AbbVie Stays Busy While Working to Complete Allergan Acquisition

As the $63 billion acquisition of Allergan by Chicago-based AbbVie slowly churns through the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) process, the company continues to make the news. Here’s a look.
Earlier this week, AbbVie presented new data evaluating the safety and efficacy of Skyrizi (risankizumab) at two-and-a-half years in adults with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis. AbbVie also provided additional data on Humira (adalimumab) and its JAK inhibitor upadacitinib at the 28th European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology (EADV) Congress held in Madrid, Spain.
“Leveraging more than two decades of clinical experience with Humira, AbbVie recently expanded its dermatology portfolio with the approval of Skyrizi for patients living with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis,” said Marek Honczarenko, vice president, global immunology development, AbbVie. “The new data presented at EADV will advance the knowledge around new and existing treatments for serious skin diseases, like psoriasis, as well as diseases with high levels of unmet need, such as atopic dermatitis and hidradenitis suppurativa.”
In somewhat related news, AbbVie’s newest TV ads for Skyrizi hit the air yesterday. There are three ads, one 60-second and two 30-second spots. According to TV ad tracker iSpot.tv, the spending hits around $15.6 million.
Skyrizi launched in May and the first TV ad ran in late August. The campaign is called “Nothing is Everything,” focused on the joy of clearer skin.
At least part of the idea is for Skyrizi to replace Humira, which is facing the patent cliff in the next couple years. That’s a steep hill to climb, though. Although Skyrizi brought in $48 million in its first two months of sales, Humira, even though it is beginning to slow from biosimilar competition, brought in $19.9 billion in 2018.
Skyrizi faces competition from Johnson & Johnson’s Tremfya, which was approved in 2017, and Novartis’ Cosentyx and Eli Lilly’s Taltz.
AbbVie told FiercePharma that the public needed more education about psoriasis solutions because many patients “still struggle to achieve their treatment goals due to the complex nature of the disease and variability of treatment response. Skyrizi is an important advance in the treatment of adults with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis who are seeking high levels of skin clearance that can be maintained over time.”
https://www.biospace.com/article/abbvie-stays-busy-while-working-to-complete-allergan-acquisition/