Acthar for the Treatment of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) in Patients With a History of Persistently Active Disease

This Phase 4 study is being performed to examine the effects of Acthar for the indicated use of treatment of SLE. This study will enroll patients with steroid-dependent, persistently active SLE with arthritic and/or cutaneous involvement.

The study will involve two periods: an 8-week double-blind period, to provide placebo-controlled safety, efficacy, and pharmacodynamic data, and an optional open-label period, to examine the prolonged effects of Acthar maintenance.


Eligibility Criteria:
Inclusion Criteria:

* Male or female ≥ 18 years of age at screening who are able to provide informed consent
* Diagnosis of SLE according to the American College of Rheumatology revised criteria (fulfilled ≥ 4 criteria)
* Active SLE with arthritic and/or cutaneous involvement as demonstrated by a SELENA-SLEDAI score ≥ 2 (clinical manifestation must include rash and/or arthritis)
* Moderate to severe rash and/or arthritis as demonstrated by BILAG score A or B in the mucocutaneous and/or musculoskeletal body systems
* Documented history of autoantibodies to at least one of the following: anti-dsDNA, anti-Smith, or anti-cardiolipin
* Documented history of positive antinuclear antibody (ANA)
* Currently on a stable dose of prednisone (7.5 to 30 mg/day of prednisone or equivalent within the 4 weeks prior to screening). The prednisone regimen must remain stable through the double-blind phase and until the stable Acthar regimen is attained in the open-label phase.

Exclusion Criteria:

* Patients with a recent history (≤ 2 months prior to screening) of starting prednisone (or equivalent) use
* Patients with active nephritis defined as serum creatinine \> 2.5 mg/dL or protein creatinine ratio (PCR) \> 1.5 g/g, or patients that required hemodialysis within 3 months prior to screening
* Active central nervous system (CNS) lupus (including seizures, psychosis, organic brain syndrome, cerebrovascular accident, cerebritis, or CNS vasculitis), requiring therapeutic intervention within 3 months prior to screening
* Type 1 or type 2 diabetes mellitus (history of gestational diabetes mellitus is not an exclusion), or patients currently taking hypoglycemic medication
* History of using certain medications prior to screening:

  1. oral prednisone (or equivalent) \> 30 mg/day, any steroid injection, cyclosporine, or non-biologic investigational drug within 3 months prior to screening
  2. intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIg) or plasmapheresis within 4 months prior to screening
  3. cyclophosphamide within 6 months prior to screening; and/or
  4. B-cell targeted therapy, abatacept, or any biologic investigational agent within 12 months prior to screening
* Contraindication per Acthar Prescribing Information: scleroderma, osteoporosis, systemic fungal infections, ocular herpes simplex, recent surgery, history of or the presence of peptic ulcer, congestive heart failure, uncontrolled hypertension, primary adrenocortical insufficiency, or adrenal cortical hyperfunction

  1. For the purposes of this study, osteoporosis is defined as evidence of vertebral or long bone fracture or vertebral T-score \> 2.0
  2. For the purposes of this study, history of peptic ulcer is defined as ≤ 6 months prior to screening
  3. For the purposes of this study, congestive heart failure is defined as New York Heart Association Functional Class III-IV