Tuesday, October 17, 2017
Aimmune Therapeutics, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company developing treatments for potentially life-threatening food allergies, today announced a clinical collaboration with Regeneron and its strategic alliance collaborator Sanofi to study AR101 treatment with adjunctive dupilumab in peanut-allergic patients in a Phase 2 clinical trial. Regeneron will sponsor the trial, with Aimmune to provide clinical supply of AR101 and food challenge materials.
AR101 is Aimmune’s investigational biologic oral immunotherapy for desensitization of patients with peanut allergy, and dupilumab is a human monoclonal antibody that inhibits signaling of IL-4 and IL-13 cytokines, which are believed to be major drivers of Type 2 inflammation.
“We are excited to work with Regeneron and Sanofi to explore the potential of AR101 and dupilumab to increase both the degree of protection and persistence of protection against exposure to peanut protein,” said Aimmune CEO Stephen Dilly, M.B.B.S., Ph.D. “We have worked diligently with regulatory authorities and have engineered a manufacturing infrastructure that is purpose-built to meet strict cGMP and quality standards, an essential component for conducting rigorous studies such as this. Our Phase 2 findings showed AR101 was associated with both clinically meaningful levels of desensitization and potential immunomodulatory effects on the IgE-IgG4 ratio and peanut-specific TH2 cells. We look forward to building on these findings and the upcoming readout of our pivotal Phase 3 PALISADE trial through this clinical collaboration.”
“The incidence of food allergy continues to rise and with it the risk of life-threatening allergic reactions,” said George D. Yancopoulos, M.D., Ph.D., President and Chief Scientific Officer of Regeneron. “Dupilumab targets the IL-4/IL-13 signaling pathway, which is a critical driver of allergic inflammation. In particular, both preclinical and clinical studies suggest that dupilumab can be a major regulator of the IgE-IgG4 axis. We look forward to collaborating with Aimmune to evaluate if adjunctive treatment with AR101 and dupilumab can help further protect people with peanut allergies.”
The planned Phase 2 clinical trial is expected to begin in 2018. It will explore desensitization with AR101 treatment with adjunctive dupilumab (or placebo) in peanut-allergic patients, with a proposed primary endpoint of tolerating a certain dose of peanut protein in a double-blind, placebo-controlled food challenge (DBPCFC) that will include doses matching and exceeding those being tested in current AR101 studies. The study also includes a proposed exploration of sustained unresponsiveness after discontinuation of therapy in another DBPCFC. Sustained unresponsiveness is achieved when, after a break in treatment, peanut-allergic patients are able to tolerate a defined amount of peanut protein with no more than mild allergic symptoms. This has been recently demonstrated with low-dose oral immunotherapy in very young children.1
The clinical collaboration will include the formation of an Aimmune–Regeneron/Sanofi Joint Development Committee.
“I am very intrigued by the concept of adding dupilumab to oral immunotherapy (OIT) with AR101 for the treatment of peanut allergy,” said James R. Baker, M.D., CEO of Food Allergy Research and Education (FARE), the nation’s leading food allergy advocacy organization. “I believe that this approach could provide important insights into potential tolerability gains and increased durability of treatment response in OIT. Any approach that could broaden the eligible treatment population or support improved outcomes would be enthusiastically welcomed by peanut-allergic patients and their families.”
Dupilumab (marketed under the brand name DUPIXENT®) is being jointly developed by Regeneron and Sanofi under a global collaboration agreement. Potential uses beyond the indication approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and European Medicines Agency (EMA) are investigational, and no regulatory authority has evaluated their safety and efficacy.
