Novartis Announces China Approval of Cosentyx® Sensoready® Pen for Enhanced Treatment Experience in Moderate to Severe Plaque Psoriasis and Ankylosing Spondylitis

Shanghai, June 16, 2020 /PRNewswire/ --NovartisNovartis (China) Announces Cosentyx^®Zigan Suixin Pen^®Approved in China. As Cosentyx^®Cosentyx, the Upgraded Version of Pre-filled Syringe^®Zigan Suixin Pen^®Comprehensively optimize the original administration method. The “one-touch” operation reduces injection difficulty and enhances patient treatment experience, while effectively preventing medication waste caused by operational errors, thereby delivering a more convenient, safe, and efficient new treatment experience for the vast number of patients in China with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis and ankylosing spondylitis.

Ms. Zhang Ying, President of Novartis China, stated, “Patient needs are the starting point for Novartis’ innovation. For patients with psoriasis and ankylosing spondylitis, individual patient experience is crucial for treatment adherence. Cosentyx^®Self-Feeling Freehand Pen^®This will bring patients not only significant clinical benefits, but also comprehensive care and support for disease management. We will continue to listen to the voices of patients and use this feedback to continuously optimize our products and support systems, accompanying patients to better and more sustainably manage their diseases.”

Holistic “Heart” Design,Cosentyx^®Self-Feeling Freehand Brush^®Comprehensively Enhance the Treatment Experience

Cosentyx Approved This Time^®Zigan Suixin Pen^®The design fully considers patients’ diverse needs, employing a holistic “heart-centered” approach to comprehensively enhance the patient treatment experience:

Cosentyx^®Rewriting the Treatment History of Psoriasis and Ankylosing Spondylitis

Upgraded Administration Routes to Boost Treatment Adherence and Long-Term Benefits

Psoriasis and ankylosing spondylitis, as common immune-mediated inflammatory diseases, impose a heavy disease burden and significant physical and psychological distress on patients and their families due to their complex etiology, incurable nature, and poor prognosis. Although these two conditions fall under different medical specialties, research has confirmed that both are closely associated with the overexpression of the inflammatory cytokine interleukin-17A (IL-17A). Excessive IL-17A resulting from immune system dysregulation stimulates hyperproliferation of the stratum corneum and skin inflammation when acting on the skin, ultimately leading to symptoms such as scaling, plaques, redness, swelling, and pruritus. When acting on tendons and bones, it causes recurrent enthesitis and pathological new bone formation, thereby driving the onset and progression of ankylosing spondylitis, eventually resulting in irreversible structural damage. As the world’s first and only fully human IL-17A inhibitor, Cosentyx^®Specifically binds to IL-17A from any source^[1]and the fully human preparation process reduces the risk of adverse reactions, providing innovative treatment options for a broad population of patients with psoriasis and ankylosing spondylitis.

Research data indicate that long-term pharmacological treatment yields long-term benefits for both psoriasis and ankylosing spondylitis; however, patient adherence to therapy remains a significant challenge in real-world clinical practice. Multiple factors influence patients’ willingness and behavior regarding long-term medication use, among which the convenience of the treatment regimen is a key consideration.

Subcutaneous Injection May Pose Treatment Barriers^[2], including needle phobia, anxiety about injection-site pain, inconvenience in using injection devices, and difficulties with self-injection, can all affect patients’ long-term medication adherence and therapeutic benefits. Furthermore, negative injection experiences may undermine patients’ confidence in continuing treatment. Therefore, optimizing injection methods helps improve the patient treatment experience, thereby enhancing treatment adherence and achieving long-term clinical benefits.

Currently, Cosentyx^®Zigan Suixin Pen^®Marketed in multiple countries and regions, including the United States and EU member states, and approved for the treatment of psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis, and ankylosing spondylitis.^{[3],[4],[5],[6]}. In China, Cosentyx^®Self-Feeling Freehand Brush^®Approved for the treatment of adult patients with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis who are candidates for systemic therapy or phototherapy, as well as adult patients with ankylosing spondylitis who have had an inadequate response to conventional therapy. Globally, Cosentyx^®Benefited over 300,000 patients^[7]。

* The indication for psoriatic arthritis has not yet been approved in mainland China.

** To learn more about Cosentyx^®(Secukinumab) For product information and safety data, please visit the Novartis China official website.（www.novartis.com.cn）Search“Cosentyx” or “secukinumab” for prescription information.

[1] Smith JA et al. Review: The Interleukin 23/Interleukin 17 Axis in Spondyloarthritis Pathogenesis: Th17 and Beyond. Arthritis Rheumatol. 2014;66:231–41.

[2] Cox D, Mohr DC (2003). Managing difficulties with adherence to injectable medications due to blood, injection, and injury phobia and self-injection anxiety. American Journal of Drug Delivery 1:215–21. 

[3] Novartis Europharm Limited. Cosentyx (secukinumab): Summary of Product Characteristics. Available from: http://www.ema.europa.eu/ema/index.jsp?curl=pages/medicines/human/medicines/003729/human_med_001832.jsp&mid=WC0b01ac058001d124 [Last accessed: January 2020].

[4] Girolomoni G, et al. Psoriasis: Rationale for targeting interleukin-17. Br J Dermatol 2012;167:717–724.

[5] Sieper J, et al. The IL-23–IL-17 pathway as a therapeutic target in axial spondyloarthritis. Nat Rev Rheumatol 2019; 15:747–757.

[6] Brembilla NC, Senra L, Boehncke W-H. The IL-17 Family of Cytokines in Psoriasis: IL-17A and Beyond. Front. Immunol. 9:1682. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2018.01682.

[7] Novartis data on file.