AbbVie’s HS drug lutikizumab meets Phase 3 goal but falls short of analyst expectations

AbbVie reported that its investigational IL‑1α/β inhibitor lutikizumab achieved the primary endpoint in the Phase 3 INTREPID study for hidradenitis suppurativa, a chronic inflammatory skin disease that causes painful cysts and abscesses.

The trial, which enrolled roughly 1,400 patients, showed a 31.4% reduction in abscess and nodule counts at week 16 for patients receiving lutikizumab, compared with a 23.4% reduction for those on placebo, yielding an 8% placebo‑adjusted difference that reached statistical significance.

Despite meeting the main goal, analysts said the magnitude of benefit was below expectations set by earlier data, describing the placebo‑adjusted response as disappointing. AbbVie still plans to file for regulatory approval in 2027, but the modest efficacy signal has raised questions about the drug’s commercial prospects.