• 40.1% of patients achieved total resolution of inflammatory lesions at year three.
• Patients with severe hidradenitis suppurativa dropped from 87.4% at baseline to 14.7% at the three-year mark.
• Data was presented at the 15th European Hidradenitis Suppurativa Foundation conference in Malta.
BRUSSELS, Belgium – New long-term clinical data is providing a clearer picture of treatment for a chronic inflammatory skin disease. Biopharmaceutical company UCB on Wednesday announced that its drug bimekizumab (Bimzelx) demonstrated sustained efficacy over three years in patients with moderate to severe hidradenitis suppurativa.
The findings, from the BE HEARD extension trials, showed significant lesion resolution and reduced disease severity.
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What is new?
UCB announced on February 4 the three-year results from its BE HEARD clinical trials for bimekizumab in treating moderate to severe hidradenitis suppurativa (HS). The data, presented at the 15th Conference of the European Hidradenitis Suppurativa Foundation (EHSF) in San Giljan, Malta, show that the drug maintained total resolution of inflammatory lesions and achieved substantial improvements in disease severity over the three-year period. Bimekizumab is the first approved medicine that selectively inhibits both interleukin 17A (IL-17A) and interleukin 17F (IL-17F), two key cytokines that drive inflammation.
Key Findings
The long-term data, from an open-label extension study of the BE HEARD trials, showed that 40.1% of patients assessed at three years achieved total resolution of inflammatory lesions, a measurement known as IHS4-100. Additionally, 59.1% of patients achieved at least a 90% improvement (IHS4-90) and 77.4% achieved at least a 75% improvement (IHS4-75) from their baseline scores.
A second analysis highlighted a significant shift in disease severity. The proportion of patients with severe HS fell from 87.4% at the beginning of the study to 14.7% at year three. Concurrently, the proportion of patients with mild or inactive HS rose from 0.0% at baseline to 59.4% after three years. The study also documented a decrease in the mean count of draining tunnels, a severe feature of the disease, from 3.8 at baseline to 0.9 at the three-year mark.
Context and Significance
“The inflammatory lesions seen in HS, particularly draining tunnels, can be devastating for people living with this disease – not only because of the pain and profound impact on daily life, but also due to the long-term structural damage and scarring they often cause,” said Professor Thrasyvoulos Tzellos, Head Physician at the Department of Dermatology, Nordland Hospital Trust in Bodø, Norway. “These data show that bimekizumab delivers high long-term resolution rates of these lesions, underscoring its sustained control of inflammation and potential to avoid structural damage and disease progression.”
Donatello Crocetta, Chief Medical Officer at UCB, stated that the data reinforces the drug’s importance for patients and clinicians. “The depth and durability of efficacy reinforces its importance for both people living with HS and the clinical community,” Crocetta said. UCB plans to share additional data on bimekizumab at the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) conference later in the quarter.
About Hidradenitis Suppurativa
Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is a chronic, painful, and inflammatory skin disease. Its main symptoms are nodules, abscesses, and pus-discharging draining tunnels that typically appear in the armpits, groin, and buttocks. The disease, which often develops in early adulthood and affects approximately one percent of the population in most studied countries, can cause severe pain and significantly impact a person’s quality of life.
About this company
UCB is a global biopharmaceutical company headquartered in Brussels, Belgium, focused on discovering and developing medicines for severe diseases of the immune system and the central nervous system. The company employs approximately 9,000 people in around 40 countries and generated revenue of €6.1 billion in 2024. UCB is listed on the Euronext Brussels stock exchange under the symbol UCB.
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