J&J’s Tremfya outperforms Novartis’ Cosentyx in psoriasis

A large head-to-head study has shown Johnson & Johnson’s psoriasis drug Tremfya outperformed Novartis’ rival, Cosentyx, which had previously set standards in moderate to severe disease. Results from the late-stage study in moderate to severe plaque psoriasis showed that after 48 weeks of therapy, 84.5% of people treated with Tremfya (guselkumab) showed a 90% improvement in disease symptoms. Meanwhile, among those treated with Cosentyx (secukinumab), 70% of patients achieved this, as measured using the Psoriasis Area Severity Index.
In the trial, 1,048 patients randomly received either Cosentyx or Tremfya. Cosentyx was administered by subcutaneous administration at weeks, 0, 4 and 12, followed by doses every eight weeks. Cosentyx was injected each week for five weeks, followed by doses every four weeks. Cosentyx was first FDA approved in plaque psoriasis in 2015 and has quickly gained a foothold in the market, producing sales of more than $2 billion in 2017 after approval in the related diseases ankylosing spondylitis and psoriatic arthritis. Produced by J&J’s pharma division, Janssen, Tremfya was approved in psoriasis by the FDA last summer.