ADAKVEO Solution for injection Ref.[10028] Active ingredients: Crizanlizumab

ADAKVEO resulted in a dose-dependent P-selectin inhibition (measured ex vivo) in patients with sickle cell disease and healthy volunteers.

The pharmacokinetics of crizanlizumab-tmca were evaluated in healthy volunteers and patients with sickle cell disease. The mean crizanlizumab-tmca C_max, AUC_last, or AUC_inf increased disproportionally over the dose range of 0.2 to 8 mg/kg (0.04 to 1.6 times the approved recommended dosage) in healthy volunteers. In healthy volunteers administered the 5 mg/kg dose, the mean [coefficient of variation (CV%)] crizanlizumab-tmca C_max, AUC_last, or AUC_inf were 0.16 (15.3%) mg/mL, 33.6 (12.6%) mg*hr/mL and 34.6 (13.1%) mg*hr/mL, respectively.

Distribution

The mean (% CV) volume of distribution was 4.26 (25.1%) L after a single crizanlizumab-tmca 5 mg/kg intravenous infusion in healthy volunteers.

Elimination

The mean (% CV) terminal elimination half-life (t_1/2) of crizanlizumab-tmca was 10.6 (20.5%) days and the mean clearance was 11.7 (16.2%) mL/hr at 5 mg/kg doses in healthy volunteers. The mean (% CV) elimination t_1/2 of crizanlizumab-tmca was 7.6 (28.5%) days during dosing interval in patients with sickle cell disease.

Metabolism

Crizanlizumab-tmca is expected to be metabolized into small peptides by catabolic pathways.

Specific Populations

The effect of renal or hepatic impairment on the pharmacokinetics of crizanlizumab-tmca is unknown.

Drug Interaction Studies

Hydroxyurea had no clinically meaningful effect on crizanlizumab-tmca pharmacokinetics in patients in clinical studies.

No carcinogenicity or genotoxicity studies have been conducted with crizanlizumab-tmca.

In the 26-week repeat-dose toxicity study, cynomolgus monkeys were administered crizanlizumab-tmca once every 4 weeks at doses up to 50 mg/kg (at least 13.5 times the human clinical exposure based on AUC in patients with sickle cell disease at 5 mg/kg once every 4 weeks). There were no adverse effects of crizanlizumab-tmca on male or female reproductive organs.

In the 26-week repeat-dose toxicity study, administration of crizanlizumab-tmca in cynomolgus monkeys at dose levels up to 50 mg/kg/dose once every 4 weeks resulted in inflammation of the vessels in multiple tissues in 2 out of 10 animals.

The efficacy of ADAKVEO was evaluated in patients with sickle cell disease in SUSTAIN [NCT01895361], a 52-week, randomized, multicenter, placebo-controlled, double-blind study. A total of 198 patients with sickle cell disease, any genotype (HbSS, HbSC, HbS/beta⁰-thalassemia, HbS/beta⁺-thalassemia, and others), and a history of 2-10 VOCs in the previous 12 months were eligible for inclusion. Patients were randomized 1:1:1 to ADAKVEO 5 mg/kg (N = 67), ADAKVEO 2.5 mg/kg (N = 66), or placebo (N = 65) administered over a period of 30 minutes by intravenous infusion on Week 0, Week 2, and every 4 weeks thereafter for a treatment duration of 52 weeks. Randomization was stratified by patients already receiving hydroxyurea (Y/N) and by the number of VOCs in the previous 12 months (2 to 4, 5 to 10).

Patients received ADAKVEO (with or without hydroxyurea) and were allowed to receive occasional transfusions and pain medications [i.e., acetaminophen, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), and opioids] on an as needed basis.

Patients recruited in the study had complications associated with sickle cell disease and other comorbidities including a history of acute chest syndrome (18%); pulmonary hypertension (8%); priapism (7%); psychiatric manifestations (25%) including depression and anxiety; hypertension (17%); cholelithiasis (17%). Demographic and other baseline characteristics were similar among the treatment groups (see Table 2).

Table 2. Demographics and Baseline Characteristics in SUSTAIN Study:

Abbreviation: VOCs, vasoocclusive crises.

Efficacy was evaluated in the SUSTAIN study by the annual rate of VOCs leading to a healthcare visit. A VOC leading to a healthcare visit was defined as an acute episode of pain with no cause other than a vaso-occlusive event that required a medical facility visit and treatment with oral or parenteral opioids, or parenteral NSAIDs. Acute chest syndrome, hepatic sequestration, splenic sequestration, and priapism (requiring a visit to a medical facility) were also considered VOCs.

Patients with sickle cell disease who received ADAKVEO 5 mg/kg had a lower median annual rate of VOC compared to patients who received placebo (1.63 vs. 2.98) which was statistically significant (p = 0.010). Reductions in the frequency of VOCs were observed among patients regardless of sickle cell disease genotype and/or hydroxyurea use.

Thirty-six percent (36%) of patients treated with ADAKVEO 5 mg/kg did not experience a VOC compared to 17% of placebo-treated patients. The median time to first VOC from randomization was 4.1 months in the ADAKVEO 5mg/kg arm compared to 1.4 months in the placebo.

The main efficacy results of the pivotal study, SUSTAIN, are summarized in Table 3.

Table 3. Efficacy Results from SUSTAIN Trial in Sickle Cell Disease^a:

Abbreviations: HL, hodges-lehmann; VOC, vasoocclusive crises.
^a VOCs were as assessed by an independent review committee. ^b Standard median.
^cHL median difference [95% confidence interval (CI)].