Lilly's Skyrizi rival hits goal in ulcerative colitis phase 3, as it ups the ante against AbbVie

A phase 3 clinical trial of mirikizumab in ulcerative colitis has met its primary endpoint, boosting Eli Lilly’s hopes of establishing the anti-IL-23p19 antibody in gastrointestinal disorders.

Lilly has ceded a head start to AbbVie’s anti-IL-23 antibody Skyrizi and Johnson & Johnson’s Stelara, which hits IL-12 and IL-23, in plaque psoriasis. Faced with a competitive market, which also features Novartis’ IL-17 drug Cosentyx, Lilly embarked on a broad R&D program that positioned it to establish mirikizumab as a late entrant to the psoriasis space and an early mover in gastrointestinal disorders.