Novartis' Cosentyx Shows To Ease Symptoms In Painful Skin Condition

Novartis AG NVS announced the results from two Phase 3 studies (SUNSHINE and SUNRISE) of Cosentyx (secukinumab) in moderate-to-severe hidradenitis suppurativa (HS).
HS is a chronic, inflammatory skin condition affecting up to one in 100 people worldwide, resulting in painful, disfiguring lesions.
The data showed that Cosentyx demonstrated rapid and sustained relief from signs and symptoms of HS with a favorable safety profile.
These Phase 3 data have been submitted to European regulatory authorities and will be submitted to the FDA this year.
The trials assessed two Cosentyx dose regimens across 16-week (vs. placebo) and 52-week treatment periods.
Results showed a significantly higher proportion of patients achieved a Hidradenitis Suppurativa Clinical Response (HiSCR) when treated with Cosentyx 300 mg, compared with placebo.
Cosentyx 300 mg dosed every four weeks (after standard weekly loading doses) was superior to placebo for achieving HiSCR in the SUNRISE study (46.1% vs. 31.2%). However, it did not meet statistical significance in the SUNSHINE study (41.8% vs. 33.7%).
The data pooled from the two studies showed that the 300 mg dose of Cosentyx was statistically superior to the placebo in reducing skin pain.
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