Sun Pharma Canada has announced that PrILUMYA  (tildrakizumab injection), a treatment for adults living with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis, is now available in Canada.

"We are excited to introduce this important biologic treatment to Canadians living with this common, inhibiting and often-overlooked disease. This launch is an important milestone for Sun Pharma, as we expand our dermatology portfolio into Canada," said Abhay Gandhi, CEO North America, Sun Pharma. "With five years of effective treatment of moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis, ILUMYA demonstrates our commitment to providing innovative medicines to support patient lifestyle and physician choice."

Plaque psoriasis is a chronic autoimmune disease that appears on the skin as red, raised areas of the skin covered with flaky white scales that can crack and bleed. It affects approximately 850,000 Canadians. Moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis affects about 35 per cent of patients. A key challenge is that many treatments stop working overtime and symptoms return. The durability of treatment in the long term is an unmet need for many patients.

"Moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis can make it difficult to feel comfortable in your skin and the search for an effective treatment can be as challenging as the disease itself," said Dr. Melinda Gooderham, a board-certified Dermatologist and Medical Director at the SKiN Centre for Dermatology in Peterborough, Ontario. "Our patients need options for an effective, durable and continuous treatment in Canada and ILUMYA will help meet that need."

In a published peer-reviewed journal of the pooled analyses of the two trials reSURFACE 1 and reSURFACE 2, the data shows that most patients on ILUMYA maintained response and a reassuring safety profile through 5 years of treatment.

In patients who were treated with ILUMYA 100 mg, nearly nine out of 10 maintained their response through Year 5. ILUMYA 100 mg was well-tolerated during the Phase 3 trials. The three adverse reactions that occurred more frequently than placebo and ?1% in clinical trials were upper respiratory infections (15.1% vs. 12.3%), injection site reactions (3.9% vs. 2.6%) and headache (3.2% vs. 2.9%).