Short-Course Vunakizumab Shows Rapid Improvement in Pediatric GPP

Short-course treatment with vunakizumab was temporally associated with rapid improvement of acute generalized pustular psoriasis (GPP) flares in 3 pediatric patients, according to a case series published in Frontiers in Immunology.

Vunakizumab Treatment in Pediatric GPP Flares

Investigators retrospectively reviewed 3 boys with recurrent GPP who received short-course vunakizumab during acute disease flares. They assessed treatment timelines, follow-up outcomes, and Generalized Pustular Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (GPPASI) scores.

A 13-year-old boy weighing 87.5 kg with ciclosporin-dependent recurrent GPP received vunakizumab 240 mg at weeks 0 and 2 alongside topical therapy. His GPPASI score decreased from 18 to 1, with no documented relapse during approximately 6 months of follow-up. An 8-year-old boy weighing 35 kg received a single 120-mg dose. His GPPASI score decreased from 11 to 2, with no recurrent pustular eruption reported during approximately 15 months of available follow-up. 

A second 8-year-old boy, weighing 32 kg and presenting with a febrile flare, received two 120-mg administrations. His GPPASI score decreased from 14 to 2, with no documented relapse during approximately 3 months of follow-up.

No adverse events considered treatment-related were documented during the available observation periods. 

“Short-course vunakizumab was temporally associated with rapid clinical improvement in three paediatric patients with acute GPP flares,” the authors wrote in the abstract. “Larger prospective studies with standardised follow-up are needed to evaluate efficacy, paediatric dosing, relapse prevention and long-term safety.”

Source

Huang J, et al. Frontiers in Immunology 2026. Doi:10.3389/fimmu.2026.1890409