LONG BEACH, Calif. & BASEL, Switzerland--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dermavant Sciences, a biopharmaceutical company dedicated to developing and commercializing innovative therapeutics in immuno-dermatology, today announced positive results from its Phase 4, open-label clinical trial of VTAMA® (tapinarof) cream, 1% for the treatment of plaque psoriasis in the head and neck region in adults (N=31).
“Up to 80% of patients with plaque psoriasis experience scalp psoriasis, making it one of the most affected areas of the body. In this Phase 4 trial, a majority of the adult patients suffered from scalp psoriasis, making the outcomes from this trial significant, as they further reinforce the efficacy, safety, tolerability, and cosmetic elegance of VTAMA cream even when used in hair bearing areas such as the head and neck region,” said Philip M. Brown, MD, JD, Chief Medical Officer at Dermavant. “The Phase 3 PSOARING studies and the Phase 4, open-label, intertriginous plaque psoriasis study combined with the Phase 4, open-label, head and neck data announced today, highlight the versatility of VTAMA cream, an efficacious, safe and well tolerated, non-steroidal treatment option for plaque psoriasis in all affected areas of the body.”
This Phase 4, open-label study expands the body of data for VTAMA cream in adult plaque psoriasis. In the two 12-week Phase 3 pivotal studies (PSOARING 1 and 2; N=1025), VTAMA cream demonstrated a Physician Global Assessment (PGA) success rate* of 36% and 40% for adult patients with plaque psoriasis versus 6% for patients on vehicle at Week 12, respectively. DMVT-505-4002 (NCT05789576) was a Phase 4, open-label multi-center study to investigate the efficacy and safety of VTAMA (tapinarof) cream, 1% for the treatment of adults with plaque psoriasis specifically in the head and neck region. The efficacy of VTAMA cream was assessed using a PGA evaluation of a target plaque psoriasis lesion in the head and neck region, Scalp n=18 (58.1%), Face n=11 (35.5%) and Neck n=2 (6.5%) identified at baseline. The trial enrolled 31 participants with mild, moderate, and severe head and neck plaque psoriasis (tPGA score ≥2) aged 18 years or older at 8 sites across the U.S. Patients received VTAMA cream once daily for 12 weeks with a follow up one week after study completion. Safety and tolerability were assessed by visit based on adverse events and local tolerability scores using the investigator-assessed Local Tolerability Scale (LTS) of the head and neck region and a Patient Satisfaction Questionnaire (PSQ) that was designed to assess patients’ satisfaction with VTAMA cream’s efficacy, formulation elegance, application ease, impact on daily life, and preference versus prior therapies.
The primary endpoint of the study was the proportion of adult patients who achieved a tPGA score of 0 (clear) or 1 (almost clear) and ≥2-grade improvement from baseline at Week 12 (tPGA Success). The secondary endpoint of the study was the time to achieve tPGA Success. Additional exploratory endpoints of the study included ≥75% improvement in PASI, change from baseline in Peak Pruritus-Numeric Rating Scale (PP-NRS), ≥4point reduction in PP-NRS, and improvement in DLQI. Efficacy and PP-NRS assessments were specific to the head and neck region.
Phase 4 Results
Primary and Secondary Endpoints
- VTAMA cream reinforced strong efficacy for the treatment of head and neck plaque psoriasis (PsO), with 88.5% of adult patients (n=23/26) achieving a tPGA Success score of 0 (clear) or 1 (almost clear) and ≥2-grade improvement from baseline at Week 12, the primary endpoint of the study.
- VTAMA cream showed a rapid onset of efficacy with tPGA Success achieved as early as Week 1 in some patients, with a median time of approximately 4 weeks, the secondary endpoint of the study.
Additional Endpoints
- At Week 12, 80.8% (n=21/26) of adult patients achieved complete clearance of the target lesion (tPGA=0) which was observed as early as Week 1 and with a median time of 8 weeks.
- At Week 12, 96.2% (n=25/26) of patients achieved PASI75 (≥75% reduction in PASI of the head and neck region), with achievement observed as early as Week 1.
- Onset of itch relief was apparent as early as Week 1 and increased over time with 70% (n=14/20) of patients achieving a clinically meaningful ≥4-point improvement in PP-NRS at Week 12.
- Substantial and clinically meaningful improvement in quality of life, as indicated by a 4-point improvement in DLQI, was achieved as early as Week 1 with further improvement out to Week 12.
- As indicated on the Patient Satisfaction Questionnaire, 93.3% (n=28/30) of subjects strongly agreed or agreed that VTAMA cream was not greasy, 86.7% (n=26/30) of subjects strongly agreed or agreed that VTAMA cream was easy to apply, and 96.7% (n=29/30) of subjects strongly agreed or agreed that VTAMA cream absorbs quickly.
Safety and Tolerability
- VTAMA cream was well tolerated with no new safety signals.
- The most common adverse reactions (incidence ≥ 5%) in subjects treated with VTAMA cream were folliculitis, contact dermatitis, headache, sinusitis, and seborrheic keratosis.
