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Taltz ® (ixekizumab)
This information is intended for UK registered healthcare professionals only as a scientific exchange in response to your search for information.For current prescribing information for all Lilly products, including Summaries of Product Characteristics, Patient Information Leaflets and Instructions for Use, please visit: www.medicines.org.uk (England, Scotland, Wales) or www.emcmedicines.com/en-GB/northernireland/ (Northern Ireland).
Can Taltz® (ixekizumab) be used with COVID-19 vaccines?
The use of vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 in patients treated with ixekizumab has not been studied by Lilly.
Administration of COVID-19 Vaccines to Patients Receiving Ixekizumab
SARS-CoV-2 Virus
SARS-CoV-2 Live vs Nonlive/Inactivated Vaccines
According to current available information on SARS-CoV-2 vaccines being developed, the majority are nonlive.3 However, this is an unprecedented and evolving situation, so it is advisable to check for updated information. For the most up-to-date information regarding each vaccine in development, including the type of each vaccine, please check the World Health Organization and European Medicines Agency at
- https://www.who.int/publications/m/item/draft-landscape-of-covid-19-candidate-vaccines and
- https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/human-regulatory/overview/public-health-threats/coronavirus-disease-covid-19/treatments-vaccines-covid-19
Confirmation of whether a specific vaccination is live vs nonlive/inactivated can be found in the manufacturer’s product labeling.
Immunization Prior to Therapy with Ixekizumab
In general, it is recommended that patients receive all immunizations appropriate for their age according to immunization guidelines prior to initiating therapy with ixekizumab.4
The use of a SARS-CoV-2 vaccine in patients treated with ixekizumab has not been studied by Lilly. The following information on immunization for patients taking ixekizumab therapy is included for reference only.
Decisions regarding the use of any vaccination, including SARS-CoV-2 vaccines, in patients treated with ixekizumab should be made at the discretion of the prescribing physician using their best clinical judgment, and must be made by the clinician after careful consideration of risk factors of the patient as well as the risks and benefits of vaccination. Consultation with an infectious disease expert may be helpful in high-risk or emergency situations such as the current COVID-19 pandemic.
Current Available Information on Ixekizumab and Immunization
Live Vaccines
Ixekizumab should not be used with live vaccines. No data are available on the response to live vaccines.5
Nonlive Vaccines
There are insufficient data on response to inactive vaccines. In a study in healthy subjects, no safety concerns were identified of two inactivated vaccines (tetanus and pneumococcal), received after two doses of ixekizumab (160 mg followed by a second dose of 80 mg two weeks later).5
- Vaccines were administered on day 15, and vaccine antibody status was measured at week 0 (baseline), week 4, and week 6.4
- The immune response in the group of participants who received ixekizumab was found to be non-inferior to that of the control group.4
- However, the data concerning immunisation were insufficient to conclude on an adequate immune response to these vaccines following administration of ixekizumab.5
Administration of Vaccines in Ixekizumab Clinical Trials
The ixekizumab clinical trials did not include any exclusion criteria related to nonlive vaccines. The following exclusion criteria pertained to live vaccines.6,7
Patients were excluded from ixekizumab phase 3 clinical trials if they
- had a live vaccination within 12 weeks prior to baseline
- intended to have a live vaccination during the course of the study or
- within 12 months of completing treatment in the UNCOVER-1, -2, and -3 PsO trials
- within 12 months of completing treatment in the SPIRIT-P1 PsA trial
- within 12 weeks of completing treatment in the SPIRIT-P2 and SPIRIT-P3 PsA trials, or
- within 12 weeks of completing treatment in the COAST-V, -W, -X axSpA (including AS/r-axSpA and nr-axSpA) trials
- had participated in a vaccine clinical study within 12 weeks prior to baseline, or
- had received a vaccination with Bacillus Calmette-Guerin within 12 months prior to baseline or if they intended to have this vaccination during the course of the study, or within 12 months of completing treatment.6,8
In ixekizumab clinical trials, investigators reviewed the vaccination status of their patients and followed the local guidelines for adult vaccination with nonlive vaccines intended to prevent infectious disease prior to therapy with ixekizumab.8
Additional Information From Professional Organizations
It is advisable to check professional organizations' websites for additional information particularly since data around SARS-CoV-2 vaccines and the COVID-19 pandemic are evolving.
Please note that the given information is U.S. or European specific and might not reflect the guidance in place in your country.
For guidance from professional dermatology and rheumatology organizations regarding the use of SARS-CoV-2 vaccines, see
- International Psoriasis Council Statement on SARS-CoV-2 Vaccines and Psoriasis
- Information from the American College of Rheumatology Regarding Vaccination Against SARS-CoV-2
- Covid-19 Vaccination: Advice of the EADV Task Forces
- EULAR View-points on SARS-CoV-2 vaccination in patients with RMDs, and
- American Academy of Dermatology Association COVID-19 Vaccine Administration Guidance.9-13
For current NICE guidance, please refer to 'COVID-19 rapid guideline: rheumatological autoimmune, inflammatory and metabolic bone disorders' www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng167.
