A randomized, double-blind study of AMG 108 (a fully human monoclonal antibody to IL-1R1) in patients with osteoarthritis of the knee.

INTRODUCTION: AMG 108 is a fully human, immunoglobulin subclass G2 (IgG2) monoclonal antibody that binds the human interleukin-1 (IL-1) receptor type 1, inhibiting the activity of IL-1a and IL-1b. In preclinical studies, IL-1 inhibition was shown to be beneficial in models of osteoarthritis (OA). The purpose of this two-part study was to evaluate the safety and pharmacokinetics (PK; Part A) and clinical effect (Part B) of AMG 108 in a double-blind, placebo-controlled, multiple-dose study in patients with OA of the knee. METHODS: In Part A, patients received placebo or AMG 108 subcutaneously (SC; 75 mg or 300 mg) or intravenously (IV; 100 mg or 300 mg) once every 4 weeks for 12 weeks; in Part B, patients received placebo or 300 mg AMG 108 SC, once every 4 weeks for 12 weeks. The clinical effect of AMG 108 was measured in Part B by using the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities (WOMAC) osteoarthritis index pain score. RESULTS: In Part A, 68 patients were randomized, and 64 received investigational product. In Part B, 160 patients were randomized, and 159 received investigational product. AMG 108 was well tolerated. Most adverse events (AEs), infectious AEs, serious AEs and infections, as well as withdrawals from the study due to AEs occurred at similar rates in both active and placebo groups. One death was reported in an 80-year-old patient (Part A, 300 mg IV AMG 108; due to complications of lobar pneumonia). AMG 108 serum concentration-time profiles exhibited nonlinear PK. The AMG 108 group in Part B had statistically insignificant but numerically greater improvement in pain compared with the placebo group, as shown by the WOMAC pain scores (median change, -63.0 versus -37.0, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: The safety profile of AMG 108 SC and IV was comparable with placebo in patients with OA of the knee. Patients who received AMG 108 showed statistically insignificant but numerically greater improvements in pain; however, minimal, if any, clinical benefit was observed. TRIAL REGISTRATION: This study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov with the identifier NCT00110942.

A phase 2 randomized, double-blind study of AMG 108, a fully human monoclonal antibody to IL-1R, in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

INTRODUCTION: Preclinical work has suggested that IL-1 plays a critical role in the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The objective of the present study was to determine the effect of a long-acting IL-1 receptor inhibitor, AMG 108, in a double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-dosing study in patients with active RA who were receiving stable methotrexate (15 to 25 mg/week). METHODS: Patients were randomized equally to receive placebo or 50, 125, or 250 mg AMG 108 subcutaneously every 4 weeks for 6 months. The primary efficacy endpoint was a 20% improvement in the American College of Rheumatology response (ACR20) at week 24; other efficacy endpoints included the ACR50, the ACR70, and the RA disease activity score (28-joint count Disease Activity Score) responses, patient-reported outcomes, and pharmacokinetic parameters. Safety endpoints included treatment-emergent adverse events (AEs), infectious AEs, serious AEs, serious infections, injection site reactions, laboratory abnormalities, and antibodies to AMG 108. RESULTS: Of 813 patients enrolled in the study, 204 patients were randomized to the 50 mg group, 203 to the 125 mg group, 203 to the 250 mg group, and 203 to placebo. At week 24, 40.4% of the 250 mg group, 36% of the 125 mg group, 30.9% of the 50 mg group, and 29.1% of the placebo group achieved an ACR20 (P = 0.022, 250 mg vs. placebo). Of the individual ACR components, numerical dose-dependent improvements were only seen in tender joint counts, pain (visual analog scale), and the acute phase reactants, erythrocyte sedimentation rate and C-reactive protein. No dose-related increase was observed in the incidence of treatment-emergent AEs. No deaths were reported, and the incidence of AEs and infections, serious AEs and infections, and withdrawals from study for safety were similar in the AMG 108 and placebo groups. CONCLUSIONS: This large double-blind randomized trial with a long-acting IL-1 receptor blocker, AMG 108, is consistent with the experience of other IL-1 blockers, represents a definitive experiment showing that IL-1 inhibition provides only moderate symptomatic amelioration of arthritis activity in the majority of RA patients, and provides an answer to a question that has been discussed for many years in the rheumatologic community. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT00293826.

Safety, tolerability, and clinical outcomes after intraarticular injection of a recombinant adeno-associated vector containing a tumor necrosis factor antagonist gene: results of a phase 1/2 Study.

OBJECTIVE: To assess safety and clinical outcomes in patients with inflammatory arthritis after intraarticular (IA) injection of rAAV2-TNFR:Fc, a recombinant adeno-associated viral vector containing the human tumor necrosis factor (TNF) receptor-immunoglobulin (IgG1) Fc fusion (TNFR:Fc) gene. METHODS: In this phase 1/2 randomized study, adults with persistent moderate or severe inflammation in a target joint, being treated with or without systemic anti-TNF therapy, received a single IA injection of either rAAV2-TNFR:Fc (1 x 10(11), 1 x 10(12), or 1 x 10(13) DNase-resistant particles/ml joint volume) or placebo, followed by open-label rAAV2-TNFR:Fc 12-30 weeks later, depending on when the target joint met predetermined criteria for reinjection. RESULTS: 127 subjects received the first injection of blinded study drug; 95 subjects received open-label rAAV2-TNFR:Fc. Administration site reactions, consisting of transient mild to moderate increases in tenderness and swelling of the injected joint, occurred after 23/191 (12%) rAAV2-TNFR:Fc injections and were dose-dependent. Rates of other adverse events were not dose-dependent. Notable serious adverse events (SAE) included culture-negative septic arthritis in a subject receiving leflunomide and fatal disseminated histoplasmosis considered unrelated to rAAV2-TNFR:Fc in a subject receiving adalimumab. In the phase 2 portion of the study, a 30% decrease in target joint global visual analog scale was observed in 21/50 (42%) rAAV2-TNFR:Fc subjects and 3/16 (19%) placebo subjects 12 weeks after first injection (p = 0.14). CONCLUSION: IA rAAV2-TNFR:Fc resulted in administration site reactions after 12% of injections. A fatal SAE, disseminated histoplasmosis, was considered not related to study agent. Patient-reported outcome measures of clinical response showed greater improvement in treated patients than placebo patients.

A placebo-controlled, randomized, double-blinded study evaluating the safety of etanercept in patients with rheumatoid arthritis and concomitant comorbid diseases.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the safety of etanercept in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and concomitant comorbidities. METHODS: The safety of etanercept (25 mg twice weekly) in RA patients with at least one comorbidity (i.e. diabetes mellitus, chronic pulmonary disease, recent pneumonia, recurrent infections) was evaluated in a 16-week placebo-controlled, randomized, double-blinded study. The primary endpoint was the incidence of medically important infections (MIIs; defined as those resulting in hospitalization or treatment with intravenous antibiotics). RESULTS: Data from 535 patients were analysed; the study was terminated early because of slow enrolment and lower than predicted incidence of infections. Serious adverse events (5.9% placebo, 8.6% etanercept) were most commonly observed in the cardiovascular system. Six patients (1 placebo; 5 etanercept) died during the study; four deaths were attributed to cardiovascular events. The numerically higher mortality in the etanercept group was not statistically significant [relative risk (95% CI) = 5.06 (0.59, 42.99)] but remains unexplained. No etanercept-related increase in the incidence of MIIs (3.7% placebo, 3.0% etanercept) or overall infections was observed in the total study population or in subgroups of patients who were > or = 65 yrs of age, had diabetes or had chronic pulmonary disease. CONCLUSIONS: Etanercept was generally well tolerated by RA patients with comorbidities. Serious adverse events and deaths occurred more frequently in the etanercept group but event numbers were small and CIs were broad, preventing reliable conclusions from being drawn. Although the study had limited statistical power, the incidence of MIIs in these patients was not increased by etanercept treatment.

Continued inhibition of radiographic progression in patients with psoriatic arthritis following 2 years of treatment with etanercept.

OBJECTIVE: Clinical and radiographic responses were evaluated in patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA) treated for up to 2 years with etanercept. METHODS: Patients were previously randomized to receive placebo or etanercept in a double-blind study and chose to participate in the current open-label extension phase. All patients received etanercept 25 mg twice weekly. Radiographic progression was determined at baseline, 1 year, and 2 years using the Sharp method modified to include joints frequently affected in PsA. Arthritis and psoriasis responses were determined using American College of Rheumatology 20% (ACR20) improvement criteria, PsA response criteria (PsARC), and the psoriasis area severity index (PASI). RESULTS: Of 205 patients randomized, 169 entered open-label, and 141 [71 randomized to receive placebo (placebo/etanercept) and 70 randomized to receive etanercept (etanercept/etanercept)] had radiographic data available for analysis at 2 years. ACR20 criteria, PsARC, and PASI 50 criteria were met by 64%, 84%, and 62%, respectively, of etanercept/etanercept patients at the end of the 48-week open-label period. Placebo/etanercept patients achieved comparable results within 12 weeks that were sustained at 48 weeks (63%, 80%, and 73%). Radiographic progression was inhibited in the etanercept/ etanercept patients (mean adjusted change in total Sharp score of -0.38 from baseline to 2 yrs). In placebo/etanercept patients, disease progression was inhibited once patients began receiving etanercept (mean adjusted change of -0.22 from 1 year to 2 years). Adverse event rates were similar to those observed during randomized phase, with only one serious adverse event deemed possibly related to etanercept. CONCLUSION: These data demonstrate a sustained benefit of etanercept treatment, including inhibition of radiographic progression, in patients with PsA.

Etanercept treatment of psoriatic arthritis: safety, efficacy, and effect on disease progression.

OBJECTIVE: Etanercept has been shown to improve the articular and cutaneous manifestations of psoriatic arthritis (PsA). In this study, we further evaluated the safety, efficacy, and effect on radiographic progression of etanercept in patients with PsA. METHODS: Patients with PsA (n = 205) were randomized to receive placebo or 25 mg etanercept subcutaneously twice weekly for 24 weeks. Patients continued to receive blind-labeled therapy in a maintenance phase until all had completed the 24-week phase, then could receive open-label etanercept in a 48-week extension. Efficacy and safety were evaluated at 4, 12, and 24 weeks and at 12-week intervals thereafter. Radiographs of the hands and wrists were assessed at baseline and 24 weeks, at entry to the open-label phase, and after 48 weeks in the study. RESULTS: Etanercept significantly reduced the signs and symptoms of PsA and psoriasis. At 12 weeks, 59% of etanercept patients met the American College of Rheumatology 20% improvement criteria for joint response, compared with 15% of placebo patients (P < 0.0001), and results were sustained at 24 and 48 weeks. At 24 weeks, 23% of etanercept patients eligible for psoriasis evaluation achieved at least 75% improvement in the Psoriasis Area and Severity Index, compared with 3% of placebo patients (P = 0.001). Radiographic disease progression was inhibited in the etanercept group at 12 months; the mean annualized rate of change in the modified total Sharp score was -0.03 unit, compared with +1.00 unit in the placebo group (P = 0.0001). Etanercept was well tolerated. CONCLUSION: Etanercept reduced joint symptoms, improved psoriatic lesions, inhibited radiographic progression, and was well tolerated in patients with PsA.