Interleukin 17A inhibitor secukinumab in the treatment of patients with psoriatic arthritis

Psoriatic arthritis (PsA) is a chronic inflammatory joint disease associated with psoriasis and characterized by various presentation, course, and response to treatment. A better understanding of the pathogenesis has led to the development of targeted therapeutic agents and innovative treatment strategies for PsA. The article is dedicated to a drug targeting interleukin-17A. Secukinumab is a fully human monoclonal antibody that selectively targets interleukin (IL) 17A, a pro-inflammatory cytokine involved in the pathogenesis of PsA. Secukinumab is the first antibody against IL 17 approved in many countries for PsA treatment in adult patients. In the Phase III FUTURE trial, secukinumab 150 and 300 mg subcutaneously showed high efficacy on disease activity in patients previously treated with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs), and / or tumor necrosis factor (TNF) inhibitors and maintaining the effect for a long time of treatment (more than 5 years). In addition, in studies FUTURE 1 and 5 secukinumab suppressed structural joint damage and was associated with consistently low rates of radiological progression after 1–3 years of treatment. Treatment with secukinumab improved physical function and quality of life and was generally well tolerated in both short and long term. Secukinumab is effective in all key PsA domains and therefore represents a treatment option that may be an alternative to TNF inhibitors and other DMARDs in adult patients with PsA.