Early Response to Vunakizumab at Week 2 Predicts Favourable Long‐Term Efficacy in Patients With Moderate‐To‐Severe Plaque Psoriasis: A Post Hoc Analysis of a Phase III , Randomised Controlled Trial

ABSTRACT This study was a post hoc analysis of a Phase III trial (NCT04839016), which aims to investigate whether early response to vunakizumab can predict long‐term efficacy in plaque psoriasis patients. A total of 461 plaque psoriasis patients receiving vunakizumab treatment were included for analysis. Early response to vunakizumab was defined by patients achieving a psoriasis area and severity index (PASI) 50 at week (W) 2. Efficacy analysis included PASI 75/90/100 and static physician's global assessment (sPGA) 0/1 response rates in both groups. Safety was analysed in both groups. At W2, 249 patients achieved an early response; 212 did not. At W12, higher proportions of patients in the early response group achieved PASI 75/90/100 and sPGA 0/1 versus the without early response group (98.4% vs. 88.2%, 88.0% vs. 66.0%, 50.2% vs. 25.0%, 84.7% vs. 64.6%, respectively; all p < 0.001). The early response group had higher proportions of patients who maintained PASI 75/90/100 and sPGA 0/1 from W12 to W52 versus the without early response group (88.8% vs. 76.4%, 74.7% vs. 54.7%, 39.4% vs. 20.8%, 68.7% vs. 54.2%, respectively; all p < 0.001). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that early response to vunakizumab was independently associated with PASI 100 response at W52 (odds ratio = 1.772, p = 0.027). The incidence of adverse events was similar between groups. Patients with moderate‐to‐severe plaque psoriasis receiving vunakizumab show a favourable clinical response, regardless of achieving early response or not. Particularly, patients with early response at Week 2 are significantly more likely to achieve better long‐term treatment outcomes.