A key committee of the European Medicines Agency (EMA) recommended marketing authorization for Johnson & Johnson's new drug, Icotyde. The Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) issued this positive opinion. It applies to the treatment of moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis in adults and adolescents.
Icotyde targets the IL-23 receptor. This mechanism is currently dominated by injectable treatments. If approved by the European Commission, Icotyde would become the first oral medicine of its kind in the European Union. Protagonist Therapeutics developed the once-daily pill. U.S. regulators approved it in March.