What the trial was testing
The trial enrolled 268 patients with psoriasis. The study was sponsored by Bristol-Myers Squibb and tracked outcomes across the full group of patients who matched the trial's eligibility profile.
It was initial testing (phase 2). Trials at this stage are designed to produce evidence regulators and physicians can act on — not just observations to follow up later.
What the results showed
Three out of four patients on the highest dose saw major skin clearing after 12 weeks.
The New England journal of medicine · 2018 · NCT02931838
These findings — that saw at least 75% skin clearing on the highest dose after 12 weeks — were published in the The New England journal of medicine and represent the headline result of the study.
Researchers tracked outcomes across 268 patients enrolled in the trial. The result was consistent enough across the group that the team felt confident reporting it.
What this means for patients
For patients with psoriasis, this result changes the calculus on what to ask their care team about. Whether it changes day-to-day care depends on factors like disease subtype, prior treatments, and where the patient is in their care journey.
What you can do now
This was an initial testing study and BMS-986165 is not yet FDA-approved. The drug showed promise in clearing psoriasis, but larger and longer studies are needed to confirm safety and lasting effects. Ask your doctor about open trials testing TYK2 inhibitors or other approved psoriasis treatments.
Eligibility for the treatments mentioned above depends on specific test results and clinical history. Bring this summary, the trial name, and your most recent labs or pathology report to your next visit.
Open psoriasis trials
Open Label Study to Investigate the Safety and Efficacy of Ponesimod in Moderate-to-Severe Chronic Plaque Psoriasis
An open label study to investigate the safety and efficacy of ponesimod in participants with moderate-to-severe chronic plaque psoriasis
Evaluate the Safety and Pharmacokinetics/Pharmacodynamics of HS-20118
The study will be conducted in 2 parts (SAD for Part 1 and MAD for Part2). Part 1 is a single-center, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, SAD study to evaluate the safety, tolerability, immunogenicity, and PK of HS-20118 after a single oral dose in healthy participants. Part 2 is a multi-center, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, MAD study to evaluate the safety, tolerability, immunogenicity, PK, and PD of HS-20118 after multiple oral doses in patients with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis .