Charis Papavassilis

Secukinumab in Plaque Psoriasis — Results of Two Phase 3 Trials

BACKGROUND Interleukin-17A is considered to be central to the pathogenesis of psoriasis. We evaluated secukinumab, a fully human anti-interleukin-17A monoclonal antibody, in patients with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis. METHODS In two phase 3, double-blind, 52-week trials, ERASURE (Efficacy of Response and Safety of Two Fixed Secukinumab Regimens in Psoriasis) and FIXTURE (Full Year Investigative Examination of Secukinumab vs. Etanercept Using Two Dosing Regimens to Determine Efficacy in Psoriasis), we randomly assigned 738 patients (in the ERASURE study) and 1306 patients (in the FIXTURE study) to subcutaneous secukinumab at a dose of 300 mg or 150 mg (administered once weekly for 5 weeks, then every 4 weeks), placebo, or (in the FIXTURE study only) etanercept at a dose of 50 mg (administered twice weekly for 12 weeks, then once weekly). The objective of each study was to show the superiority of secukinumab over placebo at week 12 with respect to the proportion of patients who had a reduction of 75% or more from baseline in the psoriasis area-and-severity index score (PASI 75) and a score of 0 (clear) or 1 (almost clear) on a 5-point modified investigators global assessment (coprimary end points). RESULTS The proportion of patients who met the criterion for PASI 75 at week 12 was higher with each secukinumab dose than with placebo or etanercept: in the ERASURE study, the rates were 81.6% with 300 mg of secukinumab, 71.6% with 150 mg of secukinumab, and 4.5% with placebo; in the FIXTURE study, the rates were 77.1% with 300 mg of secukinumab, 67.0% with 150 mg of secukinumab, 44.0% with etanercept, and 4.9% with placebo (P<0.001 for each secukinumab dose vs. comparators). The proportion of patients with a response of 0 or 1 on the modified investigators global assessment at week 12 was higher with each secukinumab dose than with placebo or etanercept: in the ERASURE study, the rates were 65.3% with 300 mg of secukinumab, 51.2% with 150 mg of secukinumab, and 2.4% with placebo; in the FIXTURE study, the rates were 62.5% with 300 mg of secukinumab, 51.1% with 150 mg of secukinumab, 27.2% with etanercept, and 2.8% with placebo (P<0.001 for each secukinumab dose vs. comparators). The rates of infection were higher with secukinumab than with placebo in both studies and were similar to those with etanercept. CONCLUSIONS Secukinumab was effective for psoriasis in two randomized trials, validating interleukin-17A as a therapeutic target. (Funded by Novartis Pharmaceuticals; ERASURE and FIXTURE ClinicalTrials.gov numbers, NCT01365455 and NCT01358578, respectively.).

Efficacy and safety of secukinumab in the treatment of moderate‐to‐severe plaque psoriasis: a randomized, double‐blind, placebo‐controlled phase II dose‐ranging study

Background  Conventional systemic therapies for plaque psoriasis have not fully met the needs of patients, and although current biologic treatments are generally well tolerated, concerns exist with respect to long‐term safety. Interleukin (IL)‐17A is believed to be an important effector cytokine in the pathogenesis of psoriasis and is produced by Th17 cells, a class of helper T cells that act outside the established Th1/Th2 paradigm for regulation of innate and adaptive immunity.

Secukinumab administration by pre-filled syringe: efficacy, safety and usability results from a randomized controlled trial in psoriasis (FEATURE).

Secukinumab, a fully human anti‐interleukin‐17A monoclonal antibody, demonstrated efficacy and safety in moderate‐to‐severe plaque psoriasis when administered via subcutaneous injection. Self‐administration by pre‐filled syringe (PFS) can offer patients clinical benefits of a drug, with increased convenience.

Efficacy, safety and usability of secukinumab administration by autoinjector/pen in psoriasis: a randomized, controlled trial (JUNCTURE).

Secukinumab is a fully human anti–interleukin‐17A monoclonal antibody.

Secukinumab retreatment-as-needed versus fixed-interval maintenance regimen for moderate to severe plaque psoriasis: A randomized, double-blind, noninferiority trial (SCULPTURE)

BACKGROUND Secukinumab has demonstrated high, sustained efficacy in psoriasis to 52 weeks on a fixed-interval regimen. OBJECTIVE We sought to compare a retreatment-as-needed versus a fixed-interval regimen. METHODS In this double-blind study, adults with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis were randomized 1:1 to subcutaneous secukinumab at 300 mg (n = 484) or 150 mg (n = 482) weekly from baseline until week 4, and at week 8. At week 12, patients achieving 75% or more improvement from baseline Psoriasis Area and Severity Index score (PASI 75) were rerandomized to 2 dose levels of secukinumab retreatment as needed (n = 217, 300 mg; n = 206, 150 mg) or fixed interval (n = 217; n = 203). Primary end point was noninferiority of retreatment as needed versus fixed interval for maintaining PASI 75 to week 52. RESULTS Secukinumab induced high responses by week 12 (84.4%-91.1% PASI 75 responders). From week 12 to week 52, more patients on fixed interval (78.2%, 300 mg; 62.1%, 150 mg) maintained PASI 75 versus retreatment as needed (67.7%; 52.4%); statistical noninferiority of retreatment as needed was not established. Overall safety, including very low incidences of treatment-emergent anti-drug antibodies (<0.5%), was similar between regimens. LIMITATIONS The primary end point was developed without any known precedent. CONCLUSION Secukinumab fixed interval showed clear benefit versus the study-specified retreatment-as-needed regimen for maintaining efficacy. Both regimens exhibited safety consistent with previous trials. The potential of retreatment as needed with secukinumab warrants further investigation.

