Switzerland-based Novartis has revealed new data for 441 Chinese patients with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis from a Phase III study investigating the efficacy and safety of its psoriasis drug, Cosentyx (secukinumab), it was reported yesterday.

The data is a part of a broader ongoing 52 week Phase III study in 543 patients, indicating 97.7% of patients treated with Cosentyx 300mg achieved PASI 75 and 80.9% achieved PASI 90 by week 12, with 87% of patients reaching PASI 90 by week 16. In patients treated with Cosentyx 150mg, 87.8% achieved PASI 75 and 66.4% achieved PASI 90 at week 12.

Novartis says that Cosentyx is backed by a wealth of research with 100 studies and has been proven to offer clear or almost clear skin in 8 out of 10 patients within 16 weeks of treatment. The product is a targeted biologic and the first and only fully-human treatment that specifically inhibits IL-17A, a cornerstone cytokine involved in the inflammation and development of psoriatic disease, including psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis.