further highlight the potential of bimekizumab for the treatment of this chronic, painful, inflammatory condition.”
An oral presentation will showcase 16-week data from the BE HEARD I and BE HEARD II Phase 3 studies evaluating the impact of bimekizumab on pain in moderate-to-severe HS. In a second oral presentation, 48-week data evaluating the impact of bimekizumab on health-related quality of life will be shared. Three poster presentations will include subgroup analyses from the two Phase 3 studies, including 48-week data in U.S. patients. A disease-focused poster presentation, developed by the HS Coalition, will share barriers to accessing timely and adequate treatment, care, and resources for HS patients in select U.S. states.
The HS Coalition, a leading group of patient advocates and healthcare professionals convened by UCB, is an independent, multi-stakeholder coalition aimed at addressing health inequities in HS with a focus on transforming the policy and access landscape in the U.S. The research showed that, depending on which state they live in, people living with HS in the U.S. face different challenges to accessing care, in part due to delay in diagnosis and restrictive insurance policies. These differences compound the existing health inequity in HS.
In the U.S., the efficacy and safety of bimekizumab have not been established for any indication and it is not approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
About Hidradenitis Suppurativa (HS)
Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is a chronic, recurring, painful, and debilitating inflammatory skin disease.3,4 The main symptoms are nodules, abscesses, and pus-discharging fistulas (channels leading out of the skin), which typically occur in the armpits, groin, and buttocks.3,4 People with HS experience flare-ups of the disease as well as severe pain, which can have a major impact on quality of life.3,4
HS most commonly develops in early adulthood and affects approximately one percent of the population in most studied countries.3,4 Approximately one-third of people with HS have a family history of HS, and lifestyle factors such as smoking and obesity can also play a crucial role in the clinical course of HS. 3,4
The symptoms of pain, discharge, and scarring are not only a physical burden. People with HS also experience stigma: worrying about or directly experiencing negative attitudes and reactions from society in response to their symptoms.5 These feelings can lead to embarrassment, social isolation, low self-esteem, and sexual life impairment, and impact all areas of life, including interpersonal relationships, education, and work.6
About bimekizumab
Bimekizumab is a humanized monoclonal IgG1 antibody that is designed to selectively inhibit both interleukin 17A (IL-17A) and interleukin 17F (IL-17F), two key cytokines driving inflammatory processes.7 In the U.S., the efficacy and safety of bimekizumab have not been established for any indication and it is not approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
About UCB
UCB, Brussels, Belgium (www.ucb.com) is a global biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery and development of innovative medicines and solutions to transform the lives of people living with severe diseases of the immune system or of the central nervous system. With approximately 8,700 people in approximately 40 countries, the company generated revenue of €5.5 billion in 2022 UCB is listed on Euronext Brussels (symbol: UCB). Follow us on Twitter: @UCBUSA.
Contacts:
Investor Relations
Antje Witte
T: +32.2.559.94.14
email [email protected]
U.S. Communications
Nicole Herga
T +1.773.960.5349
email [email protected]