A Look at Cosentyx, Novartis’s Fast-Growing Immunology Drug

In the first quarter, Novartis’s (NVS) Cosentyx reported net sales of $791 million, a YoY (year-over-year) rise of 41% on a constant currency basis. According to the company’s first-quarter earnings conference call, the drug reported 37% YoY growth in total prescriptions in the United States. It reported US market sales of $474 million, a YoY rise of 49% on a constant currency basis.

According to Novartis’s first-quarter earnings conference call, Cosentyx’s ex-US market sales grew 32% YoY in the first quarter driven by robust uptake across multiple indications. In April 2019, Novartis issued a press release announcing the China Health Authority NMPA’s approval of Cosentyx in moderate to severe plaque psoriasis indications. The company expects to launch Cosentyx in China in the second half of 2019.

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According to the company’s first-quarter earnings investor presentation, Cosentyx has reported 23% sequential growth in NBRx (new-to-brand prescriptions) in the US dermatology segment, higher than the 14% NBRx growth reported in the overall US market. The drug accounts for a 19% NBRx share of the US dermatology market, ahead of Johnson & Johnson’s (JNJ) Stelara and Tremfya and Eli Lilly and Company’s (LLY) Taltz. The drug is also ahead of all new entrants in the US dermatology segment in terms of total prescriptions. Novartis expects a data readout from its Phase 3 ARROW trial, which is comparing Cosentyx with Tremfya in Stelara-resistant plaque psoriasis patients, at the end of 2019.

According to the company’s first-quarter earnings investor presentation, at the end of the first quarter, Cosentyx accounted for a 28% total prescription share in the US rheumatology segment, higher than the shares of Amgen’s (AMGN) Enbrel, AbbVie’s (ABBV) Humira, Johnson & Johnson’s Stelara, and Eli Lilly’s Taltz. Cosentyx’s NBRx share was 43% in the US rheumatology segment, much higher than Humira’s 20% share. Novartis expects the readout from its PREVENT trial, which is evaluating Cosentyx in non-radiographic axial spondyloarthritis indications, at the end of 2019.