Alan Solinger

Interleukin-1β-regulating antibody XOMA 052 (gevokizumab) in the treatment of acute exacerbations of resistant uveitis of Behcet's disease: an open-label pilot study.

Objective Uveitis and retinal vasculitis are sight-threatening manifestations of Behçets disease with limited treatment options. This pilot study aimed to evaluate the safety, pharmacokinetics and clinical activity of XOMA 052 (gevokizumab), a recombinant humanised anti-interleukin 1β antibody, in Behçets disease patients with uveitis. Methods Patients with acute posterior or panuveitis, and/or retinal vasculitis, resistant to azathioprine and/or ciclosporin, and receiving 10 mg/day or less of prednisolone, were enrolled into the 98-day study. Immunosuppressive agents were discontinued at baseline. Patients received a single infusion of XOMA 052 (0.3 mg/kg). The safety and uveitis status and pharmacokinetics of XOMA 052 were evaluated. Results Seven patients enrolled and completed the study. No treatment-related adverse event was observed. XOMA 052 treatment was associated with rapid and durable clinical response in all patients. Complete resolution of intraocular inflammation was achieved in 4–21 days (median 14 days), with a median duration of response of 49 days (range 21–97 days); one patient remained exacerbation free throughout the study. Conclusions Well tolerated, XOMA 052 resulted in a rapid onset and sustained reduction in intraocular inflammation in patients with resistant uveitis and retinal vasculitis. Moreover, the effect was observed despite discontinuation of immunosuppressive agents and without the need to increase corticosteroid dosages.

Anti–IL-23A mAb BI 655066 for treatment of moderate-to-severe psoriasis: Safety, efficacy, pharmacokinetics, and biomarker results of a single-rising-dose, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial

BACKGROUND IL-23 is associated with plaque psoriasis susceptibility and pathogenesis. BI 655066 is a fully human IgG1 mAb specific for the IL-23 p19 subunit. OBJECTIVE This first-in-human proof-of-concept study evaluated the clinical and biological effects of BI 655066 in patients with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis. METHODS We performed a single-rising-dose, multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, within-dose cohort phase I trial. Patients received 0.01, 0.05, 0.25, 1, 3, or 5 mg/kg BI 655066 intravenously, 0.25 or 1 mg/kg BI 655066 subcutaneously, or matched placebo. The primary objective was safety evaluation. RESULTS Thirty-nine patients received single-dose BI 655066 intravenously (n = 18) or subcutaneously (n = 13) or placebo (n = 8). Adverse events were reported with similar frequency in the BI 655066 and placebo groups. Four serious adverse events (not considered treatment related) were reported among BI 655066-treated patients. BI 655066 was associated with clinical improvement from week 2 and maintained for up to 66 weeks after treatment. At week 12, 75%, 90%, and 100% decreases in the Psoriasis Area and Severity Index were achieved by 87%, 58%, and 16% of BI 655066-treated patients (any dose), respectively, versus none receiving placebo. BI 655066 treatment resulted in reduced expression of lesional skin genes associated with IL-23/IL-17 signaling pathways and normalization of psoriatic lesion gene expression profiles to a profile approaching that of nonlesional skin. Significant correlation between treatment-associated molecular changes and psoriasis area and severity index improvement was observed (r = 0.73, P = 2 × 10(-6)). CONCLUSIONS BI 655066 was well tolerated and associated with rapid, substantial, and durable clinical improvement in patients with moderate-to-severe psoriasis, supporting a central role for IL-23 in psoriasis pathogenesis.

Risankizumab, an IL-23 inhibitor, for ankylosing spondylitis: results of a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, proof-of-concept, dose-finding phase 2 study

Objectives To evaluate the efficacy and safety of risankizumab, a humanised monoclonal antibody targeting the p19 subunit of interleukin-23 (IL-23), in patients with active ankylosing spondylitis (AS). Methods A total of 159 patients with biological-naïve AS, with active disease (Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index score of ≥4), were randomised (1:1:1:1) to risankizumab (18 mg single dose, 90 mg or 180 mg at day 1 and weeks 8, 16 and 24) or placebo over a 24-week blinded period. The primary outcome was a 40% improvement in Assessment in Spondylo Arthritis International Society (ASAS40) at week 12. Safety was assessed in patients who received at least one dose of study drug. Results At week 12, ASAS40 response rates were 25.5%, 20.5% and 15.0% in the 18 mg, 90 mg and 180 mg risankizumab groups, respectively, compared with 17.5% in the placebo group. The estimated difference in proportion between the 180 mg risankizumab and placebo groups (primary endpoint) was –2.5% (95% CI –21.8 to 17.0; p=0.42). Rates of adverse events were similar in all treatment groups. Conclusions Treatment with risankizumab did not meet the study primary endpoint and showed no evidence of clinically meaningful improvements compared with placebo in patients with active AS, suggesting that IL-23 may not be a relevant driver of disease pathogenesis and symptoms in AS. Trial registration number NCT02047110; Pre-results.