One element that plays a bigger role in making human beings special is how we are always trying to become better under all situations. You see, when a person is widening their horizons so actively, it leads them, more often than not, towards some really significant milestones. Now, while the milestones we have achieved so far are huge in regards to the numbers, none of them appear as notable as a certain creation called technology. Technology’s emergence was a major turning point for the world, considering it introduced a dynamic that we could have never even conceived before. In case this development wasn’t enough, the creation will then go above and beyond to stretch its impact across our entire spectrum, including an integral area like the one of healthcare. Honestly, if we look back at the stated foray in hindsight, it was surely among the most important moments in technology’s journey. We say so because it came at a time when the sector was struggling against an outright obsolete structure. Hence, with new and more efficient methods taking over the landscape, the very concept of healthcare was successful in reimagining itself, and mind you it won’t just stop there. The linkup will continue delivering all the right goods. In fact, a recent FDA approval does a lot to prove the same.
Pharmaceuticals’ giant, AbbVie has officially bagged FDA’s approval for its drug, Skyrizi, which becomes the first ever approved therapy for Crohn’s disease. Already in use to treat plaque psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis, Skyrizi is basically an antibody that binds to interleukin-23 (IL-23), a cytokine responsible for triggering body inflammation. By doing so, it understandably blocks IL-23 from sparking pro-inflammatory responses. Interestingly, the FDA green light arrives after two primary trials that compared the drug to a placebo. Talk about the trials, they saw the researchers starting with a 600 mg iteration before moving to a milder version in 360 mg. There was also a switch around how the drug was delivered, as they went from full-fledged infusions to using injections. If the available results are to be believed, patients from the Skyrizi group showed much greater progress compared to what was the placebo contingent.
“We are proud to offer the first new treatment option in six years for moderately to severely active CD, which may provide patients with a meaningful level of endoscopic improvement,” said Dr. Thomas Hudson, senior vice president, research and development, chief scientific officer at AbbVie. “With more than 30 ongoing or planned trials in inflammatory bowel disease, AbbVie is committed to advancing the standards of care for patients by exploring and investing in research for those living with immune-mediated, gastroenterological conditions.”
Since its initial approval in 2019, Skyrizi has also gone on to show enormous commercial potential. Last year the drug accounted for $2.9 billion in global sales, almost an 85% bump from the year before, and with a major approval now in the bag, these numbers should only get bigger moving forward.
