Secukinumab (Subcutaneous)

Medically reviewed by Drugs.com. Last updated on Mar 6, 2022.

Commonly used brand name(s)

In the U.S.

• Cosentyx

Available Dosage Forms:

• Solution

Therapeutic Class: Antipsoriatic

Pharmacologic Class: Monoclonal Antibody

Uses for secukinumab

Secukinumab injection is used to treat moderate to severe plaque psoriasis in patients who may benefit from receiving phototherapy (ultraviolet light treatment) or other treatments. It is also used alone or together with other medicines (eg, methotrexate) to treat active psoriatic arthritis.

Secukinumab injection is also used to treat active ankylosing spondylitis, non-radiographic axial spondyloarthritis (a type of arthritis in the spine) with objective signs of swelling, and enthesitis-related arthritis.

Secukinumab is available only with your doctor's prescription.

Before using secukinumab

In deciding to use a medicine, the risks of taking the medicine must be weighed against the good it will do. This is a decision you and your doctor will make. For secukinumab, the following should be considered:

Allergies

Tell your doctor if you have ever had any unusual or allergic reaction to secukinumab or any other medicines. Also tell your health care professional if you have any other types of allergies, such as to foods, dyes, preservatives, or animals. For non-prescription products, read the label or package ingredients carefully.

Pediatric

Appropriate studies have not been performed on the relationship of age to the effects of secukinumab injection in children younger than 6 years of age with plaque psoriasis, in children younger than 4 years of age weighing less than 15 kilograms (kg) with enthesitis-related arthritis, in children younger than 2 years of age weighing less than 15 kg with psoriatic arthritis, and in children with active ankylosing spondylitis or non-radiographic axial spondyloarthritis. Safety and efficacy have not been established.

Geriatric

Although appropriate studies on the relationship of age to the effects of secukinumab injection have not been performed in the geriatric population, no geriatric-specific problems have been documented to date.

Breastfeeding

There are no adequate studies in women for determining infant risk when using this medication during breastfeeding. Weigh the potential benefits against the potential risks before taking this medication while breastfeeding.

Interactions with medicines

Although certain medicines should not be used together at all, in other cases two different medicines may be used together even if an interaction might occur. In these cases, your doctor may want to change the dose, or other precautions may be necessary. When you are taking secukinumab, it is especially important that your healthcare professional know if you are taking any of the medicines listed below. The following interactions have been selected on the basis of their potential significance and are not necessarily all-inclusive.

Using secukinumab with any of the following medicines is usually not recommended, but may be required in some cases. If both medicines are prescribed together, your doctor may change the dose or how often you use one or both of the medicines.

• Abatacept
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