BioCryst Announces Positive Results from Two Ulodesine Phase 2 Trials in Patients with Gout
- Confirmation of favorable ulodesine safety profile through 52 weeks
- Proportion of patients reaching serum uric acid goal sustained at 52 weeks
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Management to discuss during conference call/webcast
August 2, 2012 at11 a.m. ET
In the original 12-week study, 279 patients were randomized. The extension to 52 weeks, in which 119 patients entered the final extension phase, concludes the Phase 2b trial and Phase 2 development program for ulodesine. Patients continued their blinded, randomized therapy of ulodesine at doses of 5 mg, 10 mg and 20 mg and placebo once-daily. Allopurinol 300 mg once-daily was administered in all study arms.
The results of the 52-week, blinded Phase 2b safety extension trial confirm that ulodesine continues to be generally safe and well-tolerated in gout patients who inadequately responded to allopurinol alone, many of which had multiple co-morbidities. No clinical adverse event signals were observed that distinguished ulodesine from placebo, either by type or by rate at the doses tested. No opportunistic or unusual infections were observed and no signal for other organ toxicities was detected. No fatal or life-threatening adverse events were observed in any of the treatment groups. It was previously reported that eligible patients responded favorably to a vaccine challenge at 16 or 20 weeks of ulodesine treatment, confirming maintenance of a healthy immune response. The previously observed lymphocyte plateau reached by 12 weeks of treatment remained unchanged in the 5 mg, 10 mg and 20 mg ulodesine arms through 52 weeks. No patients from the placebo or 5 mg discontinued study drug for confirmed reductions of lymphocyte or CD4+ cell counts below certain protocol-specified thresholds; through 52 weeks, one patient was discontinued from the 10 mg group, four patients from the 20 mg group and twelve patients from the 40 mg group for reductions in CD4+ cell counts. The 40 mg arm was discontinued after the 24-week analysis.
The approximate doubling of sUA response rates with ulodesine seen at 12 weeks was sustained through 52 weeks of treatment. After 52 weeks of treatment, ulodesine doses of 5 mg, 10 mg, and 20 mg/day showed response rates of 45%, 47% and 64% respectively, compared to 19% for placebo. These results are consistent with the previously reported positive findings at the 12-week primary efficacy time point.
There was a low incidence of gout flares in the Phase 2b study. Gout flares over 52 weeks occurred in 7% of placebo-treated patients compared to 9-21% of patients treated with ulodesine.
"Over 115 patient-years of drug exposure solidifies our confidence in
the long-term safety of ulodesine and its ability to provide sustained
sUA control over time. These comprehensive results reduce the risk of
ulodesine Phase 3 development. Ulodesine has demonstrated clinical
safety and efficacy in a wide variety of gout patients, including those
with mild to moderate renal impairment, as well as those with a risk of
kidney stones," said Dr.
In addition to the Phase 2b trial, BioCryst completed a small Phase 2 trial in patients with moderate renal impairment. In this 12-week trial, 20 patients were randomized to placebo (n=4), 5 mg (n=8) or 10 mg (n=8) in combination with 200 mg allopurinol per day. A total of 118 patients with mild to moderate renal impairment, based on the body surface area adjustment of the Cockroft-Gault formula, have been evaluated on study drug across the Phase 2 program. These trials confirmed that ulodesine can be used safely in patients with mild to moderate renal impairment, a common co-morbidity in gout patients.
About Ulodesine
Ulodesine is a novel enzyme inhibitor with the potential for once-a-day oral dosing suitable for chronic administration to treat gout. It acts upstream of xanthine oxidase (XO) in the purine metabolism pathway to reduce new formation of uric acid in patients with gout. It has a mechanism of action that complements XO inhibitors, such as allopurinol and febuxostat. With its unique mechanism of action, clinical activity and safety in clinical studies to date, ulodesine is a Phase-3-ready asset in development as an add-on therapy to XO inhibitors to address unmet medical needs in patients with gout. To date, ulodesine has been studied in over 500 patients in clinical trials.
About Gout
Gout is a chronic inflammatory arthritis caused by monosodium urate crystal deposits in joints and the kidneys resulting from elevated sUA levels in the blood, a condition known as hyperuricemia. The consequences of gout may include intense, painful flares affecting one or more joints, impaired kidney function and joint destruction. Gout continues to grow in prevalence and severity, affecting over 17 million people in major markets, including 8.3 million in the U.S. A majority of gout patients are also treated to manage other chronic conditions, including hypertension, diabetes and/or high cholesterol. Decreasing sUA to the recommended level (less than 6 mg/dL) can reduce the risk of gout attacks over the long-term. A minority of patients treated with the current standard of care, allopurinol, achieve this therapeutic goal. There is a need for new therapies that effectively and safely get a larger portion of gout suffers to goal without the risk of drug-drug interactions. More information regarding gout and hyperuricemia is available on the CDC website at www.cdc.gov/arthritis/basics/gout.htm.
About BioCryst
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