Results of a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled Phase 2 study propose iptacopan as an alternative complement pathway inhibitor for IgA nephropathy.

Targeting the alternative complement pathway is an attractive therapeutic strategy given its role in the pathogenesis of immunoglobulin A nephropathy (IgAN). Iptacopan (LNP023) is an oral, proximal alternative complement inhibitor that specifically binds to Factor B. Our randomized, double-blind, parallel-group adaptive Phase 2 study (NCT03373461) enrolled patients with biopsy-confirmed IgAN (within previous three years) with estimated glomerular filtration rates of 30 mL/min/1.73 m2 and over and urine protein 0.75 g/24 hours and over on stable doses of renin angiotensin system inhibitors. Patients were randomized to four iptacopan doses (10, 50, 100, or 200 mg bid) or placebo for either a three-month (Part 1; 46 patients) or a six-month (Part 2; 66 patients) treatment period. The primary analysis evaluated the dose-response relationship of iptacopan versus placebo on 24-hour urine protein-to-creatinine ratio (UPCR) at three months. Other efficacy, safety and biomarker parameters were assessed. Baseline characteristics were generally well-balanced across treatment arms. There was a statistically significant dose-response effect, with 23% reduction in UPCR achieved with iptacopan 200 mg bid (80% confidence interval 8-34%) at three months. UPCR decreased further through six months in iptacopan 100 and 200 mg arms (from a mean of 1.3 g/g at baseline to 0.8 g/g at six months in the 200 mg arm). A sustained reduction in complement biomarker levels including plasma Bb, serum Wieslab, and urinary C5b-9 was observed. Iptacopan was well-tolerated, with no reports of deaths, treatment-related serious adverse events or bacterial infections, and led to strong inhibition of alternative complement pathway activity and persistent proteinuria reduction in patients with IgAN. Thus, our findings support further evaluation of iptacopan in the ongoing Phase 3 trial (APPLAUSE-IgAN; NCT04578834).

Efficacy and Safety of Iptacopan in Patients With C3 Glomerulopathy.

Introduction: Complement 3 glomerulopathy (C3G) is a rare inflammatory kidney disease mediated by dysregulation of the alternative complement pathway. No targeted therapy exists for this aggressive glomerulonephritis. Efficacy, safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics (PK), and pharmacodynamics (PD) (measured by complement biomarkers) of iptacopan were assessed in patients with C3G. Methods: In this phase 2, multicenter, open-label, single-arm, nonrandomized study, adults with biopsy-proven, native kidney C3G (native cohort) and kidney transplant recipients with C3G recurrence (recurrent kidney transplant [KT] cohort) received iptacopan twice daily (bid) for 84 days (days 1-21: 10-100 mg; days 22-84: 200 mg). The primary end point was the urine protein-to-creatinine ratio (UPCR; native cohort) and the change in the C3 deposit score of kidney biopsy (recurrent KT cohort). The complement pathway measures included Wieslab assay, soluble C5b9, and serum C3 levels. Results: A total of 27 patients (16 native cohort and 11 recurrent KT cohort) were enrolled and all completed the study. In the native cohort, UPCR levels decreased by 45% from baseline to week 12 (P = 0.0003). In the recurrent KT cohort, the median C3 deposit score decreased by 2.50 (scale: 0-12) on day 84 versus baseline (P = 0.03). Serum C3 levels were normalized in most patients; complement hyperactivity observed pretreatment was reduced. Severe adverse events (AEs) included post-biopsy hematuria and hyperkalemia. No deaths occurred during the study. Conclusion: Iptacopan resulted in statistically significant and clinically important reductions in UPCR and normalization of serum C3 levels in the native cohort and reduced C3 deposit scores in the recurrent KT cohort with favorable safety and tolerability. (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT03832114).

Iptacopan monotherapy in patients with paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria: a 2-cohort open-label proof-of-concept study.

