Novartis reports that the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) of the European Medicines Agency has recommended the approval of Cosentyx (secukinumab) in Europe to treat ankylosing spondylitis (AS) and psoriatic arthritis (PsA) patients. Following two separate regulatory submissions, Cosentyx is now recommended for the treatment of active AS in adults who have responded inadequately to conventional therapy, such as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), and for the treatment of active PsA in adult patients alone or in combination with methotrexate (MTX) when the response to previous disease modifying anti-rheumatic drug (DMARD) therapy has been inadequate.

Cosentyx is the first of a new class of medicines called interleukin-17A (IL-17A) inhibitors to be recommended for AS and PsA. Cosentyx is a human monoclonal antibody that selectively neutralizes circulating IL-17A.

The European Commission reviews the recommendations of the CHMP who then provide its final decision on approval, usually two months or earlier, following CHMP opinion. This is applicable to all European Union and European Economic Area countries. Cosentyx has been approved for the treatment of PsA in Japan since December 2014 and has received approval in 49 countries worldwide for the treatment of moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis, including the European Union and European Economic Area countries. In January 2015, Cosentyx (at a recommended dose of 300 mg in the US and European Union (EU)) became the first IL-17A inhibitor approved in the EU and US for the treatment of moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis. In Europe, Cosentyx is a first-line biologic approved for the systemic treatment of moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis in adult patients. In the US, Cosentyx is approved as a treatment for moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis in adult patients who are candidates for systemic therapy or phototherapy (light therapy). In addition, Cosentyx has been approved in Switzerland, Australia, Canada, and a number of other countries for the treatment of moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis. In Japan, Cosentyx is approved for the treatment of moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis and also for the treatment of PsA.

Source: Novartis