2023-11-05 13:11:00
Clinical trial results showed a significant reduction of 50% in the symptoms of severe acne thanks to the injection of secukinumab, now available through the UK’s national health service, the NHS. Severe acne, also known as name hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) or acne inversa, is a painful skin condition that is characterized by the formation of inflamed abscesses, cysts and severe scarring. Until now, treatment options for this disease have been limited, leaving many patients desperate due to the shortage of effective solutions.
Secukinumab, marketed under the name Consentyx, offers new hope. The treatment involves weekly injection during the first month, then one injection every four weeks. It is the second drug approved to treat HS, following adalimumab in 2016. Secukinumab aims to reduce the need for surgery, an often unavoidable option when the disease progresses.
An aggressive form of acne
Severe acne, which affects around one in 100 people, can manifest variably, with symptoms ranging from mild to severe. Although the exact cause of this condition remains unknown, it tends to develop around hair follicles, especially in the groin, buttocks, breasts and armpits. The consequences of HS on patients’ daily lives are profound. Severe pain, open wounds requiring frequent dressings, as well as the development of skin scars, considerably limit the quality of life of those affected. Daily activities, emotional well-being and self-confidence can suffer.
Secukinumab, however, brings new hope. Studies have shown thatit not only reduces pain, but also the number of inflamed abscesses in HS patients. This advancement is of vital importance because the majority of patients already have moderate to severe forms of the disease when they are first diagnosed.
“HS can have a very significant impact on patients’ lives. The pain is often intense, and patients are often faced with open wounds that require daily dressings, which can even stain their clothes. Additionally, the development of “Skin scarring can lead to limitations in movement and have a major impact on quality of life,” explains Dr John Ingram, consultant dermatologist at Cardiff University.
HS has long represented a significant challenge for doctors and patients. Therapeutic options available so far include antibiotics, antiseptic washes, and retinoids, vitamin A medications often prescribed by specialists for patients with severe acne. When the infection progresses, surgery sometimes becomes necessary to drain abscesses and ducts, remove the buildup of scar tissue, and perform steroid injections to reduce inflammation.
L’adalimumaban injectable medication that reduces levels of an inflammatory protein called tumor necrosis factor in the body, has been used to treat HS. However, if it has no effect or stops working, NICE (National Institute for Health and Care Excellence) will now recommend secukinumab as an alternative. This drug targets immune system proteinsknown as interleukin 17A and interleukin 17F, which are at the origin of the inflammatory process (source 1).
It is important to note that secukinumab and other similar treatments have been shown to be extremely effective in the treatment of psoriasis, a skin condition, and certain types of inflammatory arthritis. This medical advance opens new perspectives for patients with HS and might considerably improve their quality of life.
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