Saphnelo (Anifrolumab-Fnia)

The safety and efficacy of SAPHNELO were evaluated in three 52-week treatment period, multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled studies (Trial 1 [NCT01438489], Trial 2 [NCT02446912] and Trial 3 [NCT02446899]). Patients were diagnosed with SLE according to the American College of Rheumatology (1982 revised) classification criteria. All patients were ≥18 years of age and had moderate to severe disease, with a SLE Disease Activity Index 2000 (SLEDAI-2K) score ≥6 points, organ level involvement based on BILAG assessment, and a Physician’s Global Assessment [PGA] score ≥1, despite receiving standard SLE therapy consisting of either one or any combination of oral corticosteroids (OCS), antimalarials and/or immunosuppressants at baseline. Patients continued to receive their existing SLE therapy at stable doses during the clinical trials, with the exception of OCS (prednisone or equivalent) where tapering was a component of the protocol. Patients who had severe active lupus nephritis and patients who had severe active central nervous system lupus were excluded. The use of other biologic agents and cyclophosphamide were not permitted during the trials; patients receiving other biologic therapies were required to complete a wash-out period of at least 5 half‑lives prior to enrollment. All three studies were conducted in North America, Europe, South America and Asia. Patients received anifrolumab-fnia or placebo, administered by intravenous infusion, every 4 weeks.

Efficacy of SAPHNELO was established based on assessment of clinical response using the composite endpoints, the British Isles Lupus Assessment Group based Composite Lupus Assessment (BICLA) and the SLE Responder Index (SRI‑4).

BICLA response at Week 52, was defined as improvement in all organ domains with moderate or severe activity at baseline:

• •Reduction of all baseline BILAG A to B/C/D and baseline BILAG B to C/D, and no BILAG worsening in other organ systems, as defined by ≥1 new BILAG A or ≥2 new BILAG B;
• •No worsening from baseline in SLEDAI-2K, where worsening is defined as an increase from baseline of >0 points in SLEDAI-2K;
• •No worsening from baseline in patients’ lupus disease activity, where worsening is defined by an increase ≥0.30 points on a 3-point PGA VAS;
• •No discontinuation of treatment;
• •No use of restricted medication beyond the protocol-allowed threshold.

SRI‑4 response, was defined as meeting each of the following criteria at Week 52 compared with baseline:

• •Reduction from baseline of ≥4 points in the SLEDAI-2K;
• •No new organ system affected as defined by 1 or more BILAG A or 2 or more BILAG B items compared to baseline;
• •No worsening from baseline in the patients’ lupus disease activity defined by an increase ≥0.30 points on a 3‑point PGA visual analogue scale (VAS);
• •No discontinuation of treatment;
• •No use of restricted medication beyond the protocol-allowed threshold.

Trial 1 randomized 305 patients (1:1:1) who received anifrolumab-fnia, 300 mg or 1000 mg, or placebo for up to 52 weeks. The primary endpoint was a combined assessment of the SRI-4 and the sustained reduction in OCS (<10 mg/day and ≤OCS dose at week 1, sustained for 12 weeks) measured at Week 24.

Trial 2 and 3 were similar in design. Trial 2 randomized 457 patients who received anifrolumab-fnia 150 mg, 300 mg or placebo (1:2:2). Trial 3 randomized 362 patients (1:1) who received anifrolumab-fnia 300 mg or placebo. The primary endpoints were improvement in disease activity evaluated at 52 weeks, measured by SRI‑4 in Trial 2 and BICLA in Trial 3 (defined above). The common secondary efficacy endpoints included in both studies were the maintenance of OCS reduction, improvement in cutaneous SLE activity, and flare rate. During Weeks 8-40, patients with a baseline OCS ≥10 mg/day were required to taper their OCS dose to ≤7.5 mg/day, unless there was worsening of disease activity. Both studies evaluated the efficacy of anifrolumab-fnia 300 mg versus placebo; a dose of 150 mg was also evaluated for dose-response in Trial 2.

Patient demographics and disease characteristics were generally similar and balanced across treatment arms (Table 2).

Randomization was stratified by disease severity (SLEDAI-2K score at baseline, <10 vs ≥10 points), OCS dose on Day 1 (<10 mg/day vs ≥10 mg/day prednisone or equivalent) and interferon gene signature test results (high vs low).

The reduction in disease activity seen in the BICLA and SRI-4 was related primarily to improvement in the mucocutaneous and musculoskeletal organ systems. Flare rate was reduced in patients receiving SAPHNELO compared to patients who received placebo although the difference was not statistically significant.

In Trial 3, examination of subgroups by age, race, gender, ethnicity, disease severity [SLEDAI-2K at baseline], and baseline OCS use did not identify differences in response to anifrolumab-fnia.

Figure 1 shows the proportion of BICLA responders through the 52-week treatment period in Trial 3.