A new psiorasis drug could boost Novartis´revenues

Novartis (NYSE: NVS) announced the 12-week results of the randomized phase IIIb study ULTIMATE, which showed a significant response of Cosentyx® in the treatment of synovitis in psoriatic arthritis. Power Doppler ultrasound (PDUS), an advanced and sensitive imaging technique, was used to assess synovitis. Dr. Maria A. D'Agostino, professor of rheumatology at the Catholic University of Rome, said psoriatic arthritis can seriously affect the joints of patients. The inflammation of the synovial membrane, which if left untreated, is called synovitis, can lead to devastating pain, resulting in joint damage and decreased physical function. The data are very encouraging and suggest that Cosentyx® can reduce synovitis after 12 weeks compared to placebo, with results being seen as early as the first week. D'Agostino added that the PDUS is an objective and sensitive tool for monitoring joint inflammation in PsA patients. Using a standardized ultrasound score for synovitis as the primary endpoint objectively demonstrated the benefit of Cosentyx® compared to placebo in synovitis after 12 weeks, with significant improvement from the first week. Treatment with Consentyx® also significantly improved the secondary endpoints compared to placebo, including ACR20 with 68% versus 34% for placebo and ACR50 with 46% versus 9%. The safety profile of Cosentyx® was consistent with the results from previous studies. The company plans to announce the full 24-week data from the ULTIMATE study at the European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) annual meeting in 2021. Dr. Catherine Bakewell, one of the investigators on the ULTIMATE study, said she strongly believes in the benefits of ultrasound in diagnosis and therapy monitoring. This is the first large, randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind clinical trial in PsA with a primary ultrasound endpoint, which is very exciting. Bakewell added that the use of a sensitive imaging technique in assessing synovitis and enthesitis in PsA represents a huge breakthrough in the design of treatment goals. PDUS also provides earlier insight into treatment response, with patients receiving effective treatment in various heterogeneous areas of the spectrum of psoriatic diseases.