FDA approves two new indications for Cosentyx

The US Food and Drug Administration has approved Swiss pharma giant Novartis’ (NOVN: VX) Cosentyx (secukinumab) for the treatment of two new indications - adults with active ankylosing spondylitis (AS) and active psoriatic arthritis (PsA).

The news came too late to impact the firm’s stock on Friday, but Novartis’ shares gained 1.4% to 81.50 Swiss francs in morning trading today.

AS and PsA are both life-long, painful and debilitating inflammatory diseases that affect the joints and/or spine. If not treated effectively, both conditions can lead to irreversible joint and/or spinal bone damage caused by years of inflammation.

Cosentyx is the first in a new class of medicines called interleukin-17A (IL-17A) inhibitors to treat both AS and PsA. The two new indications follow the earlier FDA approval for Cosentyx in January 2015 to treat adult patients with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis, and European approval for AS and PsA late last year (The Pharma Letter November 23, 2015).