Gregory S. Cameron

Anti–Interleukin-17 Monoclonal Antibody Ixekizumab in Chronic Plaque Psoriasis

BACKGROUND Type 17 helper T cells have been suggested to play a pathological role in psoriasis. They secrete several proinflammatory cytokines, including interleukin-17A (also known as interleukin-17). We evaluated the safety and efficacy of ixekizumab (LY2439821), a humanized anti-interleukin-17 monoclonal antibody, for psoriasis treatment. METHODS In our phase 2, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, we randomly assigned 142 patients with chronic moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis to receive subcutaneous injections of 10, 25, 75, or 150 mg of ixekizumab or placebo at 0, 2, 4, 8, 12, and 16 weeks. The primary end point was the proportion of patients with reduction in the psoriasis area-and-severity index (PASI) score by at least 75% at 12 weeks. Secondary end points included the proportion of patients with reduction in the PASI score by at least 90% or by 100%. RESULTS At 12 weeks, the percentage of patients with a reduction in the PASI score by at least 75% was significantly greater with ixekizumab (except with the lowest, 10-mg dose)--150 mg (82.1%), 75 mg (82.8%), and 25 mg (76.7%)--than with placebo (7.7%, P<0.001 for each comparison), as was the percentage of patients with a reduction in the PASI score by at least 90%: 150 mg (71.4%), 75 mg (58.6%), and 25 mg (50.0%) versus placebo (0%, P<0.001 for each comparison). Similarly, a 100% reduction in the PASI score was achieved in significantly more patients in the 150-mg group (39.3%) and the 75-mg group (37.9%) than in the placebo group (0%) (P<0.001 for both comparisons). Significant differences occurred at as early as 1 week and were sustained through 20 weeks. Adverse events occurred in 63% of patients in both the combined ixekizumab groups and in the placebo group. No serious adverse events or major cardiovascular events were observed. CONCLUSIONS Use of a humanized anti-interleukin-17 monoclonal antibody, ixekizumab, improved the clinical symptoms of psoriasis. Further studies are needed to establish its long-term safety and efficacy in patients with psoriasis. (Funded by Eli Lilly; ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT01107457.).

Comparison of ixekizumab with etanercept or placebo in moderate-to-severe psoriasis (UNCOVER-2 and UNCOVER-3): results from two phase 3 randomised trials

BACKGROUND Ixekizumab is a humanised monoclonal antibody against the proinflammatory cytokine interleukin 17A. We report two studies of ixekizumab compared with placebo or etanercept to assess the safety and efficacy of specifically targeting interleukin 17A in patients with widespread moderate-to-severe psoriasis. METHODS In two prospective, double-blind, multicentre, phase 3 studies (UNCOVER-2 and UNCOVER-3), eligible patients were aged 18 years or older, had a confirmed diagnosis of chronic plaque psoriasis at least 6 months before baseline (randomisation), 10% or greater body-surface area involvement at both screening and baseline visits, at least a moderate clinical severity as measured by a static physician global assessment (sPGA) score of 3 or more, and a psoriasis area and severity index (PASI) score of 12. Participants were randomly assigned (1:2:2:2) by computer-generated random sequence with an interactive voice response system to receive subcutaneous placebo, etanercept (50 mg twice weekly), or one injection of 80 mg ixekizumab every 2 weeks, or every 4 weeks after a 160 mg starting dose. Blinding was maintained with a double-dummy design. Coprimary efficacy endpoints were proportions of patients achieving sPGA score 0 or 1 and 75% or greater improvement in PASI at week 12. Analysis was by intention to treat. These trials are registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, numbers NCT01597245 and NCT01646177. FINDINGS Between May 30, 2012, and Dec 30, 2013, 1224 patients in UNCOVER-2 were randomly assigned to receive subcutaneous placebo (n=168), etanercept (n=358), or ixekizumab every 2 weeks (n=351) or every 4 weeks (n=347); between Aug 11, 2012, and Feb 27, 2014, 1346 patients in UNCOVER-3 were randomly assigned to receive placebo (n=193), etanercept (n=382), ixekizumab every 2 weeks (n=385), or ixekizumab every 4 weeks (n=386). At week 12, both primary endpoints were met in both studies. For UNCOVER-2 and UNCOVER-3 respectively, in the ixekizumab every 2 weeks group, PASI 75 was achieved by 315 (response rate 89·7%; [effect size 87·4% (97·5% CI 82·9-91·8) vs placebo; 48·1% (41·2-55·0) vs etanercept]) and 336 (87·3%; [80·0% (74·4-85·7) vs placebo; 33·9% (27·0-40·7) vs etanercept]) patients; in the ixekizumab every 4 weeks group, by 269 (77·5%; [75·1% (69·5-80·8) vs placebo; 35·9% (28·2-43·6) vs etanercept]) and 325 (84·2%; [76·9% (71·0-82·8) vs placebo; 30·8% (23·7-37·9) vs etanercept]) patients; in the placebo group, by four (2·4%) and 14 (7·3%) patients; and in the etanercept group by 149 (41·6%) and 204 (53·4%) patients (all p<0·0001 vs placebo or etanercept). In the ixekizumab every 2 weeks group, sPGA 0/1 was achieved by 292 (response rate 83·2%; [effect size 80·8% (97·5% CI 75·6-86·0) vs placebo; 47·2% (39·9-54·4) vs etanercept]) and 310 (80·5%; [73·8% (67·7-79·9) vs placebo; 38·9% (31·7-46·1) vs etanercept]) patients; in the ixekizumab every 4 weeks group by 253 (72·9%; [70·5% (64·6-76·5) vs placebo; 36·9% (29·1-44·7) vs etanercept]) and 291 (75·4%; [68·7% (62·3-75·0) vs placebo; 33·8% (26·3-41·3) vs etanercept]) patients; in the placebo group by four (2·4%) and 13 (6·7%) patients; and in the etanercept group by 129 (36·0%) and 159 (41·6%) patients (all p<0·0001 vs placebo or etanercept). In combined studies, serious adverse events were reported in 14 (1·9%) of 734 patients given ixekizumab every 2 weeks, 14 (1·9%) of 729 given ixekizumab every 4 weeks, seven (1·9%) of 360 given placebo, and 14 (1·9%) of 739 given etanercept; no deaths were noted. INTERPRETATION Both ixekizumab dose regimens had greater efficacy than placebo and etanercept over 12 weeks in two independent studies. These studies show that selectively neutralising interleukin 17A with a high affinity antibody potentially gives patients with psoriasis a new and effective biological therapy option. FUNDING Eli Lilly and Co.

