Novartis said two advanced-stage trials showed that its anti-inflammatory drug Cosentix relieved symptoms of a painful skin condition that causes bumps.
The company said in a statement today, Saturday, that the drug, which was previously approved for conditions such as psoriasis and arthritis, showed rapid and continuous improvement in the conditions of patients participating in the two trials suffering from hidradenitis suppurativa.
Cosentyx
The company said that this painful skin disease, for which there are few treatments, affects about 1% of people, but it is difficult to diagnose.
In addition to the drug Entresto to treat heart failure, Cosentix is among the key revenue growth drivers for Novartis, as sales of this product rose 9% to reach $1.28 billion during the March-June quarter.
Novartis said that the results of the third phase of the two trials have been submitted to the authorities in Europe, and will also be submitted to the relevant regulators in the United States this year to obtain permission to use the drug to treat this disease.
She added that data from long-term follow-up trials will be published next year.