The You First programme: Supporting Cosentyx® (secukinumab) patients with psoriatic arthritis and axial spondyloarthritis
This page is for Cosentyx-prescribing UK healthcare professionals only. It must not be viewed by or shared with patients.
Therapeutic indications
Cosentyx is indicated for the treatment of moderate to severe plaque psoriasis (PsO) in adults, children and adolescents from the age of 6 years who are candidates for systemic therapy; active psoriatic arthritis (PsA) in adult patients (alone or in combination with methotrexate [MTX]) when the response to previous disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drug therapy has been inadequate; active ankylosing spondylitis (AS) in adults who have responded inadequately to conventional therapy; active nonradiographic axial spondyloarthritis (nr-axSpA) with objective signs of inflammation as indicated by elevated C-reactive protein and/or magnetic resonance imaging evidence in adults who have responded inadequately to non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs; active moderate to severe hidradenitis suppurativa (HS; acne inversa) in adults with an inadequate response to conventional systemic HS therapy; active enthesitis-related arthritis (ERA) in patients 6 years and older (alone or in combination with MTX) whose disease has responded inadequately to, or who cannot tolerate, conventional therapy; active juvenile psoriatic arthritis (JPsA) in patients 6 years and older (alone or in combination with MTX) whose disease has responded inadequately to, or who cannot tolerate, conventional therapy.1,2
What is You First?
You First is a nurse-led service for Cosentyx patients, tailored to meet individual demands and designed to work alongside the expertise of the NHS healthcare team.
You First is for NHS patients who are receiving Cosentyx or for whom the prescribing decision has already been made
A service level agreement is required for each participating NHS organisation
You First is a patient support programme provided by Bionical Solutions Limited that has been developed and funded by Novartis Pharmaceuticals UK Limited
How many Cosentyx patients has You First supported?
What does the You First programme offer?
The You First programme is offered for up to 3 years
The programme is a service tailored to the needs of both the trust and the patient
99.85% of You First patients would recommend the service to friends and family*†3
99.97% mean score for overall experience with You First nurse*‡3
You First FAQs
Can You First nurses provide the same high quality of service that we expect from our NHS nurses?
You First nurses are experienced, Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC)-registered nurses. Each nurse receives specific training, competency assessment and validation. The You First programme adheres to all regulatory clinical standards. By building a relationship with the You First nurse, you will be able to make your own assessment of their skillset and decide the best way to work together.
Novartis are committed to helping patients achieve their goals and, as such, will work with you and your team to ensure You First services are tailored to meet the needs of you and your patients. If you would like to, contact your Novartis key account manager to organise a competency assessment of your dedicated You First nurse.
How do You First nurses differ from homecare nurses?
Whilst homecare nurses provide a valuable service administering treatments to patients, You First offers a longer-term, more comprehensive set of services delivered by dedicated trained rheumatology and dermatology nurses, from phlebotomy and assessment scores to dietary advice and psychological support. Bionical aim to contact patients within 24 hours of referral.
How are patient information and data, collected and/or shared for the purposes of the You First programme, protected?
All You First nurses are trained to conduct accurate, relevant patient assessments, which are stored and shared securely via NHS networks. Information sharing and storing, like many aspects of the programme, can be tailored to suit local needs and processes. You First adheres to all regulatory clinical standards enforced by the Care Quality Commission (CQC), the Care Inspectorate in Scotland and the Regulation and Quality Improvement Authority (RQIA) in Northern Ireland.
How do You First nurses communicate with the NHS team?
You First nurses will be working as part of the hospital team to enhance patients’ experiences, being an extension of the service, not a separate one. Clinical assessments are shared with you, and patient management issues are escalated in line with the centre’s protocols so you stay fully in control.
What insurance or safeguards are in place should the programme be stopped?
Novartis is committed to You First and offers 3-year agreements for the programme, providing long-term reassurance that the support You First offers patients will be maintained. Both the referring trust and Novartis may terminate the services by giving a minimum of 3 months notice in writing to the other party at any time.
How is equity of care maintained when not all patients will be eligible for this service?
You First can help improve equity of care by allowing follow-up patients on Cosentyx to be managed at home, so that appointments with new and complex patients in the clinic are not compromised. You First also supports the NHS’ comprehensive model for personalised care by offering additional support to Cosentyx patients who need it.
Want to know more?
If you would like to know more about the programme, please contact your local Novartis representative.
*Based on results of a feedback survey of 2212 You First users. Patients provided a rating for each domain on a scale of 0–4 (0: very dissatisfied; 4: very satisfied) and the mean score was converted into a percentage.3
†Patients were asked to rate the “Likelihood you would recommend the service to friends and family”.3
‡Patients were asked to rate “Your overall experience of your Bionical Nurse visit”.3
AS, ankylosing spondylitis; axSpA, axial spondyloarthritis; CQC, Care Quality Commission; CRP, C-reactive protein; DMARD, disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drug; ERA, enthesitis-related arthritis; HS, hidradenitis suppurativa; JPsA, juvenile psoriatic arthritis; MRI, magnetic resonance imaging; MTX, methotrexate; NHS, National Health Service; NMC, Nursing and Midwifery Council; nr-axSpA, non-radiographic axial spondyloarthritis; NSAID, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug; PsA, psoriatic arthritis; PsO, plaque psoriasis; RQIA, Regulation and Quality Improvement Authority.
References
Cosentyx® (secukinumab) GB Summary of Product Characteristics.
Cosentyx® (secukinumab) NI Summary of Product Characteristics.
Novartis Pharmaceutical UK Ltd. Data on File. UK_DOF_Sec010. November 2023.
Novartis Pharmaceuticals UK Ltd. Data on File. UK_DOF_Sec011. April 2024.
National Institute of Health and Care Excellence (NICE). TA350. Available at: https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ta350/resources/secukinumab-for-treating-moderate-to-severe-plaque-psoriasis-pdf-82602661589701 [Accessed October 2024].
Scottish Medicines Consortium. Secukinumab 150 mg or 300 mg solution for injection in pre-filled pen or pre-filled syringe (Cosentyx®). Available at: https://www.scottishmedicines.org.uk/media/8106/secukinumab-cosentyx-final-jan-2024-for-website.pdf [Accessed October 2024].
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Adverse events should be reported. Reporting forms and information can be found at www.mhra.gov.uk/yellowcard. Adverse events should also be reported to Novartis online through the pharmacovigilance intake (PVI) tool at www.novartis.com/report, or alternatively email [email protected] or call 01276 698370.