Navigating adverse immunostimulation: A practical guide for clinical researchers

As drug development moves towards more complex products, early clinical development programmes are increasingly hampered by unwanted and/or unexpected activation of the immune system (adverse immune stimulation, AIS).

At the Centre for Human Drug Research, we have introduced standardized procedures to make AIS manageable, while still gaining valuable insights into the mode of action of the investigational medicinal product (IMP). Systematic evaluation of AIS is crucial to better understand the underlying pathophysiological mechanism. This can be achieved using standardized blood sampling to measure specific AIS biomarkers. The results of these analyses can be used to decide whether mitigation measures are needed, such as potential IMP re-exposure and the use of pre-medication. Additionally, systematic evaluation of AIS biomarkers throughout early phase clinical trials contributes to a better understanding of the IMP-specific mechanism of action. This supports more informed decision making as the development progresses. Ultimately, it can lead to more efficient and informative clinical trials and may prevent unnecessary discontinuation of promising drugs.