Spotlight on Secukinumab: Physician RheumJC Chat

The number of different FDA approved biologics for the treatment of psoriatic arthritis (PSA) continues to expand with the recent FDA approval of secukinumab (interleukin-17A inhibitor) in January of 2016. This approval came in part from the results of a large phase 3 clinical trial published in the NEJM on Oct. 1.

The Rheumatology Journal Club (#RheumJC), a Twitter-based chat group for physicians, will cover this article in two one-hour chats at 4 p.m. and 10 p.m. EST on May 5. We will discuss how we’ve been using the drug and we will explore other issues, such as perceptions of efficacy (by both physician and patient), the type of patient being considered for treatment and tolerability.

As one of the founders of #RheumJC, I’ve observed that some of the most interesting discussions over the past year have focused on how we as physicians perceive the effectiveness of a particular drug in real life. Because #RheumJC attracts an international audience, we find that discussions produce insight into prescribing practices by geographic location and differences in patient populations. Equally invaluable has been the individual expertise of physicians from a variety of disease areas.

​The NEJM article shows that secukinumab was more effective than placebo in patients with psoriatic arthritis, which validates interleukin-17-a as a therapeutic target in PSA. The addition of secukinumab to the biologic arrmentarium for PSA will hopefully add to the ability of rheumatologists to improve care for PSA patients.

Tune into #RheumJC on Thursday, May 5, to discover how your peers are utilizing secukinumab.