Is cosentyx a steroid?

Is Cosentyx (secukinumab) a steroid?

No. Cosentyx is not a steroid. It is a biologic medicine (monoclonal antibody) that targets interleukin-17A (IL-17A), a protein involved in inflammatory processes. [1]

What medicine class is Cosentyx instead?

Cosentyx is an “IL-17 inhibitor” (a targeted immunotherapy), not a corticosteroid like prednisone or dexamethasone. [1]

Are there any steroid-like effects?

Because Cosentyx reduces inflammation, some people may feel it works “like a steroid” in terms of symptom relief, but it is a different type of medication with a different mechanism of action. [1]

If someone is comparing it to prednisone, what’s the key difference?

Prednisone is a systemic corticosteroid that broadly suppresses immune activity. Cosentyx specifically blocks IL-17A to control inflammation in conditions such as plaque psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis, and ankylosing spondylitis. [1]

Sources

1. https://www.cosentyx.com/ (see “How Cosentyx works” describing IL-17A targeting)