CHMP recommends Cosentyx (secukinumab) for treatment of Plaque Psoriasis- Novartis

Novartis has announced that the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) has adopted a positive opinion recommending approval of Cosentyx (secukinumab, formerly known as AIN 457) as a first-line systemic treatment of moderate-to-severe Plaque Psoriasis in adults who are candidates for systemic therapy.

This recommendation would mean doctors could use secukinumab first-line to treat their Psoriasis patients, as an alternative to other first-line systemic treatments, which have significant side effects. Currently, all biologic treatments for psoriasis, including anti- tumor necrosis factor therapies (anti-TNFs) and ustekinumab are recommended for second-line systemic therapy in Europe. Secukinumab (at a dose of 300 mg) is the first interleukin-17A (IL-17A) inhibitor to be recommended as a first-line treatment option for Psoriasis patients who require systemic therapy in Europe. Secukinumab works by inhibiting the action of IL-17A, a protein that is found in high concentrations in skin affected by the disease.