What are the benefits of the anti-FGF23 antibody burosumab on the manifestations of X-linked hypophosphatemia in adults in comparison with conventional therapy? A review
Authors: Lafage-Proust Marie-Hélène 
Published: February 2022

X-linked hypophosphatemia (XLH) is a genetic disease mostly related to PHEX gene mutations which increases FGF23 serum levels, leading to hypophosphatemia and osteomalacia in adults, while affected children, in addition, develop rickets. Most of adults with XLH suffer from reduced quality of life and physical disability due to chronic bone and joint pain related to limb deformities, early osteoarthritis, delayed-healing of insufficiency fractures, and enthesopathies. Dental infections, muscle dysfunction, and deafness are also frequent. The current treatment consists of 2–5 times daily oral administration of phosphate combined to active vitamin D, often badly tolerated with immediate digestive side effects, responsible for poor compliance. In the long term, it may induce nephrocalcinosis and hyperparathyroidism. Burosumab, an anti-FGF23 blocking antibody, was approved for treating children with XLH in many countries. A randomized 24-week-long placebo-controlled trial, followed by an open-label period of equal duration was conducted in 134 XLH adults treated with 1 mg/kg burosumab/4 weeks. During burosumab treatment, 94% of the patients normalized serum phosphate values versus 7% in the placebo group. Fracture healing was increased 16.7 times compared with placebo-treated patients. All pain and disability tests improved significantly in a time-dependent manner. Burosumab for 48 weeks improved histological lesions of osteomalacia in a single-arm longitudinal study analyzing paired bone biopsies. Another single-arm, open-label study investigated the long-term safety and efficacy of burosumab in 20 adult patients followed for 3.2 years. Burosumab was beneficial on pain and disability scores and on bone remodeling markers. No major side effects especially no hyperphosphatemic episodes were reported. Overall, the benefit/risk ratio of burosumab is positive in adult patients with clinical and/or biological complications of XLH. Burosumab corrects hypophosphatemia, promotes fracture healing, and induces a modest but significant effect on XLH-induced subjective pain and disability symptoms.

Plain language title and summary

Effects of conventional treatment and burosumab in adults with X-linked hypophosphatemia. X-linked hypophosphatemia (XLH) is a disease of genetic origin that affects mineralized tissues (skeleton and teeth) and impairs muscle function. It induces a decrease in blood phosphate levels. This leads to under mineralization of bones and insufficiency fractures that heal slowly, associated with poor dental health characterized by spontaneous dental abscesses. Adults with XLH suffer from chronic pain and limb deformities that alter their quality of life. They are currently treated with daily administration of vitamin D and several daily doses of phosphate. This treatment may induce parathyroid gland dysfunction and mineral deposits in the kidney. If not tightly monitored, these side effects may lead to tertiary hyperparathyroidism and the need for parathyroid gland surgery, or to nephrocalcinosis which may proceed to chronic kidney disease. Burosumab is an antibody that blocks the action of FGF23 the factor that circulates in excess in blood and is responsible for phosphate renal leak in XLH. Three studies demonstrated that burosumab, injected every 4 weeks, is efficient and safe for treating adults with XLH.