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Completed

NCT Number: NCT00430495

A Phase 2 Dose-finding Study of Atacicept in Subjects With Rheumatoid Arthritis (AUGUST I)

This was a double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-arm, multicentre, prospective dose-finding trial of the safety and efficacy of atacicept in subjects with active rheumatoid arthritis who had failed a three month therapeutic trial with a tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFa) antagonist due to lack of efficacy.

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Key information

Conditions

Rheumatoid Arthritis Arthritis Arthritis, Rheumatoid Autoimmune Diseases Connective Tissue Diseases Immune System Diseases Joint Diseases Musculoskeletal Diseases Rheumatic Diseases Skin and Connective Tissue Diseases

Age range

18 year and older

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Phase 2

Primary location

Merck/Serono, Canada

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Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) satisfying American College of Rheumatology (ACR) diagnostic criteria with a disease history of at least one year
  • Male or female greater than or equal to (>=)18-years of age at time of informed consent
  • Active RA as defined by:
  • >=8 swollen joints (66-joint count),
  • >=8 tender joints (68-joint count), and
  • C-reactive protein (CRP) >=10 milligram per liter (mg/L) (central laboratory) and/or erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) >= to 28 millimeter per hour (mm/h)
  • Failure of at least one TNFa antagonist therapy (previously or at the time of screening) as specified in the protocol
  • Other protocol defined inclusion criteria could apply

Exclusion criteria

  • Any condition, including laboratory findings or findings in the medical history or pre-trial assessments, that in the opinion of the Investigator constitutes a risk or a contraindication for the subject's participation in the trial or that could interfere with the trial objectives, conduct or evaluation
  • Treatment with biologics aiming at B cell modulation such as rituximab or belimumab within 2 years before study Day 1
  • Any previous treatment with anakinra (Kineret), abatacept (Orencia) or tocilizumab within 3 months before study Day 1
  • Use of etanercept (Enbrel) within 28 days before study Day 1, or of infliximab (Remicade) or adalimumab (Humira) within 60 days before study Day 1
  • Participation in any interventional clinical trial with an unapproved investigational therapy within the 3 months before the start of this study (or within 5 half-lives of the investigated compound before study Day 1, whichever is longer)
  • Other protocol defined exclusion criteria could apply

Treatment and study plan

Atacicept

Drug

Atacicept was administered subcutaneously at a dose of 25 milligram (mg) twice a week for initial 4 weeks as loading dose, followed by 25 mg once a week for subsequent 21 weeks.

Placebo matched to atacicept

Drug

Placebo matched to atacicept was administered subcutaneously twice a week for initial 4 weeks, followed by once a week for subsequent 21 weeks.

Primary outcomes

  1. Percentage of Participants Achieving American College of Rheumatology 20 Response Based on C-reactive Protein (ACR20-CRP) at Week 26

    Time frame: Week 26

    ACR20-CRP response is defined as greater than or equal to (>=) 20 percent (%) improvement in both tender joint counts (based on a total of 68 joints) and swollen joint counts (based on a total of 66 joints) together with >=20% improvement in at least 3 of the following 5 measures: 1) participant's assessment of pain; 2) participant's global assessment of disease activity; 3) physician's global assessment of disease activity; 4) participant's assessment of physical function; and 5) acute-phase marker (CRP).

Secondary outcomes

  1. Percentage of Participants Achieving American College of Rheumatology 50 Response Based on CRP (ACR50-CRP) at Week 26

    Time frame: Week 26

    ACR50-CRP response is defined as >=50% improvement in both tender joint counts (based on a total of 68 joints) and swollen joint counts (based on a total of 66 joints) together with >=50% improvement in at least 3 of the following 5 measures: 1) participant's assessment of pain; 2) participant's global assessment of disease activity; 3) physician's global assessment of disease activity; 4) participant's assessment of physical function; and 5) acute-phase marker (CRP).