Iptacopan (LNP023) is a novel, oral selective inhibitor of complement factor B under clinical development for paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH). In this ongoing open-label phase 2 study, PNH patients with active hemolysis were randomized to receive single-agent iptacopan twice daily at a dose of either 25 mg for 4 weeks followed by 100 mg for up to 2 years (cohort 1) or 50 mg for 4 weeks followed by 200 mg for up to 2 years (cohort 2). At the time of interim analysis, of 13 PNH patients enrolled, all 12 evaluable for efficacy achieved the primary endpoint of reduction in serum lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) levels by ≥60% by week 12 compared with baseline; mean LDH levels dropped rapidly and durably, namely by 77% and 85% at week 2 and by 86% and 86% at week 12 in cohorts 1 and 2, respectively. Most patients achieved a clinically meaningful improvement in hemoglobin (Hb) levels, and all but 1 patient remained transfusion-free up to week 12. Other markers of hemolysis, including bilirubin, reticulocytes, and haptoglobin, showed consistent improvements. No thromboembolic events were reported, and iptacopan was well tolerated, with no severe or serious adverse events reported until the data cutoff. In addition to the previously reported beneficial effect of iptacopan add-on therapy to eculizumab, this study showed that iptacopan monotherapy in treatment-naïve PNH patients resulted in normalization of hemolytic markers and rapid transfusion-free improvement of Hb levels in most patients. This trial was registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov as #NCT03896152.

Pharmacokinetic Interaction Between the MEK1/MEK2 Inhibitor Trametinib and Oral Contraceptives Containing Norethindrone and Ethinyl Estradiol in Female Patients With Solid Tumors.

This phase 1 postapproval study assessed the effect of the mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase enzyme 1/enzyme 2 inhibitor trametinib (2 mg once daily, repeat dosing) on the pharmacokinetics of combined oral contraceptives (COCs) containing norethindrone (NE; 1 mg daily) and ethinyl estradiol (EE; 0.035 mg daily) in 19 female patients with solid tumors. Compared with NE/EE administered without trametinib, NE/EE administered with steady-state trametinib was associated with a clinically nonrelevant 20% increase in NE exposure (area under the curve [AUC]) and no effect on EE exposure (geometric mean ratio [geo-mean] of NE/EE + trametinib to NE/EE [90%CI]: NE AUC calculated to the end of a dosing interval at steady-state [AUCtau ] 1.20 [1.02-1.41]; NE AUC from time zero to the last measurable concentration sampling time [AUClast ] 1.2 [0.999-1.45]; EE AUCtau 1.06 [0.923-1.22]; EE AUClast 1.05 [0.883-1.25]). Maximum serum concentration (Cmax ) of NE increased by 13% and Cmax of EE decreased by 8.5% when dosed with steady-state trametinib compared with COCs administered alone (geo-mean ratio [90%CI]: NE Cmax 1.13 [0.933-1.36]; EE Cmax 0.915 [0.803-1.04]). These results indicate that repeat-dose trametinib does not lower exposure to NE or EE and, hence, is unlikely to impact the contraceptive efficacy of COCs. The pharmacokinetic parameters of trametinib and its metabolite M5 were consistent with historic data of trametinib alone. Coadministration of trametinib and COCs was generally well tolerated in this study, with observed safety signals consistent with the known safety profile of trametinib and no new reported safety events. Overall, the findings indicate that hormonal COCs can be coadministered in female patients who receive trametinib monotherapy without compromising the contraceptive efficacy.

Pharmacokinetics of Tropifexor, a Potent Farnesoid X Receptor Agonist, in Participants With Varying Degrees of Hepatic Impairment.

