Regeneron and Sanofi Provide Update on Ongoing Dupixent® (dupilumab) Chronic Spontaneous Urticaria Phase 3 Program
Regeneron and Sanofi announced the termination of a Phase 3 trial for Dupixent in patients with chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU) due to failure to achieve statistical significance despite observed improvements in key endpoints. The trial was halted based on an interim analysis indicating futility. However, a previous Phase 3 trial showed positive results in biologic-naïve patients, indicating Dupixent significantly reduced itch and hives. Both companies remain committed to developing Dupixent for CSU and are evaluating next steps following this setback.
- Previous Phase 3 trial in biologic-naïve patients showed significant reduction in itch and hives.
- Companies are committed to advancing Dupixent for CSU despite recent trial results.
- Phase 3 trial (CUPID STUDY B) for Dupixent showed no statistical significance in interim analysis.
- Trial halted due to futility, potentially impacting investor confidence.
TARRYTOWN, N.Y. and PARIS, Feb. 18, 2022 /PRNewswire/ --
In a Phase 3 trial in patients refractory to omalizumab, Dupixent did not reach statistical significance in interim analysis despite numeric improvements observed across key endpoints; trial will be stopped due to futility
Positive results from a previous Phase 3 trial in biologic-naïve patients showed Dupixent significantly reduced itch and hives compared to standard-of-care antihistamines alone
Companies remain committed to advancing Dupixent for patients with chronic spontaneous urticaria uncontrolled on antihistamines and are evaluating next steps
Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: REGN) and Sanofi today announced a Phase 3 trial (CUPID STUDY B) evaluating Dupixent® (dupilumab) in patients with chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU) will stop due to futility, based on a pre-specified interim analysis. The trial, which assessed Dupixent added to antihistamines in patients refractory to omalizumab at 24 weeks, showed positive numerical trends in reducing itch and hives (the primary endpoints) but did not meet statistical significance during an interim analysis conducted by an independent review committee. The safety data were generally consistent with the known safety profile of Dupixent in its approved indications.
The LIBERTY-CUPID pivotal program was initiated in 2020 with an accelerated direct-to-Phase 3 strategy. The previously reported Phase 3 trial, which evaluated a different group of patients who were biologic-naïve (i.e., not previously treated with omalizumab), met its primary and all key secondary endpoints at 24 weeks, showing that adding Dupixent to standard-of-care antihistamines significantly reduced itch and hives compared to antihistamines alone. The companies remain committed to advancing Dupixent for patients with CSU uncontrolled on antihistamines and are evaluating next steps.
"Chronic spontaneous urticaria is a very complex disease, and these data add to the body of evidence assessing the underlying drivers of disease burden, including the potential role of interleukin-4 and interleukin-13," said George D. Yancopoulos, M.D., Ph.D., President and Chief Scientific Officer at Regeneron. "While Dupixent did not show a significant benefit in the most difficult-to-treat patients who remain refractory to all approved medicines, we are carefully assessing the potential role of Dupixent in CSU based on the success of the first Phase 3 trial in biologic-naïve patients, where Dupixent nearly doubled the reduction in itch and urticaria activity."
Detailed results from the first trial will be presented at the AAAAI Annual Meeting later this month, and the companies expect to share results from the second trial in a scientific forum. Regeneron and Sanofi are rapidly advancing a broad clinical development program to evaluate Dupixent in diseases with significant unmet need and where type 2 inflammation may play a role. The companies also recently announced positive Phase 3 results in eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) and prurigo nodularis (PN), and additional results are also expected later this year in pediatric EoE, chronic inducible urticaria-cold (CindU), and hand and foot atopic dermatitis.
The potential use of Dupixent in CSU, EoE, PN, CindU, and hand and foot atopic dermatitis are currently under clinical development, and the safety and efficacy have not been fully evaluated by any regulatory authority.
About Chronic Spontaneous Urticaria
CSU is a chronic inflammatory skin disease characterized by the sudden onset of hives on the skin and/or swelling deep under the skin. Despite standard-of-care treatment, people with CSU often experience symptoms including a persistent itch or burning sensation, which can be debilitating and significantly impact quality of life. Swelling often occurs on the face, hands and feet, but can also affect the throat and upper airways.
About the Dupixent Phase 3 CSU Program (LIBERTY-CUPID)
Study B of the Phase 3 randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled LIBERTY-CUPID clinical program evaluated the efficacy and safety of Dupixent in 83 patients with CSU aged 12 to 80 years who remained symptomatic despite standard-of-care treatment and were intolerant or incomplete responders to omalizumab. During the 24-week treatment period, patients received Dupixent or placebo every two weeks added to standard-of-care antihistamines.
The primary endpoints assessed the change from baseline in itch (measured by the weekly itch severity score) and the change from baseline in itch and hives (measured by the weekly urticaria activity score) at 24 weeks.