Phase 3 Trials of Ixekizumab in Moderate-to-Severe Plaque Psoriasis

BACKGROUND Two phase 3 trials (UNCOVER-2 and UNCOVER-3) showed that at 12 weeks of treatment, ixekizumab, a monoclonal antibody against interleukin-17A, was superior to placebo and etanercept in the treatment of moderate-to-severe psoriasis. We report the 60-week data from the UNCOVER-2 and UNCOVER-3 trials, as well as 12-week and 60-week data from a third phase 3 trial, UNCOVER-1. METHODS We randomly assigned 1296 patients in the UNCOVER-1 trial, 1224 patients in the UNCOVER-2 trial, and 1346 patients in the UNCOVER-3 trial to receive subcutaneous injections of placebo (placebo group), 80 mg of ixekizumab every 2 weeks after a starting dose of 160 mg (2-wk dosing group), or 80 mg of ixekizumab every 4 weeks after a starting dose of 160 mg (4-wk dosing group). Additional cohorts in the UNCOVER-2 and UNCOVER-3 trials were randomly assigned to receive 50 mg of etanercept twice weekly. At week 12 in the UNCOVER-3 trial, the patients entered a long-term extension period during which they received 80 mg of ixekizumab every 4 weeks through week 60; at week 12 in the UNCOVER-1 and UNCOVER-2 trials, the patients who had a response to ixekizumab (defined as a static Physicians Global Assessment [sPGA] score of 0 [clear] or 1 [minimal psoriasis]) were randomly reassigned to receive placebo, 80 mg of ixekizumab every 4 weeks, or 80 mg of ixekizumab every 12 weeks through week 60. Coprimary end points were the percentage of patients who had a score on the sPGA of 0 or 1 and a 75% or greater reduction from baseline in Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI 75) at week 12. RESULTS In the UNCOVER-1 trial, at week 12, the patients had better responses to ixekizumab than to placebo; in the 2-wk dosing group, 81.8% had an sPGA score of 0 or 1 and 89.1% had a PASI 75 response; in the 4-wk dosing group, the respective rates were 76.4% and 82.6%; and in the placebo group, the rates were 3.2% and 3.9% (P<0.001 for all comparisons of ixekizumab with placebo). In the UNCOVER-1 and UNCOVER-2 trials, among the patients who were randomly reassigned at week 12 to receive 80 mg of ixekizumab every 4 weeks, 80 mg of ixekizumab every 12 weeks, or placebo, an sPGA score of 0 or 1 was maintained by 73.8%, 39.0%, and 7.0% of the patients, respectively. Patients in the UNCOVER-3 trial received continuous treatment of ixekizumab from weeks 0 through 60, and at week 60, at least 73% had an sPGA score of 0 or 1 and at least 80% had a PASI 75 response. Adverse events reported during ixekizumab use included neutropenia, candidal infections, and inflammatory bowel disease. CONCLUSIONS In three phase 3 trials involving patients with psoriasis, ixekizumab was effective through 60 weeks of treatment. As with any treatment, the benefits need to be weighed against the risks of adverse events. The efficacy and safety of ixekizumab beyond 60 weeks of treatment are not yet known. (Funded by Eli Lilly; UNCOVER-1, UNCOVER-2, and UNCOVER-3 ClinicalTrials.gov numbers NCT01474512, NCT01597245, and NCT01646177, respectively.).

