Bimekizumab Improves HSSQ Skin Pain over 3 Years in HS: Data from BE HEARD EXT

Introduction Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is an inflammatory skin disease characterized by painful lesions that negatively impact patients’ quality of life. Treatment with bimekizumab (BKZ), a humanized IgG1 monoclonal antibody that selectively inhibits interleukin (IL)-17F in addition to IL-17A, previously demonstrated clinically meaningful improvements in skin pain over 2 years. Here, we report proportions of patients with moderate to severe HS achieving pain outcomes with BKZ over 3 years. Procedure Data were pooled from BE HEARD I&II (BHIⅈ NCT04242446/NCT04242498) and BE HEARD EXTENSION (BHEXT; NCT04901195). Data are reported for patients randomized to BKZ from BHI&II baseline entering BHEXT (BKZ Total). Skin pain severity was assessed using the skin pain item of the HS Symptom Questionnaire (HSSQ), scored 0–10. Skin pain response (at least a 30% reduction and ≥1-point reduction from baseline score ≥3), distribution of HSSQ skin pain severity categories (no/mild: 0–2; moderate: 3–5; severe/very severe: 6–10), and HSSQ skin pain absolute and percentage change from baseline (CfB) are reported at Weeks 48/148 (observed case). Results 556 patients randomized to BKZ at BHI&II baseline completed Week 48 and entered BHEXT. Among patients with baseline pain score ≥3 (N=496), 72.2% (358/496) and 80.9% (262/324) achieved HSSQ skin pain response at Week 48 and 148, respectively. At baseline, 10.0% (55/551) of patients reported no/mild skin pain; at Week 48 and 148, the proportion of patients reporting no/mild skin pain increased to 51.7% (287/555) and 65.8% (237/360), respectively. At Week 48/148, HSSQ skin pain scores decreased with a mean (standard deviation [SD]) absolute CfB of −3.0 (2.8) / −3.9 (2.9), representing a 48.0% (49.4) / 62.4% (52.3) decrease. Conclusion Patients treated with bimekizumab over 3 years experienced clinically meaningful improvements in skin pain, as measured by HSSQ.