Positive CHMP opinion for the first IL-17A inhibitor Cosentyx to treat AS and PsA

The European Medicines Agency’s Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) has recommended the approval of Swiss pharma giant Novartis’ (NOVN: VX) Cosentyx (secukinumab) to treat ankylosing spondylitis (AS) and psoriatic arthritis (PsA) patients. Novartis shares gained 1.06% to 90.40 Swiss francs on Friday, following the announcement.

Following two separate regulatory submissions, Cosentyx is now recommended for the treatment of active AS in adults who have responded inadequately to conventional therapy, such as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), and for the treatment of active PsA in adult patients alone or in combination with methotrexate (MTX) when the response to previous disease modifying anti-rheumatic drug (DMARD) therapy has been inadequate.

Cosentyx is the first of a new class of medicines called interleukin-17A (IL-17A) inhibitors to be recommended for AS and PsA - conditions that affect around five million people in Europe. Both are 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 damage caused by years of inflammation.