The 5-point Investigator’s Global Assessment (IGA) Scale: A modified tool for evaluating plaque psoriasis severity in clinical trials

Abstract Background: To evaluate new psoriasis treatments, clinicians, regulators and pharmaceutical developers require well-accepted, clinically meaningful measures of disease severity. The Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) score is most widely used as a primary endpoint in clinical trials, although it is not routinely used in clinical practice. Objective: Characterize a 5-point Investigator’s Global Assessment (IGA) tool and evaluate whether it meets the needs for a valid, clinically meaningful measure. Methods: A 5-point IGA tool was developed with input from regulatory authorities and clinical trial investigators involved with psoriasis drug development and evaluation. Associations between IGA 0/1 responder rates and PASI scores were evaluated using data from two phase 2 studies with the anti-interleukin (IL)-17A monoclonal antibody secukinumab (AIN457) that utilized a similar 6-point IGA. Results: The 5-point IGA has a more stringent definition for a score of 1 (“almost clear”) compared with 6-point IGA/Physician’s Global Assessment (PGA) tools used in previous trials of other biologics in moderate-to-severe psoriasis. Whereas IGA/PGA 0/1 responder rates for earlier scales are strongly associated with PASI 75, the IGA 0/1 rate for the secukinumab 6-point scale was more robust, demonstrating a strong association with PASI 90, and the results for the 5-point IGA are expected to show the same association. Discussion: The 5-point IGA is a valid measure of disease severity and meets the need for a clinically meaningful measure of success for psoriasis treatment studies.

Secukinumab in psoriasis: randomized, controlled phase 3 trial results assessing the potential to improve treatment response in partial responders (STATURE)

Secukinumab, an anti‐interleukin‐17A monoclonal antibody, has demonstrated rapid and sustained efficacy in phase 3 psoriasis trials.

Secukinumab efficacy and safety in Japanese patients with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis: Subanalysis from ERASURE, a randomized, placebo-controlled, phase 3 study

Secukinumab, a fully human anti‐IL‐17A monoclonal antibody, neutralizes IL‐17A, a key cytokine in the pathogenesis of psoriasis. Efficacy and safety of secukinumab was evaluated in Japanese patients with moderate‐to‐severe plaque psoriasis as part of a large Phase 3 global study (ERASURE). In this 52‐week, double‐blind study (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01365455, JapicCTI‐111529), 87 patients from Japan (11.8% of 738 patients randomized in the overall study population) were equally randomized to receive secukinumab 300 mg or 150 mg, or placebo once weekly at baseline and at Weeks 1, 2, 3 and 4, then every 4 weeks. Co‐primary endpoints (Week 12) were ≥75% improvement in psoriasis area‐and‐severity index (PASI 75) from baseline and a score of 0 (clear) or 1 (almost clear) on a 5‐point Investigators Global Assessment scale (IGA mod 2011 0/1) versus placebo. PASI 75 and IGA mod 2011 0/1 responses at Week 12 were superior with secukinumab 300 mg (82.8% and 55.2%, respectively) or 150 mg (86.2% and 55.2%, respectively) versus placebo (6.9% and 3.4%, respectively; P < 0.0001 for all). Greater than 90% improvement in PASI (PASI 90) was also superior with secukinumab 300 mg (62.1%) or 150 mg (55.2%) versus placebo (0.0%) at Week 12 (P < 0.0001 for both). Clinical responses were sustained up to Week 52 in the majority of patients. During a 12‐week induction period, adverse event incidences were 48.3% with secukinumab 300 mg, 55.2% with 150 mg, and 41.4% with placebo. Secukinumab showed robust and sustainable efficacy in symptom reduction for moderate‐to‐severe plaque psoriasis in the Japanese patients.

Secukinumab improves hand, foot and nail lesions in moderate‐to‐severe plaque psoriasis: subanalysis of a randomized, double‐blind, placebo‐controlled, regimen‐finding phase 2 trial

Psoriasis affecting sites such as the hands, feet and nails can be particularly difficult to treat. There are limited data on the efficacy of biological agents to treat these specific localizations.

Secukinumab improves patient‐reported psoriasis symptoms of itching, pain, and scaling: results of two phase 3, randomized, placebo‐controlled clinical trials

Secukinumab is a human interleukin‐17A antagonist indicated for the treatment of moderate to severe plaque psoriasis in adults who are candidates for systemic therapy or phototherapy. The objective of this analysis was to measure the treatment response on psoriasis‐related itching, pain, and scaling via the Psoriasis Symptom Diary (PSD)©.