The Ilumetri from Almirall S.A. - high-dose ustekinumab biosimilar targets plaque psoriasis

Reviewed: ad hoc news New Release & Launch desk. Edited and checked on 2026-06-23, 23:33. Details in the imprint.

The Ilumetri pen from Almirall S.A. clicks softly in the dermatologist’s hand, a pale-yellow solution sliding under the skin while a patient stares at their once-itching plaques. For many, this self-injection routine has become a tidy monthly ritual instead of a constant flare-up battle.

What Ilumetri actually is

Ilumetri is Almirall’s monoclonal antibody tildrakizumab, a selective IL-23p19 inhibitor approved in the EU for adults with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis eligible for systemic therapy. It is given as a subcutaneous injection at weeks 0 and 4, then every 12 weeks.

The drug targets the p19 subunit of interleukin-23, a key cytokine in psoriasis pathophysiology, aiming for long-term skin clearance with relatively infrequent dosing. In practice, that means some patients need only four injections per year after the loading phase, a quiet but practical difference compared with older biologics.

Dosing, devices and daily handling

Almirall offers Ilumetri in pre-filled syringes and autoinjector pens, with 100 mg and 200 mg strengths tailored to body weight and disease severity. The autoinjector has a broad, rubberized grip; nurses describe it as robust and easy to hold even with gloved hands.

In European real-world practice, dermatologists like Dr. Ulrich Mrowietz have highlighted the convenience of the 12-week maintenance interval and the consistent efficacy profile over several years of follow-up, making Ilumetri a self-assured option for stable long-term control when it works for a given patient.

Clinical data and what patients feel

In the pivotal reSURFACE trials, a significant share of patients on tildrakizumab achieved PASI 75 responses at week 12 and maintained them through week 64, with a clean safety profile over three years of extension data. Many reported sustained itch reduction and smoother, less scaly skin.

For someone like a 45-year-old office worker who has lived with visible plaques on elbows and scalp, the sensory change is concrete: shirts no longer dusted with flakes, less burning in the shower, and the quiet confidence of not constantly checking cuffs and collars.

Position in a crowded biologics field

Ilumetri enters a biologics market that already includes IL-17 and other IL-23 inhibitors, so pricing and positioning matter. Almirall has focused on consistent efficacy, infrequent dosing and a dermatology-focused sales force to carve out its share in Europe.

In Germany and other key EU markets, reimbursement decisions and national guidelines determine how often Ilumetri appears as an option after traditional systemics like methotrexate. For some payers, the 12-week interval and stable long-term data are a convincing combination for carefully selected patients.

Context and stock angle

Ilumetri sits alongside Almirall’s other dermatology assets, from acne therapies to actinic keratosis treatments, in a strategy that CEO Carlos Gallardo highlights as the company’s core focus. Almirall S.A. shares (ISIN ES0157097017) trade on the Spanish stock exchange in Madrid, where biologics performance is one of several drivers for long-term investors.

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