The following serious adverse reactions of Cosentyx (secukinumab) are discussed in greater detail in other sections:

• Nasopharyngitis
• Diarrhea
• Upper respiratory tract infection

The following information comes from DailyMed, an FDA label information provider.

Adverse Reactions

The following adverse reactions are discussed in greater detail elsewhere in the labeling:

• Infections
• Inflammatory Bowel Disease
• Hypersensitivity Reactions

Clinical Trials Experience

Because clinical trials are conducted under widely varying conditions, adverse reaction rates observed in the clinical trials of a drug cannot be directly compared to rates in the clinical trials of another drug and may not reflect the rates observed in practice.

Plaque Psoriasis

A total of 3430 plaque psoriasis subjects were treated with COSENTYX in controlled and uncontrolled clinical trials. Of these, 1641 subjects were exposed for at least 1 year.

Four placebo-controlled Phase 3 trials in plaque psoriasis subjects were pooled to evaluate the safety of COSENTYX in comparison to placebo up to 12 weeks after treatment initiation, in Trials 1, 2, 3, and 4. In total, 2077 subjects were evaluated (691 to COSENTYX 300 mg group, 692 to COSENTYX 150 mg group, and 694 to the placebo group)

Table 1 summarizes the adverse reactions that occurred at a rate of at least 1% and at a higher rate in the COSENTYX groups than the placebo group during the 12-week placebo-controlled period of the placebo-controlled trials.

Adverse reactions that occurred at rates less than 1% in the placebo-controlled period of Trials 1, 2, 3, and 4 through Week 12 included: sinusitis, tinea pedis, conjunctivitis, tonsillitis, oral candidiasis, impetigo, otitis media, otitis externa, inflammatory bowel disease, increased liver transaminases, and neutropenia.

Infections

In the placebo-controlled period of the clinical trials in plaque psoriasis (a total of 1382 subjects treated with COSENTYX and 694 subjects treated with placebo up to 12 weeks), infections were reported in 28.7% of subjects treated with COSENTYX compared with 18.9% of subjects treated with placebo. Serious infections occurred in 0.14% of patients treated with COSENTYX and in 0.3% of patients treated with placebo.

Over the entire treatment period (a total of 3430 plaque psoriasis subjects treated with COSENTYX for up to 52 weeks for the majority of subjects), infections were reported in 47.5% of subjects treated with COSENTYX (0.9 per patient-year of follow-up). Serious infections were reported in 1.2% of subjects treated with COSENTYX (0.015 per patient-year of follow-up).

Phase 3 data showed an increasing trend for some types of infection with increasing serum concentration of secukinumab. Candida infections, herpes viral infections, staphylococcal skin infections, and infections requiring treatment increased as serum concentration of secukinumab increased.

Neutropenia was observed in clinical trials. Most cases of secukinumab-associated neutropenia were transient and reversible. No serious infections were associated with cases of neutropenia.

Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Cases of inflammatory bowel disease, in some cases serious, were observed in clinical trials with COSENTYX. In the plaque psoriasis program, with 3430 patients exposed to COSENTYX over the entire treatment period for up to 52 weeks (2725 patient-years), there were 3 cases (0.11 per 100 patient-years) of exacerbation of Crohn’s disease, 2 cases (0.08 per 100 patient-years) of exacerbation of ulcerative colitis, and 2 cases (0.08 per 100 patient-years) of new onset ulcerative colitis. There were no cases in placebo patients (N = 793; 176 patient-years) during the 12 week placebo-controlled period.

One case of exacerbation of Crohn’s disease was reported from long-term non-controlled portions of ongoing clinical trials in plaque psoriasis [see Warnings and Precautions (5.3)].

Hypersensitivity Reactions

Anaphylaxis and cases of urticaria occurred in COSENTYX treated patients in clinical trials [see Warnings and Precautions (5.4)].

Psoriatic Arthritis

COSENTYX was studied in two placebo-controlled psoriatic arthritis trials with 1003 patients (703 patients on COSENTYX and 300 patients on placebo). Of the 703 patients who received COSENTYX, 299 patients received a subcutaneous loading dose of COSENTYX (PsA1) and 404 patients received an intravenous loading dose of secukinumab (PsA2) followed by COSENTYX administered by subcutaneous injection every four weeks. During the 16-week placebo-controlled period of the trials in patients with psoriatic arthritis, the overall proportion of patients with adverse events was similar in the secukinumab and placebo-treatment groups (59% and 58%, respectively). The adverse events that occurred at a proportion of at least 2% and at a higher proportion in the COSENTYX groups than the placebo groups during the 16-week placebo-controlled period were nasopharyngitis, upper respiratory tract infection, headache, nausea, and hypercholesterolemia. The safety profile observed in patients with psoriatic arthritis treated with COSENTYX is consistent with the safety profile in psoriasis.

