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Cosentyx

Generic name: secukinumabSEK-ue-KIN-ue-mab ]
Dosage forms: Cosentyx Sensoready pen (150 mg/mL), Cosentyx prefilled syringes (150 mg/mL, 75 mg/0.5 mL), ... show all 3 dosage forms
Drug class: Interleukin inhibitors

Medically reviewed by Melisa Puckey, BPharm. Last updated on Nov 1, 2023.

What is Cosentyx?

Cosentyx (secukinumab) is used to treat types of plaque psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, enthesitis-related arthritis, hidradenitis suppurativa (HS), and non-radiographic axial spondyloarthritis, which are autoimmune conditions. Cosentyx is an immunosuppressant medicine that reduces the effects of a chemical substance in the body that can cause inflammation.

Cosentyx is a monoclonal antibody from a group of medicines called interleukin (IL) inhibitors that work by blocking the activity of a protein called IL-17A.  People who have autoimmune conditions have increased levels of this protein. By Cosentyx blocking the protein's activity, it reduces inflammation, pain, swelling, and skin symptoms that you may have.

What is Cosentyx used for?

Cosentyx is a FDA-approved approved medicine used to treat:

This medicine may improve your psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, non-radiographic axial spondyloarthritis, hidradenitis suppurativa, and enthesitis-related arthritis, but it may also lower the ability of your immune system to fight infections.

Cosentyx side effects

Common Cosentyx side effects may include diarrhea and cold symptoms such as stuffy nose, sneezing, sore throat.

Serious Cosentyx side effects

Get emergency medical help if you have signs of an allergic reaction to Cosentyx with symptoms of hives, chest tightness, difficulty breathing, feeling like you might pass out, swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.

Call your doctor right away if you have signs of infection such as

Further doses may be delayed until your infection clears up.

This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

Warnings

You may get infections more easily while using Cosentyx, as it lowers your immune system's ability to fight infections. Call your doctor right away if you have signs of infection such as: fever, chills, sweats, muscle aches, skin sores, stomach pain, diarrhea, burning when you urinate, weight loss, cough, shortness of breath, or a cough with red or pink mucus.

Tell your doctor if you have an active infection or have ever been diagnosed with tuberculosis or inflammatory bowel disease before using this medicine.

Before using this medicine

You should not use Cosentyx if you are allergic to the active ingredients secukinumab, or any of the inactive ingredients contained in the medicine.

Tell your doctor if you've had or been exposed to tuberculosis, or if you recently traveled. Some infections are more common in certain parts of the world, and you may have been exposed during travel.

To make sure you can safely use Cosentyx, tell your doctor if you have ever had:

Make sure you are current on all vaccines before you start using this medicine. You should not have any vaccinations during your treatment with Cosentyx without first talking to your doctor.

Pregnancy

Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known if Cosentyx can harm your unborn baby. You and your healthcare provider should decide if you will use this medicine.

Breastfeeding

Tell your doctor or healthcare professional if you are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. It is not known if Cosentyx passes into your breast milk.

How should I use Cosentyx?

Use Cosentyx for self-administration exactly as prescribed by your doctor. Follow all directions on your prescription label and read all medication guides or instruction sheets. Your doctor may occasionally change your dose. Ask your doctor or pharmacist if you don't understand how to use an injection.

If you prefer to have a healthcare provider administer Cosentyx to you, it is available as a monthly, 30-minute, intravenous infusion requiring no pre-medication and no laboratory monitoring. 

Subcutaneous Cosentyx

Cosentyx for self-administration at home is injected under the skin (subcutaneous injection).

You may get infections more easily, even serious infections. You will need frequent medical tests.

Cosentyx Dosing Information

Cosentyx is supplied as a Sensoready pen, prefilled syringe, or single-dose vial.

Intravenous dosing (administered by a healthcare provider)

Dilute before use. Administer over 30 minutes.

Psoriatic arthritis, Ankylosing Spondylitis, Non-Radiographic Axial Spondyloarthritis

Usual Adult Dose for Plaque Psoriasis

Dose:

Use: Moderate to severe plaque psoriasis in adult patients who are candidates for systemic therapy or phototherapy.

Usual Pediatric Dose for Plaque Psoriasis

Dose:

Use: Moderate to severe plaque psoriasis in adult patients who are candidates for systemic therapy or phototherapy.

Usual Adult Dose for Psoriatic Arthritis

Dose:

Comments:

Use: Active psoriatic arthritis.

Usual Pediatric Dose for Psoriatic Arthritis

Dose:

Comment: This drug may be administered with or without methotrexate.

Use: Active psoriatic arthritis in patients 2 years and older.

Usual Adult Dose for Ankylosing Spondylitis

Dose:

Comment: If a patient continues to have active AS, consider a dosage of 300 mg every 4 weeks.

Uses: For active ankylosing spondylitis.

Usual Adult Dose for Non-Radiographic Axial Spondyloarthritis

Dose:

Use: Active non-radiographic axial spondyloarthritis (nr-axSpA) in adult patients who have objective signs of inflammation.

Usual Dose for Enthesitis-Related Arthritis 

Dose:

Use: Active enthesitis-related arthritis (ERA) in patients 4 years of age and older.

