Treatment for patients taking risankizumab for severe chronic plaque psoriasis is set to become a little more convenient, thanks to the addition of a higher dose formulation on the PBS.

Branded Skyrizi, the humanised monoclonal antibody is now available as a 150mg/mL pre-filled pen, with the same active ingredient as the current 2 x 75mg/mL formulation, which is being discontinued.

The upshot is that patients should need only half their current number of injections per year of the IL-23 inhibitor.

Efficacy and the medication’s safety profile remain unchanged.

Manufacturer AbbVie has yet to set a date for when the 75mg/mL formulation will be withdrawn, but it says the change reflects its “ongoing commitment to invest in medicines to support patients.”

In Phase 3 clinical trials with SKYRIZI 150 mg, the 150 mg pen scored high for patient satisfaction, ease of use, and convenience on the Self-Injection Assessment Questionnaire (SIAQ), a validated instrument for measuring patient feelings and experiences with self-injection, it noted in a media release.

Skin Health Institute research director Associate Professor Peter Foley said the change was a positive one.

“The journey for people living with severe psoriasis can be long and difficult, and after several years of trying and failing on treatments, they may come out the other side feeling deflated and like there is nothing more that they can do,” he said in AbbVie’s release.

“Some patients may lose hope of the possibility that they can live a life unhindered by psoriasis.”

“It is important to have multiple treatment options available, including medicines with different mechanisms of action and ways to administer, to help provide patients with a management plan that’s right for their condition.”