Deucravacitinib delivers lasting relief for psoriatic arthritis patients through one year

A phase 3 trial has confirmed that deucravacitinib (Sotyktu, Bristol Myers Squibb) — an oral, selective tyrosine kinase 2 (TYK2) inhibitor — offers sustained efficacy and a favorable safety profile for adults with active psoriatic arthritis (PsA) over a full year. The POETYK PsA-2 trial enrolled 729 patients across 124 sites in 18 countries, with most participants being biologic-naïve and having inadequate responses to conventional therapies.

At 16 weeks, significantly more patients on deucravacitinib hit the primary endpoint of ACR20 response compared to placebo. Those gains held — and even improved — through week 52. The drug also outperformed apremilast (Otezla) on tolerability, with fewer reports of nausea, diarrhea, and headache. No deaths occurred during the study.

By the numbers

• 54.2% of deucravacitinib patients achieved ACR20 at week 16 vs. 39.4% on placebo (P = .0002)
• 62.2% of patients who stayed on deucravacitinib and 67.3% who switched from placebo achieved ACR20 at week 52
• Serious adverse events at 16 weeks: 1.9% (deucravacitinib) vs. 1% (placebo) vs. 3.8% (apremilast)

Why it matters: These results, combined with the POETYK PsA-1 trial, supported FDA approval of deucravacitinib for PsA — bringing a first-in-class TYK2 inhibitor mechanism targeting IL-23, IL-12, and interferon to rheumatology practice, giving clinicians a new oral option for patients who've struggled with existing therapies.