Novartis’ Cosentyx (secukinumab) has been recommended by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) as a treatment option for adults in England and Wales with active moderate-to-severe hidradenitis suppurativa (HS).
The recommendation, which makes Cosentyx the first biologic treatment for HS since 2016, specifically applies to patients who have had an inadequate response to conventional systemic HS therapy and where adalimumab is not suitable, did not work or has stopped working.
At least 200,000 people in the UK are affected by HS, a chronic and progressive inflammatory skin disease that causes boil-like abscesses that can burst, creating open wounds and irreversible scarring.
Until now, there has only been one approved biologic treatment for HS, with around half of patients potentially losing response to this.
Currently approved to treat a range of inflammatory conditions such as psoriatic arthritis and severe plaque psoriasis, Cosentyx is the first and only fully human biologic that directly inhibits interleukin-17A, an important cytokine involved in inflammation.
The final draft guidance from NICE is supported by results from two identical late-stage trials, in which Cosentyx continued to improve response rates beyond the primary endpoint analysis at week 16 to more than 55% of patients achieving an HS clinical response measure at week 52.
Additionally, approximately 50% of Cosentyx-treated patients had a meaningful reduction in HS-related pain at week 52.
Marie-Andrée Gamache, country president, Novartis Innovative Medicines UK and Ireland, said: “Since its first approval in the UK in 2015, [Cosentyx] has been used to treat over one million patients worldwide and could now provide another option for eligible patients in England and Wales who continue to struggle with the painful and debilitating symptoms of HS.”
Novartis said it has an agreement with NHS England to enable eligible HS patients to obtain immediate access to Cosentyx through the interim Innovative Medicines Fund, which provides funding to accelerate NICE-recommended non-cancer medicines into the NHS.
Additionally, the New Treatment Fund in Wales, which ensures faster patient access to medicines recommended by NICE, will enable early access to the drug for eligible patients in Wales.