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# Novartis Approves Cosentyx for Axial Spondyloarthritis
- URL: https://www.fdaweb.com/novartis-approves-cosentyx-for-axial-spondyloarthritis/
- Published: 2020-06-17T12:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-09-14T16:18:31.000Z
- Author: David McFarland
- Tags: Drugs, #legacy-id-D5147034

FDA has approved Novartis’ Cosentyx (secukinumab) for treating active non-radiographic axial spondyloarthritis (nr-axSpA). Approval was based on data from the PREVENT trial, which met the primary endpoints “achieving statistically significant improvements versus placebo in the signs and symptoms of nr-axSpA, as measured by at least a 40% improvement in the Assessment of Spondyloarthritis International Society (ASAS40) response criteria in biologic-naïve individuals at week 52,” the company says. Nr-axSpA is characterized by inflammatory arthritis of the spine associated with chronic inflammatory back pain, it says.

Novartis says that nr-axSpA patients treated with Cosentyx showed improvement in both load and without load arms compared to placebo-treated patients at Week 16 in health-related quality of life as measured by the Ankylosing Spondylitis Quality of Life questionnaire. General health status and quality of life was assessed by a “short form health survey,” it says.

Cosentyx is also approved to treat adults with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis, active psoriatic arthritis, active ankylosing spondylitis and active non-radiographic axial spondyloarthritis. It works by inhibiting interleukin-17A, an important cytokine involved in inflammation, Novartis says.