In a first approval for what could be a new blockbuster drug for AbbVie, Japanese regulators approved Skyrizi (risankizumab) for the treatment of three kinds of psoriasis and for psoriatic arthritis.

Developed in partnership with Boehringer Ingelheim, Skyrizi passed two late-stage trials in Japan, where nearly 15 percent of psoriasis patients go on to develop psoriatic arthritis.

AbbVie is awaiting approval from European and U.S. regulators for the drug.