WILMINGTON, DE — Incyte (Nasdaq: INCY) released new 24-week interim data from its pivotal Phase 3 STOP-HS trials, showing that its oral JAK1 inhibitor povorcitinib (INCB54707) delivered sustained efficacy and tolerability in adults with moderate to severe hidradenitis suppurativa (HS). The results, presented today at the European Association of Dermatology and Venereology (EADV) 2025 Congress, will support planned regulatory submissions in Europe in 2025 and in the U.S. in early 2026.
Across both STOP-HS1 and STOP-HS2, nearly 60% of efficacy-evaluable patients achieved HiSCR50—the primary measure of at least a 50% reduction in inflammatory nodules and abscesses without worsening of draining tunnels—through Week 24. Higher thresholds of response were also observed: HiSCR75 in 31%–40% of patients, HiSCR90 in 14%–28%, and complete response (HiSCR100) in 9%–21%.
Notably, skin pain improvement was evident by Week 3 and sustained through Week 24, with 62%–70% of patients reporting mild or no pain by the end of the period. Patients on povorcitinib also demonstrated reductions in draining tunnels, with up to 50.6% achieving complete resolution by Week 24.
“The STOP-HS program underscores povorcitinib’s potential to provide meaningful relief for people living with HS, a painful and often misunderstood disease,” said Pablo J. Cagnoni, M.D., President and Head of Research and Development at Incyte. “These data strengthen our case for povorcitinib as a well-tolerated oral treatment option capable of improving key symptoms and quality of life.”
Safety outcomes remained consistent with earlier data. Treatment-emergent adverse events were reported in 42%–54% of patients who transitioned from placebo to povorcitinib at Week 12, and in 70%–79% of patients who remained on active treatment through Week 24. Serious adverse events were observed in fewer than 5% of participants, with no major adverse cardiovascular events or deaths reported.
Dr. Martina Porter, study investigator and Assistant Professor of Dermatology at Harvard Medical School, called the findings “encouraging,” noting that povorcitinib “addresses core symptoms of HS, including pain and inflammatory lesions, which significantly impact patients’ daily lives.”
With HS affecting up to 1% of the global population and limited treatment options currently available, Incyte’s progress positions povorcitinib as a potential new therapy for a disease long considered difficult to manage.
For the latest news on everything happening in Chester County and the surrounding area, be sure to follow MyChesCo on Google News and MSN.