Tropifexor, a non-bile acid farnesoid X receptor (FXR) agonist, has dose-proportional pharmacokinetics and no obvious major enterohepatic circulation. This open-label study investigated the effect of hepatic impairment (HI), as determined by Child-Pugh grade, on tropifexor's pharmacokinetics, safety, and tolerability following a 200-µg dose in the fasted state. Blood samples were collected through 168 hours after dosing for quantification and plasma protein-binding determination. Total tropifexor exposure was comparable across participants with HI vs those with normal hepatic function. Tropifexor was highly protein bound (>99%) in human plasma across participants of all groups. The average unbound fractions (percentage free) were 0.14% in participants with normal hepatic function and mild HI, which increased to 0.17% and 0.24% in participants with moderate and severe HI, respectively. Similar unbound drug exposure was noted in participants with mild HI and normal hepatic function. Participants with moderate HI (N = 8) had a 1.6-fold increase in unbound exposure (area under the plasma concentration-time curve from time 0 to infinity [AUCinf,u ]) and a 1.3-fold increase in maximal exposure (Cmax,u ) vs those with normal hepatic function (geometric mean ratio: AUCinf,u , 1.64 [90%CI, 1.25-2.16]; Cmax,u , 1.30 [90%CI, 0.96-1.76]). Participants with severe HI (N = 8) had a 1.6-fold increase in AUCinf,u (1.61 [90%CI, 1.04-2.49]) and comparable Cmax,u (1.02 [90%CI, 0.60-1.72]) compared to participants with normal hepatic function. Tropifexor was well tolerated. The relative insensitivity of tropifexor to HI offers the potential to treat patients with severe liver disease without dose adjustment.

Pharmacokinetics and safety of capmatinib with food in patients with MET-dysregulated advanced solid tumors.

PURPOSE: In the Phase II GEOMETRY mono-1 study, the potent and selective mesenchymal-epithelial transition (MET) inhibitor capmatinib exhibited considerable efficacy in MET exon 14 skipping (METex14)-mutated metastatic non-small cell lung cancer at a dose of 400 mg BID. The current recommended dose is 400 mg BID in tablet formulation, with or without food. This article reports the pharmacokinetic (PK) profile, safety, and tolerability of capmatinib 300 and 400 mg BID given with food in MET-dysregulated advanced solid tumors. METHODS: This multicenter, open-label, Phase I study enrolled adult patients with MET-dysregulated advanced solid tumors. In the dose escalation phase, capmatinib tablets were orally administered at a dose of 300 mg BID with food; if tolerated, the dose escalation cohort of 400 mg BID was to be opened to enrollment. In the expansion phase, patients were to be enrolled at the higher of the tolerated doses. Tablets were taken within 30 minutes of an unrestricted meal type, except on cycle 1 day 1 (C1D1) and cycle 1 day 7 (C1D7), when they were given with a high-fat meal. The primary objectives were to determine the higher of the tolerated study doses and assess PK variables, with a secondary objective of safety. FINDINGS: Overall, 35 patients (300 mg BID, n = 8; 400 mg BID, n = 27) with MET-dysregulated advanced solid tumors were enrolled; all patients had received prior antineoplastic therapy, and the most common primary site was lung (45.7%). Among PK-evaluable patients, the median Tmax for capmatinib after administration with a high-fat meal (on C1D1/C1D7) was 4.0 to 5.6 hours across doses. At steady state (C1D7), capmatinib accumulation was low across dose levels (geometric mean of accumulation ratios, 1.29-1.69), with an increase in exposure (AUCtau and Cmax) from 300 to 400 mg BID. There were no occurrences of dose-limiting toxicity. All patients experienced at least 1 adverse event, and treatment-related adverse events occurred in 28 patients (80%; 300 mg BID, n = 6; 400 mg BID, n = 22), the most frequent of which were fatigue (37.1%) and nausea (34.3%). IMPLICATIONS: Capmatinib tablet formulation at a dose of up to 400 mg BID with food is well tolerated in patients with MET-dysregulated advanced solid tumors, with safety observations consistent with the existing profile under fasted conditions. These findings support the capmatinib dosing recommendation of 400 mg BID with or without food. ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT02925104.