Humira vs Cosentyx
An anti-TNF against an IL-17 blocker in psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis — different targets, different speed of skin clearance.
At a glance
Key differences
- Different classes. Humira is a TNF inhibitor; Cosentyx is an IL-17A inhibitor. They act on different targets in the body.
- Time on the market. Humira was first approved by the FDA in 2002, Cosentyx in 2015. That gives Humira roughly 13 more years of real-world use and long-term safety data.
- Who markets them. Humira is marketed by AbbVie; Cosentyx by Novartis.
What each one treats
HUMIRA is a tumor necrosis factor (TNF) blocker indicated for: Reducing signs and symptoms, inducing major clinical response, inhibiting the progression of structural damage, and improving physical function in adult patients with moderately to severely active r heumatoid a rthritis . ( 1.1 ) Reducing signs and symptoms of moderately to severely active polyarticular juvenile idiopathic arthritis in patients 2 years of age and older. ( 1.2 ) Reducing signs and symptoms, inhibiting the progression of structural damage, and improving physical function in adult patients with active psoriatic arthritis . ( 1.3 ) Reducing signs and symptoms in adult patients with active ankylosing spondylitis . ( 1.4 ) Treatment of moderately to severely active Crohn’s disease in adults and pediatric patients 6 years of age and older. ( 1.5 ) Treatment of moderately to severely active ulcerative colitis in adu…
COSENTYX is a human interleukin-17A antagonist indicated for the treatment of: moderate to severe plaque psoriasis (PsO) in adults and pediatric patients 6 years and older who are candidates for systemic therapy or phototherapy. ( 1.1 ) active psoriatic arthritis (PsA) in adults and pediatric patients 2 years of age and older. ( 1.2 ) active ankylosing spondylitis (AS) in adults and pediatric patients 12 years of age and older. ( 1.3 ) active non-radiographic axial spondyloarthritis (nr-axSpA) in adults with objective signs of inflammation. ( 1.4 ) active enthesitis-related arthritis (ERA) in pediatric patients 4 years of age and older. ( 1.5 ) moderate to severe hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) in adults and pediatric patients 12 years of age and older. ( 1.6 ) 1.1 Plaque Psoriasis COSENTYX ® is indicated for the treatment of moderate to severe plaque psoriasis (PsO) in adults and pediatr…
How each one works
12.1 Mechanism of Action Adalimumab binds specifically to TNF-alpha and blocks its interaction with the p55 and p75 cell surface TNF receptors. Adalimumab also lyses surface TNF expressing cells in vitro in the presence of complement. Adalimumab does not bind or inactivate lymphotoxin (TNF-beta). TNF is a naturally occurring cytokine that is involved in normal inflammatory and immune responses. Elevated concentrations of TNF are found in the synovial fluid of patients with RA, JIA, PsA, and AS and play an important role in both the pathologic inflammation and the joint destruction that are hallmarks of these diseases. Increased concentrations of TNF are also found in psoriasis plaques. In P…
12.1 Mechanism of Action Secukinumab is a human IgG1 monoclonal antibody that selectively binds to the interleukin-17A (IL-17A) cytokine and inhibits its interaction with the IL-17 receptor. IL-17A is a naturally occurring cytokine that is involved in normal inflammatory and immune responses. Secukinumab inhibits the release of proinflammatory cytokines and chemokines.
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- FDA Drug Label (openFDA) ↗ Indications, mechanism of action and pharmacologic class
- Drugs@FDA ↗ First FDA approval date and the company holding the application
- FDA Drug Shortage Database ↗ Current US supply / shortage status
Plain-English summaries and drug-class explainers are written and reviewed by Sreepriya Prasannan (MSc Digital Transformation of Life Sciences (Innopharma Education / Griffith College); MSc & BSc Botany). Data is retrieved automatically from the sources above and cross-checked with AI-assisted verification (Anthropic's Claude) — brand and generic names are matched against the exact FDA product record so that a combination product or a different formulation cannot be mistaken for the drug on this page. An editor reviews the result before publication. We describe this in full in our editorial standards and corrections policy. The FDA data on this page was last retrieved on 9 Oct 2026. How every register is built: methodology · fixes we have made: corrections log.