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Ionis and AstraZeneca Report Positive Topline 66-Week Results of Eplontersen Phase 3 Study for Patients with ATTRv-PN

March 27, 2023

Rare Daily Staff

Ionis Pharmaceuticals and AstraZeneca reported positive topline results from the 66-week analysis of the phase 3 NEURO-TTRansform study of eplontersen in patients with hereditary transthyretin-mediated amyloid polyneuropathy, a potentially fatal disease that leads to peripheral nerve damage and motor disability.

At 66 weeks, patients treated with eplontersen continued to demonstrate a statistically significant and clinically meaningful change from baseline versus an external placebo group on the co-primary endpoints of modified Neuropathy Impairment Score +7 (mNIS+7), a measure of neuropathic disease progression, and Norfolk Quality of Life Questionnaire-Diabetic Neuropathy (Norfolk QoL-DN). The study also met its third co-primary endpoint demonstrating a statistically significant reduction in serum TTR concentration versus an external placebo group. TTR reductions were consistent with those reported at week 35. Eplontersen continued to demonstrate a safety and tolerability profile consistent with that observed at 35 weeks.

“These latest results from our NEURO-TTRansform study represent an important step towards delivering a potential new therapy for ATTRv-PN patients living with this debilitating and fatal disease. We are encouraged by the sustained benefit demonstrated by eplontersen and what a self-administered treatment could mean for patients and families affected by ATTRv-PN,” said Eugene Schneider, executive vice president and chief clinical development officer for Ionis. “Together with our partner AstraZeneca, we look forward to sharing detailed results from this study at the upcoming American Academy of Neurology Annual Meeting.”

Hereditary transthyretin-mediated amyloid polyneuropathy (ATTRv-PN) is caused by the accumulation of misfolded mutated TTR protein in the peripheral nerves. Patients with ATTRv-PN experience ongoing debilitating nerve damage throughout their body resulting in the progressive loss of motor functions, such as walking. These patients also accumulate TTR in other major organs, which progressively compromises their function. The damage from misfolded TTR protein accumulation leads to disability within five years of diagnosis and is generally fatal within a decade.

Eplontersen is an investigational LIgand-Conjugated Antisense (LICA) medicine designed to inhibit the production of TTR protein. Eplontersen is being developed as a monthly self-administered subcutaneous injection to treat all types of ATTR. ATTR amyloidosis is a systemic, progressive, and fatal disease in which patients experience multiple overlapping clinical manifestations caused by the inappropriate formation and aggregation of TTR amyloid deposits in various tissues and organs, including peripheral nerves, heart, intestinal tract, eyes, kidneys, central nervous system, thyroid and bone marrow. The progressive accumulation of TTR amyloid deposits in these tissues and organs leads to organ failure and eventually death.

“These results further underscore eplontersen’s potential to be a best-in-class treatment across all forms of transthyretin-mediated amyloidosis, including polyneuropathy and cardiomyopathy which can lead to heart failure,” said Mene Pangalos, executive vice president, BioPharmaceuticals R&D, AstraZeneca. “With limited treatment options currently available, there is an urgent unmet medical need for new therapies and earlier, accurate diagnosis across the different types of this systemic, progressive and fatal condition.”

As part of a global development and commercialization agreement, Ionis and AstraZeneca are seeking regulatory approval for eplontersen for the treatment of ATTRv-PN in the United States and plan to seek regulatory approval in Europe and other parts of the world. Earlier this month, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration accepted a New Drug Application for eplontersen for the treatment of ATTRv-PN with a PDUFA action date of Dec. 22, 2023. Eplontersen was granted Orphan Drug designation in the U.S.

Eplontersen is currently being evaluated in the phase 3 CARDIO-TTRansform study for transthyretin amyloid cardiomyopathy (ATTR-CM), a systemic, progressive and fatal condition that typically leads to progressive heart failure and often death within three to five years from disease onset.

Photo: Eugene Schneider, executive vice president and chief clinical development officer for Ionis

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