  2. Percentage of Participants Achieving American College of Rheumatology 70 Response Based on CRP (ACR70-CRP) at Week 26

    Time frame: Week 26

    ACR70-CRP response is defined as >=70% improvement in both tender joint counts (based on a total of 68 joints) and swollen joint counts (based on a total of 66 joints) together with >=70% improvement in at least 3 of the following 5 measures: 1) participant's assessment of pain; 2) participant's global assessment of disease activity; 3) physician's global assessment of disease activity; 4) participant's assessment of physical function; and 5) acute-phase marker (CRP).

  3. Percentage of Participants Achieving Disease Activity Score in 28 Joints (DAS28) Based on CRP (DAS28-CRP) of Less Than or Equal to (<=) 3.2 at Week 26

    Time frame: Week 26

    DAS28-CRP incorporates non-graded joint counts for tenderness and swelling based on a total of 28 joints, CRP as a marker of inflammation, and a general health assessment using a 100-millimeter (mm) visual analog scale (the participant's global assessment of disease activity). DAS28 ranges between 0 and 10 representing current disease activity. A value above 5.1 represents high disease activity, a value below 3.2 represents low disease activity, and a value below 2.6 represents remission.

  4. Percentage of Participants Achieving Disease Activity Score in 28 Joints (DAS28) Based on CRP (DAS28-CRP) of <=2.6 at Week 26

    Time frame: Week 26

    DAS28-CRP incorporates non-graded joint counts for tenderness and swelling based on a total of 28 joints, CRP as a marker of inflammation, and a general health assessment using a 100 mm visual analog scale (the participant's global assessment of disease activity). DAS28 ranges between 0 and 10 representing current disease activity. A value above 5.1 represents high disease activity, a value below 3.2 represents low disease activity, and a value below 2.6 represents remission.

  5. Percentage of Participants Achieving Improvement in Health Assessment Questionnaire Disability Index (HAQ-DI) of at Least 0.3 From Baseline at Week 26

    Time frame: Week 26

    The HAQ-DI is a participant-reported assessment of ability to perform tasks in 8 categories of daily living activities: dress/groom; arise; eat; walk; reach; grip; hygiene; and common activities over past week. Each item was scored on 4-point scale from 0 to 3: 0 = no difficulty; 1 = some difficulty; 2 = much difficulty; 3 = unable to do. Overall score was computed as the sum of domain scores and divided by the number of domains answered. Total possible score range is 0 to 3 where 0 = least difficulty and 3 = extreme difficulty. Percentage of participants achieving improvement in HAQ-DI of at least 0.3 from baseline at Week 26 was reported.

  6. Percentage of Participants With Good or Moderate European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) Response at Week 26

    Time frame: Week 26

    The EULAR response criteria evaluate change in DAS28 scores represented as "good response", "moderate response", or "no response" considering both the current DAS28 score and the observed improvement from baseline. Participants were considered to have "good" or "moderate" EULAR response if at the time of assessment, their DAS28 score was <=5.1 and the improvement from baseline in their DAS28 score was greater than (>) 0.6; or if at the time of assessment, their DAS28 score was >5.1 and improvement from baseline in their DAS28 score was >1.2.

  7. Number of Participants With Adverse Events (AEs) and Serious Adverse Events (SAEs)

    Time frame: Baseline up to Week 38

    An AE was defined as any new untoward medical occurrences/worsening of pre-existing medical condition without regard to possibility of causal relationship. An SAE was an AE that resulted in any of the following outcomes: death; life threatening; persistent/significant disability/incapacity; initial or prolonged inpatient hospitalization; congenital anomaly/birth defect.

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

EMD Serono

Industry

Collaborators

  • Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany

Registry information

Official study title

A Randomized, Double-blind, Placebo-controlled, Multicentre, Phase II Dose-finding Study of Atacicept Given Subcutaneously in Subjects With Rheumatoid Arthritis and Inadequate Response to TNFa Antagonist Therapy

Acronym: AUGUST I

Important dates

Study start
2006
Primary completion
2009
Study completion
2009
First posted
Feb 2, 2007
Registry last updated
Feb 17, 2016

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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