Novartis Drug Set for Blockbuster Sales Following Latest FDA Approval

The FDA’s recent approval of Novartis’ Cosentyx for the treatment of adults with active ankylosing spondylitis (AS) and psoriatic arthritis (PsA) "will propel the drug to blockbuster status, as it now has three approved indications in the US and Europe," according to GlobalData.

Cosentyx was first approved for psoriasis in January 2015, and is currently in global Phase III development for axial spondyloarthritis, a complication of AS causing fusion of the joints in the spine.

GlobalData analyst Alexandra Annis, commented: “Traditionally, swathes of AS and PsA sufferers have been left with unmet needs. Cosentyx marks a substantial turning-point for these disease areas by offering a novel and efficacious alternative to existing therapies.”

She explai: “Following the European approval of Cosentyx back in November 2015, the drug will be the first-in-class interleukin-17A (IL-17A) inhibitor to enter the AS and PsA treatment paradigm in the US, giving it a major competitive edge in this market.”

However, with Eli Lilly’s ixekizumab on its trail, Cosentyx "may not retain its status as the most exciting new treatment in the AS and PsA markets for long,” adds Annis.