In a January 21, 2015 press release, The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Cosentyx (secukinumab) to treat adults with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis. Psoriasis is a skin condition that causes patches of skin redness and irritation. Psoriasis is an autoimmune disorder, and occurs more commonly in patients in with a family history of the disease, and most often begins in people between the ages of 15 and 35. The most common form of psoriasis is plaque psoriasis, in which patients develop thick, red skin with flaky, silver-white patches called scales. Cosentyx’s active ingredient is secukinumab. Secukinumab is an antibody that binds to a protein (interleukin (IL)-17A) which is involved in inflammation. By binding to IL-17A, secukinumab prevents it from binding to its receptor, and inhibits its ability to trigger the inflammatory response that plays a role in the development of plaque psoriasis. Cosentyx is administered as an injection under the skin. It is intended for patients who are candidates for systemic therapy (treatment using substances that travel through the bloodstream, after being taken by mouth or injected), phototherapy (ultraviolet light treatment), or a combination of both. “Plaque psoriasis can cause significant skin irritation and discomfort for patients, so it is important to have a variety of treatment options available to patients,” said Amy Egan, M.D., M.P.H., deputy director of the Office of Drug Evaluation III in the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research.
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