Progress for Celgene's Psoriasis Drug

Apremilast significantly improved signs and symptoms of psoriasis across a range of patient types

/ Author:  / Reviewed by: Joseph V. Madia, MD

Celgene International Sàrl presented the results from ESTEEM 1, the Company’s first phase III study in psoriasis, at the American Academy of Dermatology annual meeting in Miami, Florida.

The company previously announced statistical significance for the primary and major secondary endpoint of PASI-75 at Week 16 and the Static Physician Global Assessment for patients receiving apremilast in the ESTEEM 1&2 phase III studies.

ESTEEM 1&2 are the phase III registrational randomized, placebo-controlled studies evaluating the company’s oral small-molecule inhibitor of phosphodiesterase-4 (PDE4) in patients with moderate-to-severe chronic plaque psoriasis.

ESTEEM 1, presented today, evaluated efficacy and safety in a range of patients. Approximately one-third of the study population was systemic and/or phototherapy treatment-naïve. Nearly 30 percent of the overall study population had prior biologic therapy, which included biologic-failures.

In the ESTEEM 1 study, a significantly higher percentage of apremilast-treated patients demonstrated PASI-75 at week 16 than did placebo patients (33.1% vs. 5.3%; P<0.0001). Significantly higher PASI-75 scores at week 16 were demonstrated across all patient segments enrolled in this study, including systemic-naïve and biologic-naïve patients receiving apremilast 30 mg BID compared with placebo (38.7% vs. 7.6%; P<0.0001 and 35.8% vs. 5.9%; P<0.0001 respectively). Apremilast demonstrated maintenance of effect over time, as measured by the Mean Percent Change from Baseline in PASI score over 32 weeks, with apremilast demonstrating a 54.9% reduction at week 16 and a 61.9% reduction at week 32.

Statistical significance at week 16 was also demonstrated in the major secondary endpoint, Static Physician Global Assessment (sPGA) of clear or almost clear (P<0.0001), and other key secondary endpoints (change in BSA, Pruritus VAS, DLQI), as well as in assessments of difficult to treat areas (nail and scalp psoriasis).

“I see this as a prime candidate for future management of psoriasis that allows us to treat a range of patients, including more moderate cases earlier on,” said Kristian Reich, MD, SCIderm Research Institute and Dermatologikum Hamburg, Germany.

The overall safety and tolerability profile was consistent with results from previously reported phase III psoriatic arthritis trials. No cases of tuberculosis or lymphoma were observed through week 16, and there was no increased risk of cardiovascular events or serious opportunistic infection. Apremilast was generally well tolerated.

The most common adverse events (AEs) greater than placebo were diarrhea, nausea and headache. Greater than 96% of patients in the study reported no AEs or mild to moderate AEs. A similar percentage of patients reported both serious AEs and severe AEs in the apremilast 30 mg BID treatment group compared to placebo (2.1% vs. 2.8% and 3.6% vs. 3.2%, respectively).

An NDA submission to the US Food and Drug Administration, based on the combined ESTEEM 1&2 studies for psoriasis, is expected in the second half of 2013. The company previously announced it expects to file a separate NDA for psoriatic arthritis in the first quarter of 2013. A combined PsA/psoriasis MAA submission in Europe is also planned for the second half of 2013.

Top-line positive results from the two pivotal, randomized, placebo-controlled phase III studies of apremilast in psoriasis (ESTEEM 1&2) were released in January 2013. The studies included more than 1,200 patients with moderate-to-severe psoriasis and are ongoing. Results from PSOR-005, a phase IIb dose-range study, were recently published in The Lancet (http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(12)60642-4/fulltext).

Review Date: 
March 4, 2013