P209 Safety profile of upadacitinib in rheumatoid arthritis: integrated analysis from the select Phase 3 clinical programme
Authors: Cohen Stanley B , van Vollenhoven Ronald , Winthrop Kevin , Zerbini Cristiano , Tanaka Yoshiya , Bessette Louis , Zhang Ying , Khan Nasser , Hendrickson Barbara , Enejosa Jeffrey V , Burmester Gerd Rüdiger 
Published: April 2020

Background

Upadacitinib (UPA), a JAK1-selective inhibitor, significantly improved clinical signs and symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in patients naïve to methotrexate (MTX) and with an inadequate response to conventional synthetic DMARDs (csDMARD-IR) or biologic DMARDs (bDMARD-IR). The objective was to assess the safety of UPA as monotherapy (mono) and as combination therapy with background csDMARDs in patients with moderately to severely active RA from the safety database of the Phase 3 clinical programme.

Methods

Treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs) from 5 pivotal, randomised, double-blind, controlled Phase 3 trials of UPA 15 mg or 30 mg QD in RA patients were analysed using integrated short-term (ST), individual studies with long-term (LT) active comparator and integrated LT (all Phase 3 exposure; E/100PY) analyses sets.

Results

Across the Phase 3 trials, 3834 patients received ∼1 dose of UPA 15 mg (n = 2630) or 30 mg QD (n = 1204) »4020.1 PY of UPA exposure with no option to switch doses. The ST frequencies of overall SAEs and AEs leading to discontinuation were low, but higher on both UPA doses vs PBO. LT event rates were similar on UPA 15 mg vs ADA and slightly higher on UPA vs MTX mono. Deaths occurred in all treatment groups. Serious infection (SIEs) frequencies were higher on both UPA doses vs PBO. SIE rates on both UPA doses were higher vs MTX, but similar on UPA 15 mg vs ADA. Herpes zoster (HZ) frequencies and rates were higher on both UPA doses vs PBO, and vs MTX, ADA, respectively. The rates of SIE and HZ were higher on UPA 30 vs 15 mg. Adjudicated MACE were reported in all treatment groups including PBO. LT MACE rates were similar on UPA 15 mg and ADA and on UPA 15 mg and MTX mono, but higher on UPA 30 mg mono (low number of events, 2-4 per set). Adjudicated VTEs occurred at comparable frequencies on UPA vs PBO and at comparable rates on UPA vs active comparators. Malignancy (excluding non-melanoma skin cancer [NMSC]) rates were similar on UPA vs MTX, UPA 15 mg vs ADA, and 15 vs 30 mg. The NMSC rates on UPA 15 mg and ADA were similar; the rate on 30 mg was higher than 15 mg, but both UPA NMSC rates were in the range reported for RA patients treated with DMARDS. The standardised incidence ratio (95% CI) for malignancy (15 mg: 0.98 [0.61, 1.49], 30 mg: 1.49 [0.85, 2.42]) was not elevated vs the general population.

Conclusion

Treatment with UPA increased the risk of SIE and HZ, but not those of VTE, MACE, and malignancy vs comparators. These data support that UPA has an acceptable safety profile in the treatment of moderately to severely active RA.

Disclosures

S.B. Cohen: Grants/research support; Received grants and personal fees from Amgen, Abbvie, Boehringer Ingelheim, Pfizer and Sandoz. R. van Vollenhoven: Consultancies; AbbVie, AstraZeneca, Biotest, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Celgene, GSK, Janssen, Lilly, Medac, Merck, Novartis, Pfizer, Roche, and UCB. Grants/research support; Received grants from AbbVie, Arthrogen, Bristol-Myers Squibb, GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), Lilly, Pfizer, and UCB. K. Winthrop: Consultancies; Received consulting fees and research grants from UCB Pharma, Pfizer, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Eli Lilly, AbbVie, and Roche. C. Zerbini: Consultancies; Merck, Pfizer, Sanofi-Aventis and Pfizer. Grants/research support; Received research grants from Amgen, GSK, Lilly, Merck, Novartis, Pfizer, Sanofi-Aventis, Servier and Roche. Y. Tanaka: Honoraria; Daiichi-Sankyo, Astellas, Eli Lilly, Chugai, Sanofi, Abbvie, Pfizer, YL Biologics, Bristol-Myers, Glaxo-Smithkline, UCB, Mitsubishi-Tanabe, Novartis, Eisai, Takeda, Janssen, Asahi-kasei. Grants/research support; Mitsubishi-Tanabe, Bristol-Myers, Eisai, Chugai, Takeda, Abbvie, Astellas, Daiichi-Sankyo, Ono, MSD, Taisho-Toyama. L. Bessette: Grants/research support; Speaking fees, consulting fees, and research grants from Amgen, BMS, Janssen, Roche, UCB Pharma, AbbVie Inc, Pfizer, Merck, Celgene, Sanofi, Eli Lilly, and Novartis. Y. Zhang: Corporate appointments; Employee of AbbVie. N. Khan: Corporate appointments; Employee of AbbVie. B. Hendrickson: Corporate appointments; Employee of AbbVie. J.V. Enejosa: Corporate appointments; Employee of AbbVie. G. Burmester: Honoraria; Received speaking or consulting fees from AbbVie Inc, Eli Lilly, Gilead, Janssen, Merck, Roche, Pfizer, and UCB Pharma.