LEO Pharma Announces Positive Results From Phase 2b Clinical Study for Tralokinumab in Atopic Dermatitis

Ballerup, Denmark and Orlando, Florida (ots/PRNewswire) -

LEO Pharma today announced positive results from a Phase 2b
dose-ranging efficacy and safety study of tralokinumab in adult
patients with moderate to severe atopic dermatitis (AD), a serious
and chronic form of eczema. Tralokinumab is an investigational
monoclonal antibody that specifically targets the cytokine
IL-13[1],[2], which plays an important role in the development of
moderate-to-severe AD[3],[4]. In the Phase 2b study, tralokinumab
demonstrated efficacy in the primary and key secondary endpoints, and
an adverse event profile comparable to placebo. It also demonstrated
significant improvements in quality of life and itching, compared
with placebo.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130221/595427 )

"These clinical results support that blocking IL-13 signalling is
a promising new option for patients with atopic dermatitis," said Kim
Kjoeller, Executive Vice President, Global Research and Development,
LEO Pharma. "We are encouraged by these results and are planning to
enter phase 3 of clinical development for tralokinumab in the first
half of 2017."

An E-Poster presenting Phase 2b results will be available at the
ongoing annual meeting of the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD)
from Friday, 3 March 2017 (Poster #4496[5]). An oral presentation of
the poster will take place on Friday, 3/3/2017, from 3:00:00 PM EST
to 3:05:00 PM in the Dermatitis, Atopic Section.

The double-blinded Phase 2b study included 204 adults who had
moderate to severe AD despite a two week run-in with continuous
mid-strength topical corticosteroids (TCS) treatment. Patients were
randomized 1:1:1:1 to receive tralokinumab (45, 150, or 300 mg) or
placebo by sub-cutaneous administration every second week for 12
weeks.

Overall objective of the study was to evaluate whether
tralokinumab provides therapeutic benefit to adults with moderate to
severe AD despite treatment with mid-strength TCS. Co-primary
endpoints were change from baseline in Eczema Area Severity Index
(EASI) and percentage of patients with clear or almost clear
Investigator's Global Assessment (IGA 0/1) at week 12. Further
efficacy endpoints, patient-reported outcomes, serum biomarkers and
safety endpoints were assessed.

After treatment with tralokinumab for 12 weeks, 150 mg and 300 mg
tralokinumab significantly reduced total EASI from baseline (adjusted
mean difference of -4.4, p=0.027 and -4.9, p=0.011, respectively)
compared with placebo. The number of patients achieving EASI 50 at
week 12 in the tralokinumab 300 mg group was significantly higher
compared with placebo (73.4% versus 51.9%, p=0.025).

The number of patients with an IGA of 0 or 1 (clear or almost
clear) was numerically higher but not statistically significantly
superior to placebo (26.5% in the tralokinumab 300 mg versus 11.7% in
the placebo group). Treatment with Class 3 TCS before, during, and
after study drug treatment may have influenced the study results.

The secondary endpoints showed significant reduction in Scoring
Atopic Dermatitis (SCORAD) and Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI)
in the tralokinumab arm (150mg and 300 mg) compared with placebo.
Furthermore, reduction in pruritus Numerical Rating Scale (NRS) in
the tralokinumab 300 mg group was also found to be greater than
placebo.

The most frequent adverse events in all groups (tralokinumab and
placebo) were nasopharyngitis (~17%), upper respiratory tract
infection (~9%), headache (~6%), and AD (~6%).[5]

LEO Pharma is the world leader in topical psoriasis treatment and
has significantly expanded its portfolio over recent years to cover
several dermatology indications. In July 2016, LEO Pharma acquired
the global licence to tralokinumab in skin diseases from AstraZeneca,
as well as the exclusive licence to brodalumab in Europe. Brodalumab
is an IL-17 receptor monoclonal antibody under regulatory review for
patients with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis. In partnership
with MorphoSys, LEO Pharma is now developing six biologic treatments
for skin diseases.

About Atopic Dermatitis

AD is a serious and chronic form of eczema. It is the most common
inflammatory skin disease with prevalence in western countries of
15-20% in children and 1-3% in adults[6],[7]. The severity of AD can
be categorized into mild, moderate and severe. The moderate and
severe forms constitute approximately 50% and 20%, respectively, of
the AD patient pool in a US population-based survey[8]. AD is, in its
moderate to severe form, a debilitating condition characterized by
intense itching, painful skin lesions, and skin infections with
significant impact on quality of life[9]. There is currently a high
unmet need for long-term efficacious and well-tolerated treatment
options in AD[10].

About LEO Pharma

LEO Pharma helps people achieve healthy skin. By offering care
solutions to patients in more than 100 countries globally, LEO Pharma
supports people in managing their skin conditions. Founded in 1908
and owned by the LEO Foundation, the healthcare company has devoted
decades of research and development to delivering products and
solutions to people with skin conditions. LEO Pharma is headquartered
in Denmark and employs around 5,000 people worldwide.

Contact

Henrik Heskjaer Kyndlev

henrik.kyndlev@leo-pharma.com

Tel +45-3140-6180

References

1. May RD, Monk PD, Cohen ES, Manuel D, Dempsey F, Davis NH et al.
Preclinical development of CAT-354, an IL-13 neutralizing antibody,
for the treatment of severe uncontrolled asthma. Br J Pharmacol
2012;166(1):177-193.

2. Popovic B, Breed J, Rees DG, Gardener MJ, Vinall LM, Kemp B et
al. Structural Characterisation Reveals Mechanism of
IL-13-Neutralising Monoclonal Antibody Tralokinumab as Inhibition of
Binding to IL-13Ralpha1 and IL-13Ralpha2. J Mol Biol
2017;429(2):208-219.

3. Hamid Q, Naseer T, Minshall EM, Song YL, Boguniewicz M, Leung
DY. In vivo expression of IL-12 and IL-13 in atopic dermatitis. J
Allergy Clin Immunol 1996;98(1):225-231.

4. Brandt EB, Sivaprasad U. Th2 Cytokines and Atopic Dermatitis. J
Clin Cell Immunol 2011;2(3).

5. Wollenberg A, Howell MD, Guttman E, Silverberg JI, Birrell C,
Kell C et al. A Phase 2b Dose-Ranging Efficacy and Safety Study of
Tralokinumab in Adult Patients with Moderate to Severe Atopic
Dermatitis (AD). Poster #4496 for the 75th annual meeting of the
American Academy of Dermatology, Orlando, FL. 2017

6. Ring J, Alomar A, Bieber T, Deleuran M, Fink-Wagner A, Gelmetti
C et al. Guidelines for treatment of atopic eczema (atopic
dermatitis) part I. J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol
2012;26(8):1045-1060.

7. Wollenberg A, Oranje A, Deleuran M, Simon D, Szalai Z, Kunz B
et al. ETFAD/EADV Eczema task force 2015 position paper on diagnosis
and treatment of atopic dermatitis in adult and paediatric patients.
J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol 2016;30(5):729-747.

8. Hanifin JM, Reed ML. A population-based survey of eczema
prevalence in the United States. Dermatitis 2007;18(2):82-91.

9. Lifschitz C. The impact of atopic dermatitis on quality of
life. Ann Nutr Metab 2015;66 Suppl 134-40.

10. Ask the Presenter - Q&A with Dr. Silverberg. AJMC 2016,
Conference Report

ots Originaltext: LEO Pharma
Im Internet recherchierbar: http://www.presseportal.de

Original-Content von: LEO Pharma, übermittelt durch news aktuell