What does the availability of COVID-19 vaccines mean for patients taking COSENTYX® (secukinumab)?
- According to the COSENTYX prescribing information, patients treated with COSENTYX should not receive live vaccines; however, they may receive non-live vaccinations.1
- As of December 21, 2020, all COVID-19 vaccines with emergency use authorization are non-live vaccines, and at this time there are no live COVID-19 vaccines in phase 3 clinical development.2
What does COVID-19 mean for patients taking COSENTYX?
- At this time, Novartis has not yet evaluated the initiation or continuation of COSENTYX in patients with COVID-19.
- COSENTYX may increase the risk of infections. Exercise caution when considering the use of COSENTYX in patients with a chronic infection or a history of recurrent infection.1
- Instruct patients to seek medical advice if signs and symptoms suggestive of an infection occur. If a patient develops a serious infection, the patient should be closely monitored and COSENTYX should be discontinued until the infection resolves.1
- Patients treated with COSENTYX may receive non-live vaccinations. Patients treated with COSENTYX may not receive live vaccinations.1
Availability & Manufacturing
- Secukinumab is manufactured in France and Switzerland in sterile, state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities.3
- At this time, Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation does not anticipate supply chain disruption due to the COVID-19 outbreak. We are confident that our existing stock is sufficient to cover production/distribution needs for the time being.
- Where required, we have enacted mitigation plans to ensure ongoing drug supply.4
- The quality, safety, and efficacy of our products are of fundamental importance to Novartis, and we are committed to ensuring that all our marketed products meet the highest quality standards.
Additional Information
Please refer to the following:
For any additional questions regarding this information, please contact Novartis Medical Information at
1-888-NOW-NOVA (1-888-669-6682) from Monday - Friday, 8:30
AM - 5:00
PM ET.
References: 1. Cosentyx [prescribing information]. East Hanover, NJ: Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corp; June 2020. 2. American College of Rheumatology. December 2020 update: information from the American College of Rheumatology regarding vaccination against SARS-CoV-2. https://www.rheumatology.org/Portals/0/Files/ACR-Information-Vaccination-Against-SARS-CoV-2.pdf. Accessed January 12, 2021.
3. Data on file. Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation; East Hanover, NJ. 4. Novartis Global Website. Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) update. Accessed: March 13, 2020. https://www.novartis.com/news/coronavirus-disease-covid-19-update.