Study A of clinical program evaluated the efficacy and safety of Dupixent as an add-on therapy to standard-of-care antihistamines compared to antihistamines alone in 138 patients aged 6 years and older with CSU who remained symptomatic despite antihistamine use and were not previously treated with omalizumab.
About Dupixent
Dupixent, which was invented using Regeneron's proprietary VelocImmune® technology, is a fully human monoclonal antibody that inhibits the signaling of the interleukin-4 (IL-4) and interleukin-13 (IL-13) pathways and is not an immunosuppressant. IL-4 and IL-13 are key and central drivers of the type 2 inflammation that plays a major role in atopic dermatitis, asthma and chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyposis (CRSwNP).
Dupixent is currently approved in the U.S., Europe, Japan and other countries around the world for use in specific patients with moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis, as well as certain patients with asthma or CRSwNP in different age populations. Dupixent is also approved in one or more of these indications in more than 60 countries around the world, and more than 350,000 patients have been treated globally.
About Regeneron's VelocImmune Technology
Regeneron's VelocImmune technology utilizes a proprietary genetically engineered mouse platform endowed with a genetically humanized immune system to produce optimized fully human antibodies. When Regeneron's President and Chief Scientific Officer George D. Yancopoulos was a graduate student with his mentor Frederick W. Alt in 1985, they were the first to envision making such a genetically humanized mouse, and Regeneron has spent decades inventing and developing VelocImmune and related VelociSuite® technologies. Dr. Yancopoulos and his team have used VelocImmune technology to create approximately a quarter of all original, FDA-approved or authorized fully human monoclonal antibodies currently available. This includes Dupixent, REGEN-COV® (casirivimab and imdevimab), Libtayo® (cemiplimab-rwlc), Praluent® (alirocumab), Kevzara® (sarilumab), Evkeeza® (evinacumab-dgnb) and Inmazeb™ (atoltivimab, maftivimab and odesivimab-ebgn).
Dupilumab Development Program
Dupilumab is being jointly developed by Regeneron and Sanofi under a global collaboration agreement. To date, dupilumab has been studied across 60 clinical trials involving more than 10,000 patients with various chronic diseases driven in part by type 2 inflammation.
In addition to the currently approved indications, Regeneron and Sanofi are studying dupilumab in a broad range of diseases driven by type 2 inflammation or other allergic processes, including CSU (Phase 3), pediatric atopic dermatitis (6 months to 5 years of age, Phase 3), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease with evidence of type 2 inflammation (Phase 3), EoE (Phase 3), bullous pemphigoid (Phase 3), PN (Phase 3), CindU (Phase 3), chronic rhinosinusitis without nasal polyposis (Phase 3), allergic fungal rhinosinusitis (Phase 3), allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis (Phase 3) and peanut allergy (Phase 2). These potential uses of dupilumab are currently under clinical investigation, and the safety and efficacy in these conditions have not been fully evaluated by any regulatory authority.
U.S. Indications
DUPIXENT is a prescription medicine used:
- to treat adults and children 6 years of age and older with moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis (eczema) that is not well controlled with prescription therapies used on the skin (topical), or who cannot use topical therapies. DUPIXENT can be used with or without topical corticosteroids. It is not known if DUPIXENT is safe and effective in children with atopic dermatitis under 6 years of age.
- with other asthma medicines for the maintenance treatment of moderate-to-severe eosinophilic or oral steroid dependent asthma in adults and children 6 years of age and older whose asthma is not controlled with their current asthma medicines. DUPIXENT helps prevent severe asthma attacks (exacerbations) and can improve your breathing. DUPIXENT may also help reduce the amount of oral corticosteroids you need while preventing severe asthma attacks and improving your breathing. DUPIXENT is not used to treat sudden breathing problems. It is not known if DUPIXENT is safe and effective in children with asthma under 6 years of age.
- with other medicines for the maintenance treatment of chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyposis (CRSwNP) in adults whose disease is not controlled. It is not known if DUPIXENT is safe and effective in children with chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyposis under 18 years of age.
IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION FOR U.S. PATIENTS
Do not use if you are allergic to dupilumab or to any of the ingredients in DUPIXENT®.
Before using DUPIXENT, tell your healthcare provider about all your medical conditions, including if you:
-- have eye problems
-- have a parasitic (helminth) infection
-- are scheduled to receive any vaccinations. You should not receive a "live vaccine" right before and during treatment with DUPIXENT.
-- are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known whether DUPIXENT will harm your unborn baby.
- A pregnancy registry for women who take DUPIXENT during pregnancy collects information about the health of you and your baby. To enroll or get more information call 1-877-311-8972 or go to https://mothertobaby.org/ongoing-study/dupixent/
-- are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. It is not known whether DUPIXENT passes into your breast milk.
Tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines you take, including prescription and over-the- counter medicines, vitamins and herbal supplements.
Especially tell your healthcare provider if you are taking oral, topical, or inhaled corticosteroid medicines; have asthma and use an asthma medicine; or have atopic dermatitis or CRSwNP, and also have asthma. Do not change or stop your corticosteroid medicine or other asthma medicine without talking to your healthcare provider. This may cause other symptoms that were controlled by the corticosteroid medicine or other asthma medicine to come back.
DUPIXENT can cause serious side effects, including:
- Allergic reactions. DUPIXENT can cause allergic reactions that can sometimes be severe. Stop using DUPIXENT and tell your healthcare provider or get emergency help right away if you get any of the following signs or symptoms: breathing problems or wheezing, swelling of the face, lips, mouth, tongue or throat, fainting, dizziness, feeling lightheaded, fast pulse, fever, hives, joint pain, general ill feeling, itching, skin rash, swollen lymph nodes, nausea or vomiting, or cramps in your stomach-area.
- Eye problems. Tell your healthcare provider if you have any new or worsening eye problems, including eye pain or changes in vision, such as blurred vision. Your healthcare provider may send you to an ophthalmologist for an exam if needed.
- Inflammation of your blood vessels. Rarely, this can happen in people with asthma who receive DUPIXENT. This may happen in people who also take a steroid medicine by mouth that is being stopped or the dose is being lowered. It is not known whether this is caused by DUPIXENT. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you have: rash, chest pain, worsening shortness of breath, a feeling of pins and needles or numbness of your arms or legs, or persistent fever.
- Joint aches and pain. Some people who use DUPIXENT have had trouble walking or moving due to their joint symptoms, and in some cases needed to be hospitalized. Tell your healthcare provider about any new or worsening joint symptoms. Your healthcare provider may stop DUPIXENT if you develop joint symptoms
The most common side effects include:
- Atopic dermatitis: injection site reactions, eye and eyelid inflammation, including redness, swelling, and itching, sometimes with blurred vision, and cold sores in your mouth or on your lips.
- Asthma: injection site reactions, pain in the throat (oropharyngeal pain), high count of a certain white blood cell (eosinophilia), and parasitic (helminth) infections.
- Chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyposis: injection site reactions, eye and eyelid inflammation, including redness, swelling, and itching, sometimes with blurred vision, high count of a certain white blood cell (eosinophilia), trouble sleeping (insomnia), toothache, gastritis, and joint pain (arthralgia).
Tell your healthcare provider if you have any side effect that bothers you or that does not go away. These are not all the possible side effects of DUPIXENT. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.fda.gov/medwatch, or call 1-800-FDA-1088.
Use DUPIXENT exactly as prescribed by your healthcare provider. It's an injection given under the skin (subcutaneous injection). Your healthcare provider will decide if you or your caregiver can inject DUPIXENT. Do not try to prepare and inject DUPIXENT until you or your caregiver have been trained by your healthcare provider. In children 12 years of age and older, it's recommended DUPIXENT be administered by or under supervision of an adult. In children under 12 years of age, DUPIXENT should be given by a caregiver.
Please see accompanying full Prescribing Information including Patient Information.
About Regeneron
Regeneron (NASDAQ: REGN) is a leading biotechnology company that invents life-transforming medicines for people with serious diseases. Founded and led for over 30 years by physician-scientists, our unique ability to repeatedly and consistently translate science into medicine has led to nine FDA-approved treatments and numerous product candidates in development, almost all of which were homegrown in our laboratories. Our medicines and pipeline are designed to help patients with eye diseases, allergic and inflammatory diseases, cancer, cardiovascular and metabolic diseases, pain, hematologic conditions, infectious diseases and rare diseases.
Regeneron is accelerating and improving the traditional drug development process through our proprietary VelociSuite technologies, such as VelocImmune, which uses unique genetically humanized mice to produce optimized fully human antibodies and bispecific antibodies, and through ambitious research initiatives such as the Regeneron Genetics Center, which is conducting one of the largest genetics sequencing efforts in the world.
For additional information about the company, please visit www.regeneron.com or follow @Regeneron on Twitter.
About Sanofi
Sanofi is dedicated to supporting people through their health challenges. We are a global biopharmaceutical company focused on human health. We prevent illness with vaccines, provide innovative treatments to fight pain and ease suffering. We stand by the few who suffer from rare diseases and the millions with long-term chronic conditions.
With more than 100,000 people in 100 countries, Sanofi is transforming scientific innovation into healthcare solutions around the globe.
