Swiss pharmaceutical giant Novartis (SWX: NOVN) has announced that its drug Cosentyx (secukinumab), which targets IL-17A, has received an additional indication approval from the National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) in China. The drug is now approved for the treatment of active psoriatic arthritis (PsA), adding to its existing indications in the country for moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis and ankylosing spondylitis.
The efficacy of secukinumab in improving peripheral arthritis in psoriasis patients has been confirmed through the FUTURE series of studies, MAXIMISE studies, and ULTIMATE studies, which demonstrated its sustainable inhibition of PsA imaging progression. The biologic has been approved for use in both children and adult patients in the United States and the European Union (EU) for moderate to severe plaque psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, and radiographic negative axial spinal arthritis.- Flcube.com
