[COLOR="#000000"]Novartis announced results from the head-to-head Phase III FIXTURE study showing secukinumab (AIN457), an interleukin-17A (IL-17A) inhibitor, was significantly superior to Enbrel®* (etanercept) in moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis. Enbrel is a current standard-of-care anti-TNF medication approved to treat moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis. These new results were presented at the 22nd Congress of the European Association of Dermatology and Venereology (EADV) in Istanbul, Turkey.
The pivotal FIXTURE study met all primary and pre-specified key secondary endpoints(p<0.0001 for placebo comparisons and p=0.0250 for Enbrel comparisons). Both doses of secukinumab showed improved efficacy to Enbrel throughout the 52 week study, beginning as early as Week 2 and confirmed by Week 12 when the primary endpoints were assessed. Importantly, more secukinumab patients experienced almost clear skin (described as PASI 90) and completely clear skin (PASI 100) compared to Enbrel, which are higher standards of skin clearance compared to the standard efficacy measures used in most psoriasis clinical studies.
“These exciting data suggest that with secukinumab, we have the potential to help more patients achieve clear skin, which is the ultimate treatment goal,” said David Epstein, Head of the Pharmaceuticals Division of Novartis Pharma AG. “The data also show that specifically targeting IL-17A may offer a new and effective treatment approach for people living with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis.”[/color]