Deucravacitinib, Zasocitinib Validate TYK2 Inhibition in PsA, With Philip Mease, MD

Deucravacitinib has continued to demonstrate efficacy across characteristics of people with psoriatic arthritis (PsA) ahead of its March 6, 2026 Prescription Drug User Fee Act (PDUFA).1,2

Efficacy and safety data for up to 52 weeks from the phase 3 POETYK PsA-1 (NCT04908202) trial were presented at the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) Convergence 2025, held October 24–29 in Chicago, Illinois, by Philip Mease, MD, Clinical Professor at the University of Washington and Director of Rheumatology Research at the Swedish Medical Center in Seattle.

In POETYK PsA-1, 670 biologic-naïve patients with active PsA were randomized to deucravacitinib 6 mg daily or placebo for 16 weeks, after which all placebo patients switched to active therapy. The study met its primary endpoint with highly significant ACR20 improvements at Week 16 (P <.0001), and responses continued to deepen through Week 52. The detailed efficacy table shows that at Week 16, PASI75 responses reached 51.9% with deucravacitinib vs 7.1% with placebo (95% CI 43.9–59.8 vs 3.7–12.0). MDA response rates were 19.0% vs 10.2%. DAS28-CRP improved with an adjusted mean change of –1.33 vs –0.83. Patient-reported outcomes meaningfully favored deucravacitinib, including HAQ-DI (–0.39 vs –0.22), SF-36 PCS (+6.05 vs +3.71), and FACIT-Fatigue (+4.6 vs +2.0). Extra-articular manifestations also improved, with pooled LEI enthesitis resolution of 50.3% vs 45.1% at Week 16.

By Week 52, patients who switched from placebo achieved comparable outcomes, including PASI75 ~51.8% after switching and 66.0% in continuously treated patients. Radiographic non-progression remained high (82.0% after switching; 73.3% continuous). Safety remained favorable without new MACE, VTE, or opportunistic infection signals.

Mease sat down with HCPLive during the conference to discuss updated results from the phase 3 POETYK PsA-1 trial. He highlighted how these data, along with emerging TYK2 candidates such as zasocitinib, are shaping the future therapeutic landscape.

He touched on emerging phase 2b data for zasocitinib (TAK-279), which demonstrated robust PASI75 responses across patient subgroups, including rates up to 78–93% in certain baseline strata, supporting the growing momentum behind next-generation TYK2 inhibitors.

"It's a good time for us in psoriatic practice, because of the availability of medicines with different mechanisms of action and good quality results to treat our patients," Mease said.

Mease's disclosures include AbbVie, ACELYRIN, Amgen, Bristol Myers Squibb, Century Therapeutics, Cullinan Biotech, Eli Lilly, Genascence, GRAPPA, Immagene, Johnson & Johnson, MoonLake Immunotherapeutics, Novartis, OMERACT, Pfizer, SPARTAN, Takeda, and UCB Pharma.

References

1. van der Heijde D, Mease P, Paul C, et al. Efficacy and Safety of Deucravacitinib up to Week 52: A Multicenter, Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled, Phase 3 Study in Patients With Active Psoriatic Arthritis Who Are Naive to Biologic Disease-Modifying Antirheumatic Drugs. Presented at: ACR Convergence 2025; October 24-29; Chicago, Illinois. Abstract #LB20

2. Johnson V. TYK2 Inhibitor Deucravacitinib up for FDA Review for Psoriatic Arthritis. Article. HCPLive. July 21, 2025. https://www.hcplive.com/view/tyk2-inhibitor-deucravacitinib-up-for-fda-review-for-psoriatic-arthritis

3. Elbuluk N, Gooderham MJ, Blau J, et al. Zasocitinib (TAK-279), an Investigational, Oral, Allosteric, Selective TYK2 Inhibitor, in Moderate-to-Severe Plaque Psoriasis: Efficacy Analysis by Baseline Characteristics from a Randomized Phase 2b Trial. Presented at: ACR Convergence 2025; October 24-29; Chicago, Illinois. Abstract #1155