Novartis Cosentyx® (secukinumab) receives positive CHMP opinion for expanded use in childhood arthritic conditions

• Positive opinion could expand the role of Cosentyx^® (secukinumab) in reducing flare risk inpediatric enthesitis-related arthritis (ERA) and psoriatic arthritis (PsA) patients in the EU
  
  
• Safety in these pediatric populations was consistent with the known safety profile across approved adult and pediatric indications
  
  
• Since its initial approval, Cosentyx has a proven sustained efficacy profile across several systemic inflammatory conditions and has treated more than 700,000 patients worldwide^1-11

Basel, May 20, 2022 — Novartis today announced the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) of the European Medicines Agency (EMA) has adopted a positive opinion for Cosentyx^® (secukinumab), used alone or in combination with methotrexate, in the juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) categories of enthesitis-related arthritis (ERA) and juvenile psoriatic arthritis (JPsA) in patients 6 years and older whose disease has responded inadequately to, or who cannot tolerate, conventional therapy⁸.

“JIA is the most common childhood rheumatic disease, affecting millions of children worldwide. Unfortunately, due to the limitations of current or available treatment options, some patients continue to experience symptoms, with an impact on their life. If approved in Europe, Cosentyx could offer a much-needed, additional effective treatment for the underserved ERA and JPsA patient populations,” said Ivan Foeldvari, M.D., Hamburg Centre for Pediatric Rheumatology, Germany.

ERA and JPsA are progressive, debilitating autoimmune diseases^12-14. ERA is characterized by joint swelling and pain where tendons and ligaments attach to bone and may present with lower back pain or tenderness at the palpation of the hips^13-15. JPsA is characterized by joint swelling and skin psoriasis and may present with nail changes, inflammation of fingers and/or toes or psoriatic skin changes in a first-degree relative. If left untreated, they can lead to high levels of pain and disability^12-15.

“The positive CHMP opinion reinforces that children and adults living with immunologic rheumatic and dermatological diseases, and the physicians who treat them, may feel confident in the management of these diseases with Cosentyx,” said Todd Fox, Global Head of Medical Affairs Immunology at Novartis. “We’re committed to bringing innovative treatments to young people living with rheumatic diseases across the world. With recent approvals in the US, Japan and Brazil, we are one step closer in our ambition to expand Cosentyx to 10 indications in areas of high unmet need.”

The positive CHMP opinion is based on data from the Phase III JUNIPERA study, a 2-year, three-part, double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized withdrawal trial showing significantly longer time to flare in Cosentyx vs placebo (P<.001) in pediatric ERA and JPsA patients¹⁶. Safety in this pediatric population was consistent with the known safety profile of Cosentyx across approved adult and pediatric indications⁹.

This CHMP recommendation supports Novartis ongoing commitment to the pediatric community across a range of inflammatory conditions. In July 2020, Cosentyx received EMA approval as a first-line systemic treatment for pediatric psoriasis in patients aged 6-18 years old and recently received approval in the US and China^{8, 17}. In 2021, Cosentyx was also approved in Japan to treat both PsA and psoriasis in pediatric patients aged 6 years or older, as well as those with generalized pustular psoriasis¹⁸. Earlier this year, Cosentyx was also approved in Brazil to treat ERA in patients 4 years or older and JPsA in patients aged 2 years and older¹⁹.

About the JUNIPERA trial
The positive CHMP opinion is based on data from the Phase III JUNIPERA study, a 2-year, three-part, double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized withdrawal trial that enrolled 86 children and adolescents aged 2–18 years old with a confirmed diagnosis of ERA or JPsA according to a modified International League of Associations for Rheumatology classification criteria¹⁶. The primary endpoint of the study was time to flare in the treatment period 2 (Week 12 to Week 104)¹⁶. The study met its primary endpoint and demonstrated a statistically significant longer time to disease flare in treatment period 2 for ERA and JPsA with secukinumab versus placebo. The risk of flare was reduced by 72% for patients on secukinumab compared with patients on placebo in treatment period 2 (Hazard ratio=0.28, 95% CI: 0.13 to 0.63, p<0.001). A total of 21 patients in the placebo group experienced a flare event (11 JPsA and 10 ERA) compared with 10 patients in the secukinumab group (4 JPsA and 6 ERA) during the placebo-controlled treatment period 2 of the study^{8, 10}. Safety in this pediatric population was consistent with the known safety profile of Cosentyx for the treatment of adult and pediatric plaque psoriasis, PsA and axial spondyloarthritis⁹.