Regeneron Forward-Looking Statements and Use of Digital Media
This press release includes forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties relating to future events and the future performance of Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. ("Regeneron" or the "Company"), and actual events or results may differ materially from these forward-looking statements. Words such as "anticipate," "expect," "intend," "plan," "believe," "seek," "estimate," variations of such words, and similar expressions are intended to identify such forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words. These statements concern, and these risks and uncertainties include, among others, the impact of SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that has caused the COVID-19 pandemic) on Regeneron's business and its employees, collaborators, and suppliers and other third parties on which Regeneron relies, Regeneron's and its collaborators' ability to continue to conduct research and clinical programs, Regeneron's ability to manage its supply chain, net product sales of products marketed or otherwise commercialized by Regeneron and/or its collaborators or licensees (collectively, "Regeneron's Products"), and the global economy; the nature, timing, and possible success and therapeutic applications of Regeneron's Products and product candidates being developed by Regeneron and/or its collaborators or licensees (collectively, "Regeneron's Product Candidates") and research and clinical programs now underway or planned, including without limitation Dupixent® (dupilumab) for the treatment of chronic spontaneous urticaria ("CSU"); the extent to which the results from the research and development programs conducted by Regeneron and/or its collaborators or licensees, such as the LIBERTY-CUPID clinical program (including Study A of the program, results of which were previously reported), may be replicated in other studies and/or lead to advancement of product candidates to clinical trials, therapeutic applications, or regulatory approval; uncertainty of the utilization, market acceptance, and commercial success of Regeneron's Products (such as Dupixent) and Regeneron's Product Candidates and the impact of studies (whether conducted by Regeneron or others and whether mandated or voluntary), including the studies discussed or referenced in this press release, on any of the foregoing or any potential regulatory approval of Regeneron's Products (such as Dupixent for the treatment of CSU) and Regeneron's Product Candidates; the likelihood, timing, and scope of possible regulatory approval and commercial launch of Regeneron's Product Candidates and new indications for Regeneron's Products, such as Dupixent for the treatment of CSU, pediatric atopic dermatitis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease with evidence of type 2 inflammation, eosinophilic esophagitis, bullous pemphigoid, prurigo nodularis, chronic inducible urticaria-cold, chronic rhinosinusitis without nasal polyposis, allergic fungal rhinosinusitis, allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis, peanut allergy, and other potential indications; the ability of Regeneron's collaborators, licensees, suppliers, or other third parties (as applicable) to perform manufacturing, filling, finishing, packaging, labeling, distribution, and other steps related to Regeneron's Products and Regeneron's Product Candidates; the ability of Regeneron to manage supply chains for multiple products and product candidates; safety issues resulting from the administration of Regeneron's Products (such as Dupixent) and Regeneron's Product Candidates in patients, including serious complications or side effects in connection with the use of Regeneron's Products and Regeneron's Product Candidates in clinical trials; determinations by regulatory and administrative governmental authorities which may delay or restrict Regeneron's ability to continue to develop or commercialize Regeneron's Products and Regeneron's Product Candidates, including without limitation Dupixent; ongoing regulatory obligations and oversight impacting Regeneron's Products, research and clinical programs, and business, including those relating to patient privacy; the availability and extent of reimbursement of Regeneron's Products from third-party payers, including private payer healthcare and insurance programs, health maintenance organizations, pharmacy benefit management companies, and government programs such as Medicare and Medicaid; coverage and reimbursement determinations by such payers and new policies and procedures adopted by such payers; competing drugs and product candidates that may be superior to, or more cost effective than, Regeneron's Products and Regeneron's Product Candidates; unanticipated expenses; the costs of developing, producing, and selling products; the ability of Regeneron to meet any of its financial projections or guidance and changes to the assumptions underlying those projections or guidance; the potential for any license, collaboration, or supply agreement, including Regeneron's agreements with Sanofi, Bayer, and Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. (or their respective affiliated companies, as applicable) to be cancelled or terminated; and risks associated with intellectual property of other parties and pending or future litigation relating thereto (including without limitation the patent litigation and other related proceedings relating to EYLEA® (aflibercept) Injection, Dupixent, Praluent® (alirocumab), and REGEN-COV® (casirivimab and imdevimab)), other litigation and other proceedings and government investigations relating to the Company and/or its operations, the ultimate outcome of any such proceedings and investigations, and the impact any of the foregoing may have on Regeneron's business, prospects, operating results, and financial condition. A more complete description of these and other material risks can be found in Regeneron's filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, including its Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021. Any forward-looking statements are made based on management's current beliefs and judgment, and the reader is cautioned not to rely on any forward-looking statements made by Regeneron. Regeneron does not undertake any obligation to update (publicly or otherwise) any forward-looking statement, including without limitation any financial projection or guidance, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.
Regeneron uses its media and investor relations website and social media outlets to publish important information about the Company, including information that may be deemed material to investors. Financial and other information about Regeneron is routinely posted and is accessible on Regeneron's media and investor relations website (http://newsroom.regeneron.com) and its Twitter feed (http://twitter.com/regeneron).
Sanofi Forward-Looking Statements
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SOURCE Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
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