Novartis’ IL-17 blocker Cosentyx^® (secukinumab) maintains PASI 90 and PASI 100 response rates at five years in patients with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis, according to new Phase III data.

These data were presented for the first time at the 26th European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology Congress in Geneva, Switzerland.

"Five-year Phase III data are a respected scientific milestone to demonstrate the long-term efficacy and safety of many treatments," says Craig Leonardi, MD, Adjunct Professor of Dermatology at St. Louis University School of Medicine, in a news release. “These long-term data for Cosentyx provide further confirmation for both patients and doctors that Cosentyx is a safe and effective treatment option for psoriasis."

Clear skin is the aim of psoriasis treatment, and a Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) 75, 90 or 100 response is considered an important measure of treatment success.71Over the extended treatment period from Year 1 (Week 52) to the end of Year 5 (Week 260), PASI 75/90/100 response rates remained consistent.  In the 168 psoriasis patients at Year 1, PASI 75 and PASI 90 were achieved by 89 percent and 69 percent respectively. This high rate was maintained at Year 5 with 126 patients observed (89 percent and 66 percent, respectively). In addition, 44 percent of psoriasis patients achieved completely clear skin (PASI 100) at Year 1 and this rate was maintained to Year 5 (41 percent). Cosentyx continued to have a favorable and consistent safety profile.