About Cosentyx
Cosentyx is the first and only fully human biologic that directly inhibits interleukin-17A, an important cytokine involved in the inflammation of psoriatic arthritis (PsA), moderate to severe plaque psoriasis, ankylosing spondylitis (AS) and non-radiographic axial spondyloarthritis (nr-axSpA)^{8, 20}. Cosentyx is a proven medicine and has been studied clinically for more than 14 years. The medicine is backed by robust evidence, including 5 years of clinical data in adults supporting long-term safety and efficacy across moderate to severe plaque psoriasis, PsA and AS^{1-3, 5-7, 21}. These data strengthen the position of Cosentyx as a treatment across AS, nr-axSpA, PsA and moderate to severe plaque psoriasis, supported by more than 700,000 patients treated worldwide since launch in 2015^{8, 11, 22}.

Disclaimer
This media update contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements can generally be identified by words such as “potential,” “can,” “will,” “plan,” “may,” “could,” “would,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “look forward,” “believe,” “committed,” “investigational,” “pipeline,” “launch,” or similar terms, or by express or implied discussions regarding potential marketing approvals, new indications or labeling for the investigational or approved products described in this media update, or regarding potential future revenues from such products. You should not place undue reliance on these statements. Such forward-looking statements are based on our current beliefs and expectations regarding future events, and are subject to significant known and unknown risks and uncertainties. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those set forth in the forward-looking statements. There can be no guarantee that the investigational or approved products described in this media update will be submitted or approved for sale or for any additional indications or labeling in any market, or at any particular time. Nor can there be any guarantee that such products will be commercially successful in the future. In particular, our expectations regarding such products could be affected by, among other things, the uncertainties inherent in research and development, including clinical trial results and additional analysis of existing clinical data; regulatory actions or delays or government regulation generally; global trends toward health care cost containment, including government, payor and general public pricing and reimbursement pressures and requirements for increased pricing transparency; our ability to obtain or maintain proprietary intellectual property protection; the particular prescribing preferences of physicians and patients; general political, economic and business conditions, including the effects of and efforts to mitigate pandemic diseases such as COVID-19; safety, quality, data integrity or manufacturing issues; potential or actual data security and data privacy breaches, or disruptions of our information technology systems, and other risks and factors referred to in Novartis AG’s current Form 20-F on file with the US Securities and Exchange Commission. Novartis is providing the information in this media update as of this date and does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statements contained in this media update as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

About Novartis
Novartis is reimagining medicine to improve and extend people’s lives. As a leading global medicines company, we use innovative science and digital technologies to create transformative treatments in areas of great medical need. In our quest to find new medicines, we consistently rank among the world’s top companies investing in research and development. Novartis products reach nearly 800 million people globally and we are finding innovative ways to expand access to our latest treatments. About 108,000 people of more than 140 nationalities work at Novartis around the world. Find out more at https://www.novartis.com.

Novartis is on Twitter. Sign up to follow @Novartis at https://twitter.com/novartisnews
For Novartis multimedia content, please visit https://www.novartis.com/news/media-library
For questions about the site or required registration, please contact media.relations@novartis.com

# # #

Novartis Media Relations
E-mail: media.relations@novartis.com

Michael Meo Novartis US External Communications +1 862 274 5414 (direct) michael.meo@novartis.com Julie Masow Novartis US External Communications +1 862 579 8456 julie.masow@novartis.com

Rachel Fink-Thoma Novartis Pharma Communications +41 97789486 (direct) rachel.fink@novartis.com

Novartis Investor Relations
Central investor relations line: +41 61 324 7944
E-mail: investor.relations@novartis.com

Central		North America
Samir Shah	+41 61 324 7944	Sloan Simpson	+1 862 345 4440
Thomas Hungerbuehler	+41 61 324 8425	Alina Levchuk	+1 862 778 3372
Isabella Zinck	+41 61 324 7188	Parag Mahanti	+1 973-876-4912