A Phase II Randomized Study of Subcutaneous Ixekizumab, an Anti–Interleukin‐17 Monoclonal Antibody, in Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients Who Were Naive to Biologic Agents or Had an Inadequate Response to Tumor Necrosis Factor Inhibitors

To evaluate ixekizumab, an anti–interleukin‐17A (anti–IL‐17A) monoclonal antibody, in 2 populations of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients: biologics‐naive patients and patients with an inadequate response to tumor necrosis factor (TNF) inhibitors.

A 52-week, open-label study of the efficacy and safety of ixekizumab, an anti-interleukin-17A monoclonal antibody, in patients with chronic plaque psoriasis.

BACKGROUND Patients with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis demonstrated positive responses to ixekizumab, an anti-interleukin-17A monoclonal antibody, in a phase-II, randomized, placebo-controlled trial. OBJECTIVE We sought to evaluate long-term efficacy and safety of ixekizumab. METHODS After receiving 10, 25, 75, or 150 mg of ixekizumab or placebo during randomized, placebo-controlled trial, patients with less than 75% improvement from baseline on the Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) score (PASI75) entered open-label extension (OLE); patients with PASI75 or higher entered a treatment-free period (weeks 20-32), then entered OLE after meeting response criteria. During OLE, patients received 120 mg of subcutaneous ixekizumab every 4 weeks. RESULTS In all, 120 patients entered OLE; 103 completed 52 weeks or more of treatment. Overall, 77% of patients achieved PASI75 at week 52 (nonresponder imputation). Patients who responded to treatment in the randomized, placebo-controlled trial maintained a high-level response by week 52 of OLE (PASI75 = 95%; 90% improvement from baseline on the PASI score = 94%; 100% improvement from baseline on the PASI score = 82%). Irrespective of dose in the randomized, placebo-controlled trial, each group had similar response rates at week 52 of OLE. The exposure-adjusted incidence rate for adverse events was 0.47 and for serious adverse events was 0.06 per patient-year during OLE. LIMITATIONS No control group, small sample sizes, and bias toward retention of patients with positive responses limit interpretation. CONCLUSION A high proportion of patients responded to ixekizumab therapy and maintained clinical responses over 1 year of treatment with no unexpected safety signals.

Improvement of scalp and nail lesions with ixekizumab in a phase 2 trial in patients with chronic plaque psoriasis

Scalp and nail psoriasis have a major impact on quality of life and are traditionally resistant to therapy. Ixekizumab is a monoclonal antibody that targets IL‐17A, a key cytokine in psoriasis pathogenesis.

Efficacy and safety of ixekizumab treatment for Japanese patients with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis, erythrodermic psoriasis and generalized pustular psoriasis: Results from a 52-week, open-label, phase 3 study (UNCOVER-J)

Psoriasis, a chronic, immune‐mediated skin disease characterized by red, scaly plaques, affects approximately 0.3% of the population in Japan. The aim of this open‐label study was to evaluate the long‐term efficacy and safety of ixekizumab, a humanized, anti‐interleukin‐17A monoclonal antibody, in Japanese patients with plaque psoriasis (n = 78, including 11 psoriatic arthritis), erythrodermic psoriasis (n = 8) and generalized pustular psoriasis (n = 5). Ixekizumab was administrated s.c. at baseline (week 0, 160 mg), from weeks 2 to 12 (80 mg every 2 weeks), and from weeks 16 to 52 (80 mg every 4 weeks). At week 52, 92.3% of patients with plaque psoriasis achieved Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) 75, 80.8% achieved PASI 90, 48.7% achieved PASI 100, and 52.6% had remission of plaques (by static Physician Global Assessment, sPGA [0]). Difficult to treat areas of psoriasis (nail or scalp) also responded to ixekizumab. All patients with psoriatic arthritis who were assessed (5/5) achieved an American College of Rheumatology 20 response. Most patients with erythrodermic psoriasis or generalized pustular psoriasis responded to ixekizumab and the clinical outcome was maintained over 52 weeks (75% and 60% of patients achieved sPGA [0, 1] at week 52, respectively). Mostly mild or moderate treatment‐emergent adverse events were reported by 79 of 91 patients; the most common were nasopharyngitis, eczema, seborrheic dermatitis, urticaria and injection site reactions. In conclusion, 52‐week ixekizumab treatment was efficacious and well tolerated in Japanese patients with plaque psoriasis. Efficacy was also observed in patients with erythrodermic psoriasis, generalized pustular psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis.