“Plaque psoriasis is a chronic condition with a significant negative impact on patients’ quality of life. The scalp region, in particular, is one of the most difficult areas to treat. Many currently available treatment options fail to offer sustained long-term relief due to lack of practical applicability to certain body areas and limitations on the duration of use,” said G. Michael Lewitt, MD, FAAD, Board-Certified Dermatologist, Illinois Dermatology Institute. “The impressive levels of efficacy achieved by VTAMA cream in the open-label trial, where 80% of adult patients achieved complete clearance of the target lesion, is highly encouraging for both patients with plaque psoriasis and their healthcare providers. Importantly, 58% of patients enrolled in the trial had a target plaque psoriasis lesion in the scalp region, and as assessed by both the investigators and the patients in the trial, VTAMA cream demonstrated favorable tolerability even when applied in hair bearing affected areas; making it a versatile and cosmetically elegant treatment option for plaque psoriasis that can be used anywhere on the affected body areas, including the most sensitive areas as well the scalp, head, and neck areas.”
On May 24, 2022, Dermavant announced that the FDA approved VTAMA® (tapinarof) cream, 1% for the treatment of plaque psoriasis in adults. The approval made VTAMA cream the first non-steroidal topical novel chemical entity launched for plaque psoriasis in the U.S. in more than 25 years. VTAMA cream is approved for mild, moderate, and severe plaque psoriasis - with no label safety warnings or precautions, restrictions on duration of use or body surface area. On July 15, 2022, VTAMA cream became the #1 prescribed branded topical treatment for plaque psoriasis in adultsi and to date has over 250,000 prescriptions written by over 12,000 unique prescribers†.
IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION
Indication: VTAMA® (tapinarof) cream, 1% is an aryl hydrocarbon receptor agonist indicated for the topical treatment of plaque psoriasis in adults. Adverse Events: The most common adverse reactions (incidence ≥ 1%) in subjects treated with VTAMA cream were folliculitis (red raised bumps around the hair pores), nasopharyngitis (pain or swelling in the nose and throat), contact dermatitis (skin rash or irritation, including itching and redness, peeling, burning, or stinging), headache, pruritus (itching), and influenza (flu).
You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.fda.gov/medwatch or call 1-800-FDA-1088.
See full Prescribing Information and Patient Information.
About Psoriasis
Impacting approximately 8 million Americans and 125 million people worldwide, psoriasis is a complex autoimmune disease — meaning that the body’s immune system targets and attacks its own cells. Plaque psoriasis, also called psoriasis vulgaris, is the most common form and affects about 80% to 90% of people with psoriasis. In people with light skin, plaque psoriasis is characterized by raised, red or pink patches of skin with silvery-white scales. People with black or brown skin are more likely to have brown or violet-colored patches with silvery-white or gray scales. The scales can be itchy, painful, and disfiguring.
Psoriasis can begin at any age, but typically appears around 15 to 25 years of age and 50 to 60 years of age. The exact cause of psoriasis is not known, but risk factors and triggers may include genetics or a family history of psoriasis, as well as stress, smoking, heavy alcohol consumption and cold or dry weather conditions. People with psoriasis are at an increased risk of developing other health conditions, including psoriatic arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease, hypertension, diabetes, obesity, and depression. In addition to physical symptoms, psoriasis can have a significant impact on a person’s quality of life and psychological health.
About Dermavant
Dermavant Sciences, a subsidiary of Roivant Sciences, is a biopharmaceutical company dedicated to developing and commercializing innovative therapeutics in immuno-dermatology. Dermavant’s focus is to develop therapies that have the potential to address high unmet medical needs while driving greater efficiency in research and clinical development. The company’s medical dermatology pipeline includes earlier-development, late-stage and commercialized product candidates that target specific unmet needs in two of the largest growing immuno-dermatology markets, plaque psoriasis and atopic dermatitis, as well as other immunological and inflammatory diseases. Dermavant is marketing VTAMA® (tapinarof) cream, 1%, for the topical treatment of plaque psoriasis in adults. The FDA approved VTAMA cream for the topical treatment of mild, moderate, and severe plaque psoriasis in May 2022. Dermavant is also developing VTAMA cream for the treatment of atopic dermatitis in adults and children as young as 2 years old and released positive topline results from its ADORING 1 and 2 pivotal Phase 3 clinical trials in 1H 2023. Dermavant’s pipeline includes DMVT-506, a next generation aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) agonist under development as a potential treatment option for immunological and inflammatory diseases with multiple potential routes of administration.
For more information, please visit www.dermavant.com and follow us on X (@dermavant) and LinkedIn (Dermavant Sciences).
*PGA success: PGA score of 0 or 1 and ≥2-grade improvement from baseline at Week 12.
iIQVIA National Prescription Audit (NPA) for the 3-month period ending 11/24/2023, reflecting estimates of real-world activity. All rights reserved.
†IQVIA NPA for the period 5/20/22 to 11/24/2023, reflecting estimates of real-world activity. All rights reserved.
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