Similar to the clinical trials in patients with psoriasis, there was an increased proportion of patients with infections in the COSENTYX groups (29%) compared to the placebo group (26%).

There were cases of Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis that include patients who experienced either exacerbations or the development of the new disease. There were three cases of inflammatory bowel disease, of which two patients received secukinumab, and one received placebo.

Ankylosing Spondylitis

COSENTYX was studied in two placebo-controlled ankylosing spondylitis trials with 590 patients (394 patients on COSENTYX and 196 patients on placebo). Of the 394 patients who received COSENTYX, 145 patients received a subcutaneous load of COSENTYX (study AS1), and 249 received an intravenous loading dose of secukinumab (study AS2) followed by COSENTYX administered by subcutaneous injection every four weeks. During the 16-week placebo-controlled period of the trials in patients with ankylosing spondylitis, the overall proportion of patients with adverse events was higher in the secukinumab groups than the placebo-treatment groups (66% and 59%, respectively). The adverse events that occurred at a proportion of at least 2% and at a higher proportion in the COSENTYX groups than the placebo groups during the 16-week placebo-controlled period were nasopharyngitis, nausea, and upper respiratory tract infection. The safety profile observed in patients with ankylosing spondylitis treated with COSENTYX is consistent with the safety profile in psoriasis. In a third controlled study of AS (study AS3), the safety profile of the 300 mg dose of COSENTYX was consistent with the safety profile of the 150 mg dose of COSENTYX.

Similar to clinical trials in patients with psoriasis, there was an increased proportion of patients with infections in the COSENTYX groups (31%) compared to the placebo group (18%).

In the original ankylosing spondylitis program, with 571 patients exposed to COSENTYX, there were 8 cases of inflammatory bowel disease during the entire treatment period [5 Crohn’s (0.7 per 100 patient-years) and 3 ulcerative colitis (0.4 per 100 patient-years)]. During the placebo-controlled 16-week period, there were 2 Crohn’s disease exacerbations and 1 new-onset ulcerative colitis case that was a serious adverse event in patients treated with COSENTYX compared to none of the patients treated with placebo. During the remainder of the study when all patients received COSENTYX, 1 patient developed Crohn’s disease, 2 patients had Crohn’s exacerbations, 1 patient developed ulcerative colitis, and 1 patient had an ulcerative colitis exacerbation.

Non-radiographic Axial Spondyloarthritis

COSENTYX was studied in one randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled non-radiographic axial spondyloarthritis trial with 555 patients (185 patients on with load COSENTYX, 184 patients on without load COSENTYX and 186 patients on placebo). The safety profile for patients with nr-axSpA treated with COSENTYX was overall similar to the safety profile seen in patients with AS and other previous experience with COSENTYX. Patients in nr-axSpA1 study who received the loading dosing regimen compared to those without the loading regimen, had higher incidence of infections and infestations (92 per 100 patient-years vs 72 per 100 patient years), including nasopharyngitis, upper respiratory tract infection and urinary tract infection, and gastrointestinal disorders (27 per 100 patient-years vs 22 per 100 patient-years), including gastritis, lower abdominal pain, colitis, diarrhea, and hematochezia.

Immunogenicity

As with all therapeutic proteins, there is the potential for immunogenicity. The immunogenicity of COSENTYX was evaluated using an electrochemiluminescence-based bridging immunoassay. Less than 1% of subjects treated with COSENTYX developed antibodies to secukinumab in up to 52 weeks of treatment. However, this assay has limitations in detecting anti-secukinumab antibodies in the presence of secukinumab; therefore, the incidence of antibody development might not have been reliably determined. Of the subjects who developed antidrug antibodies, approximately one-half had antibodies that were classified as neutralizing. Neutralizing antibodies were not associated with loss of efficacy.

The detection of antibody formation is highly dependent on the sensitivity and specificity of the assay. Additionally, the observed incidence of antibody (including neutralizing antibody) positivity in an assay may be influenced by several factors, including assay methodology, sample handling, timing of sample collection, concomitant medications, and underlying disease. For these reasons, comparison of incidence of antibodies to COSENTYX with the incidences of antibodies to other products may be misleading.

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