Novartis AG (NYSE:NVS) has revealed for the first time new positive Cosentyx (secukinumab) data for the treatment of moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis at the 25th European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology (EADV) Congress.

Cosentyx, a Potential Psoriasis Therapy

According to Vasant Narasimhan, Novartis Chief Medical Officer (CMO) and Global Head of Drug Development, boasted that Cosentyx has so far demonstrated an impressive safety profile as it works year-on-year without compromising meaningful skin clearance. Understanding the needs of psoriasis patients, he believes that these results can potentially lead to the perfect treatment options that will fully meet such needs.

“Psoriasis patients need therapies they can use over long periods of time without loss of efficacy and we are pleased that Cosentyx is proving a sustainable choice for patients,” reiterated Narasimhan.

Cosentyx, a monoclonal antibody that can selectively neutralize interleukin-17A (IL-17A), is presently approved for the treatment of moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis in over 65 countries. In the US, it is approved for the said indication among adult patients who are candidates for phototherapy or systemic therapy.

More than 50,000 moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis patients have already been treated with commercial Cosentyx while more than 10,000 subjects have undergone clinical trials for various indications.

Clinical Trials

Novartis has presented the new data from the A2304E1 and the Comparison to assess long-term efficacy, safety, and tolerability of secukinumab vs. ustekinumab (CLEAR) clinical trials.

The former is a multicenter, double-blind, open-label, four-year extension clinical trial of the Phase III SCULPTURE clinical trial. Meanwhile, the latter is a multicenter, double-blind, parallel-group clinical trial of Cosentyx compared to Stelara.

The primary endpoint of A2304E1 is to establish the long-term safety and tolerability profiles of Cosentyx among adult patients suffering from moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis. It included the 642 subjects who had completed the previous 52-week clinical trial.

On the other hand, the primary endpoint of CLEAR is clear skin or Psoriasis Area Severity Index (PASI) 90. This has been attained by 68.50% of the subjects by week 52. The rate has been maintained through week 208 at 66.40%.

On Monday, Novartis has surged 0.05% to $79 from an opening price of $78.94.