What strengths is Cosentyx available in?

What happens if I miss a dose?

Call your doctor for instructions if you miss a dose of Cosentyx.

What happens if I overdose?

Seek emergency medical attention or call the Poison Help line at 1-800-222-1222.

What should I avoid while using Cosentyx?

Avoid receiving a "live" vaccine. Live vaccines include measles, mumps, rubella (MMR), rotavirus, typhoid, yellow fever, varicella (chickenpox), and zoster (shingles).

What other drugs will affect Cosentyx?

Cosentyx may interact with other products, so tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines you take, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements.

Know the medicines you take and keep a list to show your healthcare provider and pharmacist when you start a new medicine or stop a regular medicine.

When starting or stopping this medicine patients who are receiving a CYP450 substrate medicine, particularly those with a narrow therapeutic index,  your therapeutic effect or drug concentration may be monitored, and you may need to have a dosage adjustment of the CYP450 substrate. To check for interactions with Cosentyx, click on the link below.

Otezla, Sotyktu, Cimzia, prednisone, naproxen, methotrexate, Humira, Rinvoq, cyclosporine, adalimumab

Storage

Cosentyx Ingredients

Active ingredient: secukinumab.

Inactive ingredients:

Cosentyx Sensoready pen and prefilled syringe: L-histidine/histidine hydrochloride monohydrate, L-methionine, polysorbate 80, trehalose dihydrate, and sterile water for injection.

Cosentyx Vial: L-histidine/histidine hydrochloride monohydrate, polysorbate 80, and sucrose.

Manufacturer

Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation, East Hanover, New Jersey 07936.

Popular FAQ

Cosentyx and the Covid vaccine, what should I know?

People treated with Cosentyx should not receive live vaccines; however, they may receive non-live vaccinations. The COVID vaccines for fall 2023 are all non-live vaccines (from Pfizer, Moderna and Novavax). There’s no evidence to show that Cosentyx should be delayed or stopped in people receiving the COVID-19 vaccine. However, do not make any changes or stop your Cosentyx treatment without first speaking to your doctor.

What is a Cosentyx Unoready pen?

The Cosentyx Unoready pen is a prefilled pen that contains 300mg of Cosentyx that 100% of patients found easy to use and it has a low rate of injection site reactions (less than 1% of people reported injection site reactions). It has a simple pull-off cap with a concealed needle, clear confirmation clicks to let you know when the injection starts and has finished, a viewing window so you can see when the injection is complete, and no button to press. This makes it much easier to use than the Cosnetyx Sensoready pen and it also delivers a dose of 300mg of Consentyx without the need for two injections. The Cosentyx Unoready pen can be self-injected once a month.

What are monoclonal antibodies?

Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) are man-made proteins that mimic the natural antibodies produced by our immune systems. Monoclonal antibodies can be formulated into medicines to treat various types of illnesses, such as cancer, rheumatoid arthritis or psoriasis. Continue reading

How does Taltz compare to Cosentyx for psoriatic arthritis?

Taltz and Cosentyx are similar in the way they work, their side effects, and their potential for interactions, but Taltz does appear to provide patients with psoriatic arthritis (PA) with more quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) compared with Cosentyx at a marginally lower cost. Cosentyx may have a quicker onset of effect. Continue reading

Cosentyx vs Humira: How do they compare?

Both Cosentyx and Humira are available as subcutaneous injections (which means given under the skin) and may be used to treat certain inflammatory conditions such as plaque psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis, hidradenitis suppurativa, and ankylosing spondylitis. Cosentyx is also available as an IV injection that can be administered by a healthcare provider. After an initial loading dose, Humira is given every two weeks and Cosentyx every four weeks. Continue reading

What happens if Cosentyx is not refrigerated?

Cosentyx is a human monoclonal antibody, which is a man-made protein that may degrade (breakdown) if it is not refrigerated or if it has been exposed to heat, sunlight, or extreme cold. Even shaking Cosentyx may cause degradation. If Cosentyx has been stored in a way that has caused it to break down (degrade), then it may not work as well as it should. It is very important that you store your Cosentyx pen or prefilled syringe correctly in the refrigerator at 2ºC to 8ºC (36ºF to 46ºF) until you need to use it. Continue reading

Does Cosentyx cause weight gain or loss?

Although weight gain or weight loss are not listed as side effects in the manufacturer's product information for Cosentyx, anecdotally several people have reported weight gain, some significant, during Cosentyx treatment. But most people who gained weight decided to continue with Cosentyx treatment because it had effectively cleared their psoriasis or psoriatic arthritis. Weight loss has been noted as a rare side effect of Cosentyx in post-marketing reports. Continue reading

How long does it stay in your system?

The biologic drug Cosentyx (secukinumab) may stay in your system for up to 110 to 155 days before it’s completely eliminated. Continue reading

Does it weaken the immune system?

Yes, Cosentyx can weaken your immune system, increasing your risk of infection. Two of the most common adverse reactions to the drug were colds and upper respiratory tract infections in clinical trials, but this occurred in less than 1% of people. Continue reading

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Further information

Always consult your healthcare provider to ensure the information displayed on this page applies to your personal circumstances.