Secukinumab treatment of hidradenitis suppurativa: questions remain – Authors' reply

Overall, confirmed and suspected SARS-CoV-2 infections and related adverse events were low, with no trends suggesting a predisposition to SARS-CoV-2 infection.1 The only case of COVID-19 pneumonia was reported in the placebo group of the SUNRISE trial (table S4 in Appendix 1). The authors concur that scoring systems that measure draining fistulae, such as the International Hidradenitis Suppurativa Severity Score System (IHS4), might further elucidate the therapeutic benefit of secukinumab in the SUNSHINE and SUNRISE trials.2 As per the statistical analysis plan, the change in draining fistulae count was presented in Appendix 1, in figures S2E and S2F, and showed a beneficial effect of secukinumab compared with placebo at week 16, which was sustained to week 52. ABK reports grants from AbbVie, Admirx, Anapyts Bio, Aristea, Bristol Myers Squibb, Eli Lilly, Incyte, Janssen, Moonlake, Novartis, Pfizer, Prometheus, UCB, and Sonoma Bio; fellowship funding from AbbVie and Janssen paid to her institution; royalties from BIDMC; consulting fees from Abbvie, Alumis, Bayer, Boehringer Ingelheim, Eli Lilly, Evoimmune, FIDE, Janssen, Moonlake, Novartis, Pfizer, Priovant, Sonoma Bio, Sanofi, UCB, Union Therapeutics, Target RWE, and Ventyx; stock in Ventyx; serving on advisory boards for Target RWE; serving as an advisory council member to the National Institute of Health Director; serving on the board of directors of Almirall; and providing authorship for AbbVie, Janssen, Novartis, Pfizer, UCB, Incyte, Boehringer Ingelheim, and Moonlake.