Novartis Korea said on Monday its biologic drug Cosentyx (secukinumab) will be covered by Korea’s national health insurance coverage as a first-line treatment for ankylosing spondylitis starting this month. 

According to the Ministry of Health and Welfare's directive, reimbursement for Cosentyx is applicable to patients with severe, active ankylosing spondylitis who have undergone treatment with two or more NSAIDs or DMARDs for over three months but have not achieved a therapeutic effect or have stopped treatment due to side effects.

Given that ankylosing spondylitis is a progressive inflammatory disease leading to the gradual stiffening of the spine's nodes, early diagnosis and treatment are crucial to impede disease progression. Cosentyx inhibits the progression of the disease by directly targeting IL-17, a factor that triggers enthesitis, leading to the formation of new bone and irreversible damage to spinal structures.

Previously, early access to Cosentyx for ankylosing spondylitis treatment was limited to cases where health insurance coverage was granted only upon confirmation of an inadequate response to one or more TNF-α inhibitors or discontinuation of treatment due to side effects or contraindications. The recent reimbursement update ensures that Cosentyx can be utilized on an equal footing with TNF-α inhibitors, broadening the range of treatment choices for patients with ankylosing spondylitis in Korea.

This expanded reimbursement aligns with the 2022 ASAS-EULAR guidelines, recommending IL-17A inhibitors as first-line biologics for ankylosing spondylitis.

In the 4-year MEASURE1 study, Cosentyx demonstrated that approximately 80 percent of patients with ankylosing spondylitis maintained a Modified Stoke Ankylosing Spondylitis Spine Score (mSASSS) of less than 2 at 4 years, signifying no progression of spinal degeneration. Additionally, in the MEASURE2 study, Cosentyx exhibited sustained improvements in key symptoms of ankylosing spondylitis, such as early morning stiffness, spinal pain, fatigue, and nighttime back pain, lasting for up to five years.