Icotrokinra for psoriasis met the main goal of a late-stage study; the once-daily pill achieved clear or almost clear skin.

The therapy helped 66% of patients with scalp psoriasis and 77% of those with genital psoriasis achieve significantly clear skin compared to 11% and 21% success rate in patients on placebo, respectively, the manufacturer reported.

The drug was administered to patients 12 years and older with at least moderate plaque psoriasis affecting "high impact" areas, including the scalp and genitals, for 16 weeks.

The study enrolled 311 patients, who were randomly chosen to receive icotrokinra or placebo for16 weeks.

Icotrokinra is designed to block a protein, IL-23, involved in inflammatory responses and is being tested as a potential treatment for other inflammatory conditions, such as ulcerative colitis.

In a separate late-stage study last year, the drug showed significant skin clearance in patients with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis.