Novartis launches anti-psoriasis drug Scapho in India

Novartis Healthcare Pvt. Ltd (NHPL), a unit of Swiss multinational pharmaceutical company Novartis International AG on Thursday said it has launched a drug, Scapho 150 mg, in India for the treatment of psoriasis.

Scapho, generically called as secukinumab, is an injectable medicine and the first interleukin-17A (IL-17A) inhibitor to be approved in India for the treatment of moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis in adult patients

Scapho branded as Cosentyx in the US and Europe is a fully human monoclonal antibody that selectively neutralizes circulating IL-17A.

Psoriasis is a common, non-contagious, autoimmune disease that affects up to 3% of the world’s population.

Plaque psoriasis is the most common form of the disease and appears as raised, red patches covered with a silvery white buildup of dead skin cells.