A study of Novartis' Cosentyx shows promising results in reducing the signs and symptoms of psoriatic arthritis (PsA).
PsA, a debilitating inflammatory disease, can cause permanent physical deformity, according to a Novartis press release.
"People living with psoriatic arthritis deal with the daily impact of pain, tender joints, as well as the potential of reduced mobility, and irreversible joint damage," Dr. Philip Mease, lead study investigator, said in the release. Mease is the director of the Rheumatology Clinical Research Division of Swedish Medical Center and clinical professor at the University of Washington School of Medicine in Seattle.
"A treatment that reduces the signs and symptoms of psoriatic arthritis and addresses the disease on a structural level by slowing the progression of joint damage could offer a significant benefit for patients,” Mease said.
At the conclusion of the study, which involved randomized participants, more patients treated with Cosentyx had no worsening in their joints compared with patients who received the placebo.
"The results are encouraging as they provide important information about the ability of Cosentyx to address key areas of concern for physicians when managing the symptoms and the underlying progression of joint structural damage of psoriatic arthritis,” Vas Narasimhan, global head of drug development and chief medical officer at Novartis, said in the release.
