One-year results show secukinumab sustains effects

Swiss pharma giant Novartis (NOVN: VX) has announced new one year results from the pivotal Phase III FUTURE 2 study of secukinumab in psoriatic arthritis (PsA).

Secukinumab is the first interleukin-17A (IL-17A) inhibitor to demonstrate efficacy in a Phase III study in adult patients with active PsA. The results, published in The Lancet, show improvements observed with subcutaneous secukinumab 300mg and 150mg were sustained over one year of treatment in the majority of patients (64% for both doses), as measured by the American College of Rheumatology response criteria (ACR 20). The ACR 50 response rates were also sustained to one year in secukinumab 300mg and 150mg (44% and 39% respectively). Secukinumab met the primary endpoint of the study, which was ACR 20 at Week 24 with response rates significantly higher in the secukinumab 300 mg (54%; p<0.0001) and 150 mg (51%; p<0.0001) groups versus placebo (15%), with clinical improvements observed as early as Week 3.

Vasant Narasimhan, global head of development, Novartis Pharmaceuticals, said: “Secukinumab is the first IL-17A inhibitor to show consistent efficacy through one year in psoriatic arthritis, psoriasis, and ankylosing spondylitis. Novartis has recently filed global regulatory submissions for secukinumab in both psoriatic arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis and will continue to work to bring this important advance to patients with these debilitating diseases.”