References

1. Baraliakos X, Braun J, Deodhar A, et al. Long-term efficacy and safety of secukinumab 150 mg in ankylosing spondylitis: 5-year results from the phase III MEASURE 1 extension study. RMD Open. 2019;5:e001005.
2. Bissonnette R, Luger T, Thaçi D, et al. Secukinumab demonstrates high sustained efficacy and a favourable safety profile in patients with moderate-to-severe psoriasis through 5 years of treatment (SCULPTURE Extension Study). J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol. 2018;32:1507-1514.
3. Mease PJ, Kavanaugh A, Reimold A, et al. Secukinumab Provides Sustained Improvements in the Signs and Symptoms of Psoriatic Arthritis: Final 5-year Results from the Phase 3 FUTURE 1 Study. ACR Open Rheumatol. 2020;2:18-25.
4. McInnes IB, Mease PJ, Kirkham B, et al. Secukinumab, a human anti-interleukin-17A monoclonal antibody, in patients with psoriatic arthritis (FUTURE 2): a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, phase 3 trial. Lancet. 2015;386:1137-46.
5. Data on file. CAIN457F2310 (MEASURE 1 and 2): Pooled Safety Data. Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corp; July 23, 2018.
6. Data on file. CAIN457F2310 and CAIN457F2305 summary of 5-year clinical safety in (ankylosing spondylitis). Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corp; May 2019.
7. Data on file. CAIN457F2312 Data Analysis Report. Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corp; November 2008.
8. Novartis Europharm Limited. Cosentyx® (secukinumab): Summary of Product Characteristics. Available from: https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/documents/product-information/cosentyx-epar-product-information_en.pdf [Last accessed: May 2022].
9. Ruperto N, Foeldvari I, Alexeeva E, et al. Efficacy and Safety of Secukinumab in Enthesitis-related Arthritis and Juvenile Psoriatic Arthritis: Primary Results from a Randomised, Double-blind, Placebo-controlled, Treatment Withdrawal, Phase 3 Study (JUNIPERA). Presented as a late-breaking abstract at European Alliance of Associations For Rheumatology (EULAR) Virtual Congress; June 2-5, 2021. Abstract LB0004.
10. Brunner H, Foeldvari I, Alexeeva E, et al. Secukinumab Treatment In Children And Adolescents with Enthesitis-Related Arthritis And Juvenile Psoriatic Arthritis: Efficacy And Safety Results From A Phase 3 Study. Presented at the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) Convergence; October 28-30, 2021. Abstract 1424.
11. Data on file. COSENTYX Access. Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corp; December 2021.
12. American College of Rheumatology. Juvenile Arthritis [online] March 2019. Available from: https://www.rheumatology.org/I-Am-A/Patient-Caregiver/Diseases-Conditions/Juvenile-Arthritis [Last accessed: May 2022].
13. Momah T and Ray L. Juvenile idiopathic arthritis: Old disease, new tactics. J Fam Pract. 2019;68:E8-E13.
14. Weiss PF, Beukelman T, Schanberg LE, et al. Enthesitis-related arthritis is associated with higher pain intensity and poorer health status in comparison with other categories of juvenile idiopathic arthritis: the Childhood Arthritis and Rheumatology Research Alliance Registry. J Rheumatol. 2012;39:2341-51.
15. Glerup M, Rypdal V, Arnstad ED, et al. Long-Term Outcomes in Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis: Eighteen Years of Follow-Up in the Population-Based Nordic Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis Cohort. Arthritis Care Res (Hoboken). 2020;72:507-516.
16. Clinical Trials.gov. Secukinumab Safety and Efficacy in Juvenile Psoriatic Arthritis (JPsA) and Enthesitis-related Arthritis (ERA). Available from: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03031782. [Last accessed: May 2022].
17. Cosentyx [Prescribing Information]. East Hanover, NJ: Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corp; 2022.
18. Mix Online. Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare approves additional indications for 12 products, etc. Addition of Enrest's "hypertension" [online]. September 28, 2021. Available from: https://www.mixonline.jp/tabid55.html?artid=71852. [Last accessed May 2022].
19. Gov.br. Ministry of Health. Cosentyx (secukinumab): Extended Use [online]. Available from: https://www.gov.br/anvisa/pt-br/assuntos/medicamentos/novos-medicamentos-e-indicacoes/cosentyx-secuquinumabe-ampliacao-de-uso. [Last accessed May 2022].
20. Girolomoni G, Mrowietz U and Paul C. Psoriasis: rationale for targeting interleukin-17. Br J Dermatol. 2012;167:717-24.
21. McInnes IB, Behrens F, Mease PJ, et al. Secukinumab versus adalimumab for treatment of active psoriatic arthritis (EXCEED): a double-blind, parallel-group, randomised, active-controlled, phase 3b trial. Lancet. 2020;395:1496-1505.
22. Data on file. AIN457A2102 Clinical Study Report. Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corp; December 2008.

To view this piece of content from www.globenewswire.com, please give your consent at the top of this page.
To view this piece of content from ml-eu.globenewswire.com, please give your consent at the top of this page.