Early clinical response as a predictor of subsequent response to ixekizumab treatment: results from a phase II study of patients with moderate‐to‐severe plaque psoriasis

Early identification of responsiveness to biologic treatments in psoriasis has significant clinical and economic implications.

OP0021 A phase 2 study of multiple subcutaneous doses of LY2439821, an anti-IL-17 monoclonal antibody, in patients with rheumatoid arthritis in two populations: Naïve to biologic therapy or inadequate responders to tumor necrosis factor alpha inhibitors

Background IL-17A (IL-17) is a potential therapeutic target for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) therapy. Objectives To evaluate an anti-IL-17 monoclonal antibody, LY2439821 (LY), for safety and efficacy in 2 populations: naïve to biologic therapy (bDMARD naïve) or inadequate responders to tumor necrosis factor (TNF-IR). Methods In this randomized, double-blind study, 260 bDMARD naïve patients (pts) received subcutaneous placebo (PB) or LY (3, 10, 30, 80, or 180 mg) and 188 TNF-IR pts received PB or LY (80 or 180 mg) at Weeks 0, 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10 with concomitant DMARD therapy. The objectives were to determine the dose-response relationship of LY in bDMARD naïve pts based on the ACR20 response rate (primary) by logistic regression at Week 12, and to evaluate efficacy and safety (secondary). Results There was a significant dose response relationship in bDMARD naive pts at week 12 (p=0.031 using ACR20; p<0.001 using DAS28-CRP). Significant differences vs. PB were seen for DAS-28 CRP reductions in bDMARD naïve pts and in TNF-IR pts at all LY doses, with a rapid onset of efficacy within 1 week after the first dose and with increasing magnitude of reductions with increasing doses (Figure). In both populations, significant differences vs PB were observed for other clinical measures. The frequency of treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs) was similar across treatment arms (range: 45-64%). Infections were more frequent in LY arms combined compared to PB in bDMARD naïve (25 vs 19%) and TNF-IR pts (27 vs 23%) with no observed dose relationship. In bDMARD naive pts, SAEs occurred in 1 (2%) PB and 7 (3%) LY pts (6 treatment emergent) with 1 serious infection-related event in a pt receiving LY 80 mg. In the TNF-IR population, SAEs occurred in 1 (2%) PB pt and 12 (10%) LY pts (10 treatment emergent), and serious infections occurred in 4 (3%) pts in LY arms combined. Conclusions LY significantly improved signs and symptoms of RA compared to PB with the best evidence of dose response seen using the DAS-28. The safety profile was comparable to other biologic therapies with no unexpected safety concerns. Disclosure of Interest M. Genovese Grant/Research support from: Eli Lilly and Company, Consultant for: Eli Lilly and Company, M. Greenwald Grant/Research support from: Eli Lilly and Company, C.-S. Cho Grant/Research support from: Eli Lilly and Company, A. Berman Grant/Research support from: Eli Lilly and Company, L. Jin Employee of: Eli Lilly and Company, G. Cameron Employee of: Eli Lilly and Company, L. Wang Consultant for: Pharmanet/I3, L. Xie Employee of: Eli Lilly and Company, D. Braun Employee of: Eli Lilly and Company, P.-Y. Berclaz Employee of: Eli Lilly and Company, S. Banerjee Employee of: Eli Lilly and Company

Population exposure–response model to support dosing evaluation of ixekizumab in patients with chronic plaque psoriasis

Ixekizumab (LY2439821), a humanized immunoglobulin G subclass 4 (IgG4) monoclonal antibody that selectively binds and neutralizes interleukin (IL) 17A has demonstrated efficacy in the treatment of psoriasis. A population pharmacokinetics–pharmacodynamics model was developed using NONMEM 7.2 to describe the temporal relationship between ixekizumab concentrations and absolute Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) scores from a phase 2 dose‐finding study in chronic plaque psoriasis. The objective was to inform dose‐selection for further development. The primary endpoint, PASI 75 (75% or greater improvement from baseline PASI score) was then derived from each individuals absolute PASI score. The population pharmacokinetics of ixekizumab was characterized by a two‐compartment model, while the exposure–response relationship was characterized using an indirect response model that described the pharmacological effects of ixekizumab and placebo in the form of inhibition of the formation of psoriatic skin lesions. PASI 75 responder status at the Week 12 primary endpoint was found to be a significant covariate on the concentration producing half maximal effect (EC50). While the results suggested patient may have different levels of sensitivity to ixekizumab, it is possible that nonresponder patients assigned to lower doses of ixekizumab may potentially become responders to ixekizumab if given doses that yield adequate exposures.