Novartis, a global leader in immuno-dermatology and rheumatology, has announced that the China Health Authority NMPA approved Cosentyx (secukinumab), the first-in-class interleukin-17A (IL-17A) inhibitor for moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis in adult patients who are candidates for systemic therapy or phototherapy.

"Reimagining the management of psoriatic disease to provide patients with the ability to live their life free from the burden of psoriasis is a key focus for us," said Paul Hudson, CEO Novartis Pharmaceuticals. "With Cosentyx, we are offering a new treatment to doctors and psoriasis patients in China which can act within 3 weeks, has demonstrated sustained safety in more than 200,000 patients worldwide and can deliver what doctors and patients are looking for."

"We are delighted to bring Cosentyx to doctors and patients in China. The approval of Cosentyx has marked a new era of psoriasis treatment, redefining the treatment goal by making clear or almost clear skin achievable. The introduction of Cosentyx should bring outstanding clinical benefit to many patients with psoriasis in China and improve their quality of life," said Ingrid Zhang, President, Novartis Pharmaceuticals China.

Cosentyx is the first and only fully-human treatment for psoriasis, that specifically inhibits IL-17A. Cosentyx is characterized by sustained safety, fast and long-lasting control, and placebo-like injection site reaction. A recently published Phase III study in patients in China showed that 80.9% of the patients treated with Cosentyx 300mg on an every 4 week dosing regimen (q4w) after loading achieved clear or almost clear skin during the first 12 weeks of treatment, and close to 9/10 patients after 16 weeks (87.0%).

"The average onset age of psoriasis in China is around 30, and many of the moderate-to-severe patients are in their prime. This population plays an irreplaceable role in their family, workplace and society. Thus, treatment with high efficacy, a good safety profile and long-lasting disease control is what we are looking for to help patients get back to normal life and work," said Prof. Jianzhong Zhang, former President of Chinese Society of Dermatology, Chinese Medical Association. "Positive China data presented recently makes us hopeful for the clinical use of secukinumab in China. I hope to see Chinese patients benefit from this innovative treatment and be relieved from their illness burden."

Currently in China there are more than 6 million people living with psoriasis including mild, moderate and severe forms of the disease. Psoriasis is a life-long debilitating disease that significantly impacts patients' quality of life both physically and emotionally. Real-world data from the US has demonstrated that 2/3 of biologic-eligible patients have PsA or other persistent manifestations of psoriasis in nails, scalp and palmoplantar areas.

Cosentyx is backed by robust clinical evidence including 5-year Phase III extension studies in PsO, PsA and AS and dedicated studies in persistent manifestations of psoriasis, namely in nails, scalp and palmoplantar areas, addressing different parts of the psoriatic disease. Today, more than 200,000 patients worldwide have been treated with Cosentyx since launch.