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Completed

NCT Number: NCT00624338

Atacicept Phase 2/3 in Generalized Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (APRIL-SLE)

This study is to evaluate the efficacy and safety of atacicept compared to placebo in preventing new flares in subjects with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and to confirm the optimal dose of atacicept for treatment of subjects with SLE and gain information on the effect of atacicept on markers specific to its mechanism of action (MoA) and their correlation to disease activity/progression. Study medication will be administered through subcutaneous (under the skin) injections, beginning with twice weekly injections for the first 4 weeks, followed by once weekly doses for 48 weeks. Following the last treatment, a safety follow-up period of 24 weeks will be conducted.

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Key information

Age range

16 year and older

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Phase 2 / Phase 3

Primary location

Research Site, Buenos Aires, Argentina

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Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

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

Inclusion criteria

  • Male or female 16 years of age or older
  • Disease history of at least six months meeting at least 4 out of the 11 American College of Rheumatology (ACR) criteria for SLE
  • Active SLE with at least one British Isles Lupus Assessment Group (BILAG) flare A or B at screening requiring a change in the dose of corticosteroids
  • Positive antinuclear antibody (ANA) or anti-double-stranded deoxyribonucleic acid (dsDNA) at screening
  • Female subjects must be willing to avoid pregnancy by using an adequate method of contraception for 4 weeks prior to Study Day 1, during the trial and 24 weeks after the last dose of study medication
  • Other protocol defined inclusion criteria could apply

Exclusion criteria

  • Active moderate to severe glomerulonephritis (kidney impairment) as defined in the protocol
  • Active central nervous system SLE deemed to be severe/progressive and/or associated with significant cognitive impairment leading to inability to provide informed consent and/or comply with the protocol
  • Previous treatment with rituximab, abatacept, or belimumab
  • History of demyelinating disease such as multiple sclerosis (MS) or optic neuritis
  • Other protocol defined exclusion criteria could apply

Treatment and study plan

Atacicept 75 mg

Drug

75 milligram (mg) atacicept injection will be administered subcutaneously twice weekly during initial loading period for 4 weeks followed by once weekly during maintenance period for subsequent 48 weeks.

Atacicept 150 mg

Drug

150 mg atacicept injection will be administered subcutaneously twice weekly during initial loading period for 4 weeks followed by once weekly during maintenance period for subsequent 48 weeks.

Placebo Comparator

Other

Placebo matched to atacicept injection will be administered subcutaneously twice weekly during initial loading period for 4 weeks followed by once weekly during maintenance period for subsequent 48 weeks.

Primary outcomes

  1. Percentage of Participants Experiencing a New Flare as Defined by British Isles Lupus Assessment Group (BILAG) Score A or B

    Time frame: From screening up to Week 52

    A flare was defined as having an adjudicated BILAG A or B score in any of the 8 organ systems during treatment, or imputed for participants who had premature treatment discontinuation. Discontinuations due to sponsor termination of the atacicept 150 mg group were not imputed as flares in this analysis. The BILAG disease activity index evaluates systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) activity in 8 organ systems, using a separate alphabetic score (A to E) assigned to each organ system defined as follows. BILAG A: Disease sufficiently active requiring disease-modifying treatment (prednisone greater than 20 mg daily or immunosuppressants); BILAG B: Disease less active than in "A", mild reversible problems requiring only symptomatic therapy such as antimalarials, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), or prednisone less than 20 mg day; BILAG C: Stable mild disease; BILAG D: System previously affected but now inactive; BILAG E: System never involved.

Secondary outcomes

  1. Time to First New Flare as Defined by BILAG Score A or B

    Time frame: From screening up to Week 52

    A flare was defined as having an adjudicated BILAG A or B score in any of the 8 organ systems during treatment. Analysis was right-censored at Week 52. The hazard ratios and 95% confidence intervals were obtained from the Cox proportional hazards model. The 25th Percentile of time to new flare was reported using Kaplan-Meier estimates (Median was not reached). The BILAG disease activity index evaluates SLE activity in 8 organ systems, using a separate alphabetic score (A to E) assigned to each organ system defined as follows. BILAG A: Disease sufficiently active requiring disease-modifying treatment (prednisone greater than 20 mg daily or immunosuppressants); BILAG B: Disease less active than in "A", mild reversible problems requiring only symptomatic therapy such as antimalarials, NSAIDs, or prednisone less than 20 mg day; BILAG C: Stable mild disease; BILAG D: System previously affected but now inactive; BILAG E: System never involved.

  2. Percentage of Participants Experiencing a New Flare as Defined by BILAG Score A or B During Initial 24 Weeks

    Time frame: From screening up to Week 24

    A flare was defined as having an adjudicated BILAG A or B score in any of the 8 organ systems during treatment, or imputed for participants who had premature treatment discontinuation. The BILAG disease activity index evaluates SLE activity in 8 organ systems, using a separate alphabetic score (A to E) assigned to each organ system defined as follows. BILAG A: Disease sufficiently active requiring disease-modifying treatment (prednisone greater than 20 mg daily or immunosuppressants); BILAG B: Disease less active than in "A", mild reversible problems requiring only symptomatic therapy such as antimalarials, NSAIDs, or prednisone less than 20 mg day; BILAG C: Stable mild disease; BILAG D: System previously affected but now inactive; BILAG E: System never involved.

  3. Percentage of Participants Within Ordinal Response Categories for British Isles Lupus Assessment Group (BILAG) Flares

    Time frame: Week 52

    Ordinal response categories have been defined as: 1) No BILAG A, no BILAG B, and completed treatment, 2) No BILAG A, at least 1 BILAG B during treatment period, and 3) At least 1 BILAG A during treatment period. The BILAG disease activity index evaluates SLE activity in 8 organ systems, using a separate alphabetic score (A to E) assigned to each organ system defined as follows. BILAG A: Disease sufficiently active requiring disease-modifying treatment (prednisone greater than 20 mg daily or immunosuppressants); BILAG B: Disease less active than in "A", mild reversible problems requiring only symptomatic therapy such as antimalarials, NSAIDs, or prednisone less than 20 mg day; BILAG C: Stable mild disease; BILAG D: System previously affected but now inactive; BILAG E: System never involved.

  4. Mean Cumulative Corticosteroid Dose

    Time frame: Randomization up to Week 52

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

EMD Serono

Industry

Collaborators

  • Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany

Registry information

Official study title

A Randomised, Double-blind, Placebo Controlled, Multicentre Prospective Dose-finding Phase II/III Study With Atacicept Given Subcutaneously to Subjects Having Recently Experienced a Flare of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE)

Acronym: APRIL-SLE

Important dates

Study start
2008
Primary completion
2012
Study completion
2012
First posted
Feb 27, 2008
Registry last updated
Mar 14, 2016

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

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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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