Novartis reports new Cosentyx data at EULAR 2016

Novartis has announced new clinical data demonstrating the safety and efficacy of its drug Cosentyx in the treatment of ankylosing spondylitis and psoriatic arthritis.

A total of 33 scientific abstracts are being presented by the company at this week's annual European Congress of Rheumatology (EULAR 2016) in London, including long-term analyses suggesting Cosentyx may deliver better responses than an established alternative in improving signs and symptoms of ankylosing spondylitis and psoriatic arthritis at 52 weeks.

Up to 80 percent of ankylosing spondylitis patients and 84 percent of people with psoriatic arthritis treated with Cosentyx at two years were shown to have no radiographic progression in their spine or joints, respectively.

The firm will soon be conducting head-to-head trials to compare the performance of Cosentyx with another licensed therapy for the treatment of ankylosing spondylitis and psoriatic arthritis.

Vasant Narasimhan, global head of drug development and chief medical officer at Novartis, said: "There is a growing body of evidence that supports the potential of Cosentyx to become a gold standard of care for patients living with these debilitating conditions."

More than 9,600 patients have been treated with Cosentyx in clinical trials across multiple indications.