The anti-interleukin-23 monoclonal antibody risankizumab is more effective for treating plaque psoriasis than the TNF-alpha inhibitor adalimumab, according to a clinical trial.

In the German-led IMMvent study carried out at 66 sites in 11 countries, the efficacy and safety of risankizumab was compared with that of adalimumab in 605 patients with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis.

The randomised phase 3 trial, funded partially by AbbVie, which markets both drugs in Australia, had two parts, the authors reported in the Lancet.

First, from week 0 to week 16, the researchers evaluated the superiority of two subcutaneous doses of 150mg risankizumab at weeks 0 and 4 over 80mg adalimumab injections at weeks 0 and 1 and fortnightly thereafter.