Novartis Presents New Two Year Data For Cosentyx

(RTTNews) - Novartis (NVS) announced today new results for Cosentyx or secukinumab showing no further progression in joint damage in 84% of patients with psoriatic arthritis or PsA. In addition, Cosentyx maintained a treatment response in joint and skin disease, physical function and quality of life in patients over two years of treatment.

These results from the extension phase of the FUTURE 1 study were presented at the 2015 Annual Meeting of the American College of Rheumatology or ACR in San Francisco, United States.

Cosentyx is the first of a new class of medicines called interleukin-17A (IL- 17A) inhibitors to demonstrate efficacy in Phase III studies in PsA - a life-long inflammatory disease that affects the skin and joints. If not treated effectively, it can lead to irreversible joint damage and disability caused by years of inflammation.

New medicines with an alternative way of working are needed as many patients do not achieve an adequate response from current treatments, such as disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs, non-steroidal anti-inflammatories or anti-tumor necrosis factor (anti-TNF) therapies. Many patients do not respond to or tolerate these therapies, with approximately 45% of PsA patients dissatisfied with their treatments.

These results from the FUTURE 1 study represent the longest Cosentyx Phase III study in PsA to date. Responses in joint and skin disease, physical function, and quality of life at Week 24, were maintained over two years. After two years of treatment, 67%* of patients (n=202) treated with Cosentyx 150 mg achieved the standard treatment goal of an ACR 20 response (American College of Rheumatology response criteria). In addition, 84% of patients showed no further progression in joint damage as shown by x-ray assessment. Cosentyx was well tolerated with a safety profile consistent with that observed in previous studies.

In a separate press release, Novartis announced late-breaking two year results for Cosentyx (secukinumab) showing up to 80% of patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) had no radiographic progression in the spine on x- ray assessment.

In addition, Cosentyx showed a sustained response in improvements of signs and symptoms, physical function and quality of life in AS patients over two years Cosentyx is the first IL-17A inhibitor and the first biologic treatment other than the current standard of care - anti-tumor necrosis factor medicines (anti- TNFs) - to demonstrate efficacy in Phase III AS studies. AS is a life- long and painful inflammatory disease that can cause irreversible joint and/or spinal damage for patients if not treated effectively.