Ionis initiates Phase 3 clinical program of donidalorsen in patients with hereditary angioedema

Rhea-AI Summary

Ionis Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: IONS) has announced the initiation of the Phase 3 OASIS-HAE study for donidalorsen, an investigational antisense drug targeting hereditary angioedema (HAE). This registrational trial aims to evaluate the efficacy of donidalorsen in reducing HAE attacks, with a participation of up to 84 patients. Positive Phase 2 data showed that donidalorsen was safe, well-tolerated, and resulted in a significant reduction of moderate to severe attacks. The company emphasizes its commitment to providing transformative treatments to the HAE patient community.

Positive

• Initiation of Phase 3 OASIS-HAE study for donidalorsen, targeting hereditary angioedema.
• Previous Phase 2 data indicated a significant reduction in HAE attacks, with all patients attack-free in the final month.
• Donidalorsen demonstrated safety and tolerability, with adverse events primarily mild.

Negative

• None.

CARLSBAD, Calif., Nov. 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: IONS), the leader in RNA-targeted therapies, announced today initiation of OASIS-HAE, the registrational study in the donidalorsen (formerly IONIS-PKK-L_Rx) Phase 3 clinical program. Donidalorsen is an investigational antisense medicine designed to reduce the production of prekallikrein, which plays a key role in the activation of inflammatory mediators associated with acute attacks of hereditary angioedema (HAE). Donidalorsen uses Ionis' LIgand-Conjugated Antisense, or LICA, technology.

"Initiating the Phase 3 program for donidalorsen moves us one step closer to bringing a potential best-in-class prophylactic treatment to market for people with HAE globally experiencing recurrent painful and severe HAE attacks," said Kenneth Newman, M.D., M.B.A., Ionis' vice president of clinical development and leader of the immunology and pulmonology franchise. "Advancing this program underscores our commitment to the HAE patient community to deliver transformative treatments."    

OASIS-HAE is a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled registrational study in up to 84 patients with hereditary angioedema, Types 1 and 2. Patients will be randomized to receive monthly or bi-monthly subcutaneous donidalorsen for 25 weeks. Following the placebo-controlled portion of the study, patients may enter the 52-week open-label extension study.

New Phase 2 data recently presented at ACAAI highlighted an overall reduction in moderate to severe attacks, and a reduction in these attacks starting with the second dose. For the final month of the study, all donidalorsen treated patients were attack-free. In this study, donidalorsen was safe and well tolerated. 

For more information on the OASIS-HAE clinical study please visit www.clinicaltrials.gov.

About Donidalorsen Phase 2 study

In the Phase 2 clinical study, 20 adults with Type 1 or Type 2 HAE were randomized and received either donidalorsen 80mg (n=14) or placebo (n=6) subcutaneously once monthly for 17 weeks. The primary endpoint was the reduction of monthly HAE attacks compared to placebo. Secondary endpoints included the reduction of monthly attacks in weeks five to 17, reduction in the number of moderate or severe attacks in weeks one to 17, the number of moderate or severe attacks in weeks five to 17 and the number of attacks requiring acute therapy in weeks five to 17. The majority of adverse events during the study were mild with a frequency that was similar between groups. The most common treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs) were headache and nausea, which were seen more frequently in the placebo arm compared to the active treatment arm.

About Hereditary Angioedema

HAE is a rare and potentially fatal genetic disease that is characterized by rapid and painful attacks of inflammation in the hands, feet, limbs, face, abdomen, larynx and trachea. HAE affects approximately 20,000 patients in the U.S. and Europe and can be fatal if swelling occurs in the larynx. In patients with frequent or severe attacks, doctors may use prophylactic treatment approaches to prevent and reduce the severity of HAE attacks.

About Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

For more than 30 years, Ionis has been the leader in RNA-targeted therapy, pioneering new markets and changing standards of care with its novel antisense technology. Ionis currently has three marketed medicines and a premier late-stage pipeline highlighted by industry-leading neurological and cardiometabolic franchises. Our scientific innovation began and continues with the knowledge that sick people depend on us, which fuels our vision of becoming one of the most successful biotechnology companies.

To learn more about Ionis, visit www.ionispharma.com and follow us on twitter @ionispharma.

Ionis' Forward-looking Statement

This press release includes forward-looking statements regarding Ionis' business, and the therapeutic and commercial potential of Ionis' technologies, donidalorsen and other products in development. Any statement describing Ionis' goals, expectations, financial or other projections, intentions or beliefs is a forward-looking statement and should be considered an at-risk statement. Such statements are subject to certain risks and uncertainties, including those related to the impact COVID-19 could have on our business, and including but not limited to those related to our commercial products and the medicines in our pipeline, and particularly those inherent in the process of discovering, developing and commercializing medicines that are safe and effective for use as human therapeutics, and in the endeavor of building a business around such medicines. Ionis' forward-looking statements also involve assumptions that, if they never materialize or prove correct, could cause its results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements.

Although Ionis' forward-looking statements reflect the good faith judgment of its management, these statements are based only on facts and factors currently known by Ionis. As a result, you are cautioned not to rely on these forward-looking statements. These and other risks concerning Ionis' programs are described in additional detail in Ionis' annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2020, and the most recent Form 10-Q quarterly filing, which are on file with the SEC. Copies of these and other documents are available from the Company.

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SOURCE Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

FAQ

What is the purpose of the OASIS-HAE study for donidalorsen?

The OASIS-HAE study aims to evaluate the efficacy of donidalorsen in reducing the frequency of attacks in patients with hereditary angioedema.

What were the results of the Phase 2 study for donidalorsen?

The Phase 2 study showed that donidalorsen significantly reduced moderate to severe HAE attacks, with a notable reduction starting from the second dose.

How many patients will participate in the OASIS-HAE study?

Up to 84 patients will be randomized to receive donidalorsen in the OASIS-HAE study.

What is donidalorsen and how does it work?

Donidalorsen is an investigational antisense medicine designed to lower prekallikrein production, reducing the inflammatory mediators responsible for acute attacks in hereditary angioedema.

What are the next steps following the OASIS-HAE study?

After the placebo-controlled portion of the study, patients may continue into a 52-week open-label extension study.