Objective: Analyse the integrated safety profile of evobrutinib, a Bruton's tyrosine kinase inhibitor (BTKi), using pooled data from multiple sclerosis (MS), rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) trials.
Methods: Phase II, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial data were analysed (N=1083; MS: n=213, 48 weeks (W); RA: n=390, 12W; SLE: n=480, 52W). The analysis included all patients who received ≥1 dose of evobrutinib (25 mg or 75 mg once daily, or 50 mg or 75 mgtwice daily) or placebo. Descriptive statistics and exposure-adjusted incidence rates (EAIR) were used to report treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs).
Results: Data from 1083 patients were pooled: evobrutinib, n=861; placebo, n=271 (sum >1083 due to MS trial design: n=49 received both placebo (W0-24) and evobrutinib 25 mg (W25-48)); median follow-up time (pt-years): evobrutinib, 0.501; placebo, 0.463. Across indications, the proportion of patients with TEAEs and the EAIR were similar for evobrutinib and placebo (66.2% (247.6 events/100 pt-years) vs 62.4% (261.4 events/100 pt-years)). By indication, the EAIR (events/100 pt-years) of TEAEs for evobrutinib versus placebo were: MS: 119.7 vs 148.3; RA: 331.8 vs 306.8; SLE: 343.0 vs 302.1. Two fatal events occurred (in SLE). The serious infections EAIR was 2.7 and 2.1 events/100 pt-years for evobrutinib and placebo. For previously reported BTKi-class effects, the EAIR of transient elevated alanine aminotransferase/aspartate aminotransferase TEAEs (events/100 pt-years) with evobrutinib versus placebo was 4.8 vs 2.8/3.5 vs 0.7, respectively. IgG levels were similar in evobrutinib/placebo-treated patients.
Conclusions: This is the first BTKi-integrated safety analysis that includes patients with MS. Overall, evobrutinib treatment (all doses) was generally well tolerated across indications.
Trial Registration Numbers: NCT02975349, NCT03233230, NCT02975336.
Competing Interests: Competing interests: XM has received speaking honoraria and/or travel expenses for participation in scientific meetings, and/or has been a steering committee member of clinical trials and/or participated in advisory boards of clinical trials in the past years with Actelion, Alexion, Biogen, Bristol-Myers Squibb/Celgene, EMD Serono Research & Development Institute, Inc., Billerica, MA, USA, an affiliate of Merck KGaA, Excemed, Genzyme, Hoffmann-La Roche, Immunic, Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Medday, Merck Healthcare KGaA, MSIF, Mylan, Nervgen, NMSS, Novartis, Sandoz, Sanofi-Genzyme, Teva Pharmaceutical and TG Therapeutics. DW has received consultant fees from Amgen, Eli Lilly, EMD Serono Research & Development Institute, Inc., Billerica, MA, USA (an affiliate of Merck KGaA), Merck, Celgene and Janssen. MCG has received personal compensation from AbbVie, Astellas, EMD Serono Research & Development Institute, Inc., Billerica, MA, USA, an affiliate of Merck KGaA, Galapagos, Genentech/Roche, Gilead, Incyte, Eli Lilly, Pfizer, Sanofi and Vertex. DT is an employee of Ares Trading SA, Eysins, Switzerland, an affiliate of Merck KGaA, and received stock or an ownership interest from Novartis. DP-R was an employee of EMD Serono Research & Development Institute, Inc., Billerica, MA, USA, an affiliate of Merck KGaA at the time of the study, and is currently an employee of and has received stock from Pfizer. CLB and HG are employees of Merck Healthcare KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany. AHK is an employee of and received stock or an ownership interest from EMD Serono Research & Development Institute, Inc., Billerica, MA, USA, an affiliate of Merck KGaA.
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