Ixekizumab Treatment in Patients With Suspected or Confirmed COVID-19 and Initiation of Ixekizumab in High- Risk Areas
If COVID-19 is confirmed, ixekizumab should be immediately discontinued and may be resumed after medical consultation and infection is resolved. If COVID-19 infection is suspected and signs and symptoms of acute infection occur, the patient should consult with their healthcare provider and seek medical advice for guidance on continuing and initiating ixekizumab treatment.7
Ixekizumab Infection-Related Warnings and Precautions
Ixekizumab is contraindicated in patients with clinically important active infections (e.g. active tuberculosis).5
Ixekizumab should be used with caution in patients with clinically important chronic infection or a history of recurrent infection. Patients should be instructed to seek medical advice if signs or symptoms suggestive of an infection occur.5
References
1Dong Y, Dai T, Wei Y, et al. A systematic review of SARS-CoV-2 vaccine candidates. Signal Transduct Target Ther. 2020;5(1):237. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41392-020-00352-y
2Jackson LA, Anderson EJ, Rouphael NG, et al; mRNA-1273 Study Group. An mRNA vaccine against SARS-CoV-2 — preliminary report. N Engl J Med. 2020;383(20):1920-1931. https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMoa2022483
3Draft landscape of COVID-19 candidate vaccines. World Health Organization (WHO). November 12, 2020. Accessed December 4, 2020. https://www.who.int/docs/default-source/blue-print/novel-coronavirus-landscape-covid-19-(7).pdf?sfvrsn=a4e55ae3_2&download=true
4Gomez EV, Bishop JL, Jackson K, et al. Treatment with ixekizumab does not interfere with the efficacy of tetanus and pneumococcal vaccines in healthy subjects. Poster presented at: 75th Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Dermatology; March 3-7, 2017; Orlando, FL. https://server.aad.org/eposters/Submissions/getFile.aspx?id=5105&type=sub
5Taltz [summary of product characteristics]. Eli Lilly and Company (Ireland) Limited, Ireland
6Gordon KB, Blauvelt A, Papp KA, et al; UNCOVER-1, UNCOVER-2, and UNCOVER-3 Study Groups. Phase 3 trials of ixekizumab in moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis. N Engl J Med. 2016;375(4):345-356. http://dx.doi.org/10.1056/NEJMoa1512711
7Data on file, Eli Lilly and Company and/or one of its subsidiaries.
8Data on file, Eli Lilly and Company and/or one of its subsidiaries.
9Covid-19 Vaccination: Advice of the EADV Task Forces. February 10, 2021. https://eadv.org/cms-admin/showfile/COVID-19%20VACCINATION%20-%20TF%20ADVICE_02-10-2021-13-12-40.pdf
10EULAR View-points on SARS-CoV-2 vaccination in patients with RMDs. December, 2020. https://www.eular.org/eular_sars_cov_2_vaccination_rmd_patients.cfm
11COVID-19 Vaccine Administration Guidance. American Academy of Dermatology Association. January 21, 2021. Accessed February 1, 2021. https://assets.ctfassets.net/1ny4yoiyrqia/2gTpp7G9GNSTtAHwPHNtbc/b4318dd9e1c47968bb8532a961cbd39e/COVID_vaccine_administration_guidance_1-20-2021.pdf
12December 2020 update: information from the American College of Rheumatology regarding vaccination against SARS-CoV-2. American College of Rheumatology. December 21, 2020. Accessed January 14, 2021. https://www.rheumatology.org/Portals/0/Files/ACR-Information-Vaccination-Against-SARS-CoV-2.pdf
13International Psoriasis Council statement on SARS-CoV-2 vaccines and psoriasis. International Psoriasis Council. December 2, 2020. Accessed December 3, 2020. https://www.psoriasiscouncil.org/blog/IPC-Statement-on-SARS-CoV-2-Vaccines-and-Psoriasis.htm
Glossary
AS/r-axSpA = ankylosing spondylitis/radiographic axial spondyloarthritis
axSpA = axial spondyloarthritis
COVID-19 = coronavirus disease 2019
EADV = European academy of dermatology and venereology
EULAR = European league against rheumatism
Lilly = Eli Lilly and Company
nr-axSpA = nonradiographic axial spondyloarthritis
PsA = psoriatic arthritis
PsO = psoriasis
RMDs = Rheumatic and Musculoskeletal diseases
SARS-CoV-2 = severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2
U.S. = United States
Date of Last Review: 01 December 2020
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