Secukinumab: A Review in Moderate to Severe Pediatric Plaque Psoriasis

Subcutaneous secukinumab (Cosentyx®) is a recombinant, fully human, immunoglobulin (Ig) G1κ monoclonal antibody targeted against interleukin (IL)-17A, a proinflammatory cytokine involved in the pathogenesis of psoriasis. Secukinumab is approved in the EU and the USA for the treatment of moderate to severe plaque psoriasis in pediatric patients aged ≥ 6 years. In pivotal phase III trials in pediatric patients aged 6 to < 18 years, both low (75–150 mg) and high (75–300 mg) doses of secukinumab were significantly better than placebo and numerically better than etanercept at week 12 in terms of the proportion of patients achieving ≥ 75% improvement from baseline in Psoriasis Area and Severity Index and significantly better than placebo and etanercept in terms of the proportion of patients achieving an Investigator’s Global Assessment score of 0 or 1. The clinical efficacy of secukinumab observed during the first 12 weeks of treatment was maintained over the longer term. Treatment with secukinumab improved health-related quality of life and was generally well tolerated. In conclusion, secukinumab represents a valuable new addition to the limited treatment options available for children and adolescents with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis.