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Anti-Siglec-8 Antibody for Eosinophilic Gastritis and Duodenitis
Evan S Dellon1, Kathryn A Peterson1, Joseph A Murray1
1From the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill (E.S.D.); the University of Utah, Salt Lake City (K.A.P.); Mayo Clinic Rochester, Rochester, MN (J.A.M., A.C.B.); the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia (G.W.F.); Northwestern University, Chicago (N.G., I.H.); the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York (M.C.); Baylor College of Medicine, Houston (R.M.G.); Tufts University, Boston (J.L.); the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD (P.K., A.D.K.); Ventura Clinical Trials, Ventura (S.H.), and Allakos, Redwood City (C.S., A.T.C., B.S., A.P.K., H.S.R.) - both in California; Vanderbilt University, Nashville (M.V.); the Division of Allergy and Immunology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati (S.R.D., M.E.R.); and Pharma Data Associates, Piscataway, NJ (C.W.).
Background:
Eosinophilic gastritis and duodenitis are characterized by gastrointestinal mucosal eosinophilia, chronic symptoms, impaired quality of life, and a lack of adequate treatments. Mast-cell activity may contribute to the pathogenesis of the conditions. AK002 (lirentelimab) is an anti-Siglec-8 antibody that depletes eosinophils and inhibits mast cells and that has shown potential in animal models as a treatment for eosinophilic gastritis and duodenitis.
Methods:
In this phase 2 trial, we randomly assigned adults who had symptomatic eosinophilic gastritis, eosinophilic duodenitis, or both conditions in a 1:1:1 ratio to receive four monthly infusions of low-dose AK002, high-dose AK002, or placebo. The primary end point was the change in gastrointestinal eosinophil count from baseline to 2 weeks after the final dose; to maximize statistical power, we evaluated this end point in the placebo group as compared with the combined AK002 group. Secondary end points were treatment response (>30% reduction in total symptom score and >75% reduction in gastrointestinal eosinophil count) and the change in total symptom score.
Results:
Of the 65 patients who underwent randomization, 43 were assigned to receive AK002 and 22 were assigned to receive placebo. The mean percentage change in gastrointestinal eosinophil count was -86% in the combined AK002 group, as compared with 9% in the placebo group (least-squares mean difference, -98 percentage points; 95% confidence interval [CI], -121 to -76; P<0.001). Treatment response occurred in 63% of the patients who received AK002 and in 5% of the patients who received placebo (difference, 58 percentage points; 95% CI, 36 to 74; P<0.001). The mean change in total symptom score was -48% with AK002 and -22% with placebo (least-squares mean difference, -26 percentage points; 95% CI, -44 to -9; P = 0.004). Adverse events associated with AK002 were similar to those with placebo, with the exception of higher percentages of patients having mild-to-moderate infusion-related reactions with AK002 (60% in the combined AK002 group and 23% in the placebo group).
Conclusions:
In patients with eosinophilic gastritis or duodenitis, AK002 reduced gastrointestinal eosinophils and symptoms. Infusion-related reactions were more common with AK002 than with placebo. (Funded by Allakos; ENIGMA ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT03496571.).
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