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Extended Half-Life of ORKA-001 Suggests Potential for Infrequent Dosing in Plaque Psoriasis Treatment
Oruka Therapeutics has announced new preclinical data on its investigational monoclonal antibody, ORKA-001, at the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology (EADV) Congress. ORKA-001, which targets the IL-23p19 pathway, demonstrated a significantly prolonged half-life in non-human primates (NHPs). These findings suggest the potential for less frequent dosing compared to current treatments for plaque psoriasis (PsO), a chronic inflammatory skin condition.
According to the data, ORKA-001 showed a half-life of 30.3 days when administered subcutaneously (SQ) and 33.8 days when administered intravenously (IV) in NHPs, which is more than three times longer than risankizumab, a commonly used IL-23 inhibitor. Projections based on these preclinical results indicate that ORKA-001 could have a half-life of 50 to 75 days in humans, which may allow for dosing as infrequently as once every six months or possibly once a year. This extended half-life could also result in higher sustained antibody levels, which may enhance its therapeutic effect.
The potential for a treatment option requiring only one or two doses per year could offer significant benefits for patients with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis. Reducing the frequency of injections could improve patient adherence and convenience, while also maintaining or even increasing treatment efficacy through prolonged antibody exposure.
ORKA-001 has shown similar potency and binding affinity to risankizumab in preclinical assays, suggesting it may operate through a well-understood and established mechanism of action. With these early findings, ORKA-001 holds promise for offering a new option in psoriasis care, pending further clinical validation.