No, Taltz (ixekizumab) should not be administered every other month (every 8 weeks)
The FDA-approved and guideline-recommended maintenance dosing for Taltz is 80 mg every 4 weeks, not every 8 weeks. 1
FDA-Approved Dosing Schedule
For adult plaque psoriasis, the standard regimen is:
- Loading phase: 160 mg at Week 0, followed by 80 mg at Weeks 2,4,6,8,10, and 12
- Maintenance phase: 80 mg every 4 weeks (Q4W) thereafter 1
For psoriatic arthritis and axial spondyloarthritis:
- 160 mg at Week 0, followed by 80 mg every 4 weeks 1
Guideline Recommendations
The 2019 Joint AAD-NPF Guidelines explicitly state: "The recommended maintenance dose of ixekizumab after the initial 12 weeks is 80 mg every 4 weeks" with a Strength A recommendation 2. This is the only FDA-approved maintenance interval listed in the comprehensive dosing tables 2.
Important Clinical Considerations
Some patients may require MORE frequent dosing (every 2 weeks), not less frequent dosing. The guidelines note that "some patients may require an 80-mg dose every 2 weeks to maintain response to treatment" 2. Research confirms that continuous Q2W dosing showed superior efficacy compared to Q4W at 52 weeks 3.
Emerging Data on Extended Intervals
While one recent 2025 study 4 explored extending ixekizumab from Q4W to Q8W in patients with very low disease activity (PASI <1 and PASI90/100 response), this approach:
- Is not FDA-approved
- Is not guideline-recommended
- Was only studied in highly selected patients with exceptional responses
- Showed declining efficacy (67.7% maintained PASI90 at 36 weeks vs. 75.4% at 12 weeks)
This extended dosing strategy should be considered experimental and off-label. The standard of care remains Q4W maintenance dosing, with the option to increase to Q2W for inadequate responders, not to decrease frequency to Q8W.