Johnson & Johnson reports results from Phase 3b APEX study on TREMFYA

Johnson & Johnson announced findings from the Phase 3b APEX study showing that TREMFYA, or guselkumab, significantly reduced both signs and symptoms of active psoriatic arthritis and inhibited progression of joint structural damage at 24 weeks compared to placebo.1 These data from a late-breaking abstract are among the 30 oral and poster presentations Johnson & Johnson is highlighting at the European Alliance of Associations for Rheumatology, or EULAR, 2025 Congress. In the Phase 3b APEX study, TREMFYA significantly inhibited progression of joint structural damage, including joint erosions and space narrowing, in patients with active PsA at Week 24 as assessed by the PsA modified van der Heijde-Sharp score. The mean change from baseline to Week 24 in the modified van der Heijde-Sharp score was 0.55 and 0.54 for patients receiving TREMFYA every four weeks and every eight weeks respectively, compared with 1.35 in the placebo group. In the two TREMFYA dose groups, 67% and 63% of patients experienced no radiographic progression, versus 53% in the placebo group. TREMFYA also improved both joint and skin symptoms in patients with active PsA. TREMFYA is the first and only fully-human, dual-acting monoclonal antibody approved to treat PsA that blocks IL-23 while also binding to CD64, a receptor on cells that produce IL-23. IL-23 is a cytokine secreted by activated monocyte/macrophages and dendritic cells that is known to be a driver of immune-mediated diseases including active psoriatic arthritis.