IQWiG assesses benefits of Cosentyx and Taltz

The German Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG) has examined in two early benefit assessments whether Novartis’ (NOVN: VX) Cosentyx (secukinumab) and Taltz (ixekizumab) from Eli Lilly (NYSE: LLY) offer an added benefit for patients in comparison with the appropriate comparator therapies. For both drugs, there are indications of considerable added benefit for certain patients with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis.

The older of the two drugs, Cosentyx (which was approved in 2015), had already undergone an early benefit assessment in 2015. At that time, the IQWiG had derived indications of a minor and of a non-quantifiable added benefit – but only for patients with no or inadequate response to previous systemic treatments or with contraindication or intolerance to such treatments. There are also those patients who are candidates for systemic treatment, but who have not yet received such treatment. The manufacturer applied for a new benefit assessment for this group because of new scientific findings.

For this new early benefit assessment, the manufacturer presented data from the study PRIME, in which fumaric acid esters were used in the comparator arm. In comparison with this comparator therapy, secukinumab showed very large positive effects in remissions, which resulted in an indication of an added benefit.