1 Recommendations
1.1 Secukinumab is recommended as an option for treating plaque psoriasis in children and young people aged 6 to 17 years, only if:
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the disease is severe, as defined by a total Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) of 10 or more and
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the disease has not responded to other systemic treatments, including ciclosporin, methotrexate and phototherapy, or these options are contraindicated or not tolerated and
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the company provides the drug according to the commercial arrangement.
1.2 Stop secukinumab treatment at 12 weeks if the psoriasis has not responded adequately. An adequate response is defined as a 75% reduction in the PASI score (PASI 75) from when treatment started.
1.3 Choose the least expensive treatment if patients (or their parents or carers) and their clinicians consider secukinumab to be one of a range of suitable treatments. Take into account availability of biosimilar products, administration costs, dosage, price per dose and commercial arrangements.
1.4 Take into account how skin colour could affect the PASI score and make any appropriate clinical adjustments.
1.5 These recommendations are not intended to affect treatment with secukinumab that was started in the NHS before this guidance was published. People having treatment outside these recommendations may continue without change to the funding arrangements in place for them before this guidance was published, until they and their NHS clinician consider it appropriate to stop. This decision should be made jointly by the clinician, the child or young person and their parents or carers.
Why the committee made these recommendations
Secukinumab is a possible alternative to other biological treatments (adalimumab, etanercept and ustekinumab) already recommended by NICE for treating severe plaque psoriasis in children and young people.
Evidence from clinical trials shows that secukinumab is more effective than etanercept. Evidence from an indirect comparison suggests that it is similarly effective to ustekinumab. How its effectiveness compares with that of adalimumab is uncertain because of a lack of evidence, but adalimumab is thought to be similarly effective to ustekinumab.
Comparing the costs of secukinumab with those of adalimumab, etanercept and ustekinumab is appropriate because they work in a similar way and are all options for plaque psoriasis. The costs of secukinumab are similar to or lower than those of adalimumab, etanercept and ustekinumab. Therefore, secukinumab is recommended.