U.S. biopharma company AbbVie has submitted applications for a new indication to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and European Medicines Agency (EMA) for upadacitinib (RINVOQ) for the treatment of adult patients with moderately to severely active Crohn’s disease.
“Crohn’s disease can be debilitating and have a significant impact on a person’s daily life,” said Neil Gallagher, vice president, development, chief medical officer, AbbVie.
“Those patients who are still suffering fuel our continued commitment to innovation in care for patients with IBD, and we look forward to potentially introducing a new treatment option for this disruptive condition.”
The applications to the FDA and EMA are supported by data from three phase 3 clinical trials, including two induction studies (U-EXCEED & U-EXCEL) and one maintenance study (U-ENDURE).
Across all three studies, significantly more patients treated with upadacitinib achieved the co-primary endpoints of clinical remission and endoscopic response, with clinical remission measured by the Crohn’s Disease Activity Index (CDAI) or by the patient-reported symptoms of stool frequency/abdominal pain (SF/AP).
Also, more patients receiving upadacitinib 45 mg once daily at week 12 in the induction studies or 15 mg and 30 mg once daily at 52 weeks in the maintenance study achieved the secondary endpoint of corticosteroid-free clinical remission per CDAI and per SF/AP compared to placebo among patients taking corticosteroids at baseline.
The safety results of upadacitinib in U-EXCEED, U-EXCEL and U-ENDURE were generally consistent with the known safety profile of upadacitinib, with no new safety risks observed.
About Crohn’s Disease
Crohn’s disease is a chronic, systemic disease that manifests as inflammation within the gastrointestinal tract, causing persistent diarrhea and abdominal pain.
It is a progressive disease, meaning it gets worse over time in a substantial proportion of patients or may develop complications that require urgent medical care, including surgery.
Because the signs and symptoms of Crohn’s disease are unpredictable, it causes a significant burden on people living with the disease—not only physically, but also emotionally and economically.
U-EXCEED and U-EXCEL Induction and U-ENDURE maintenance studies
The three phase 3 studies are multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled studies to evaluate the efficacy and safety of upadacitinib 45 mg once daily as induction therapy, and upadacitinib 15 mg and 30 mg once daily as maintenance therapy in adults with moderately to severely active Crohn’s disease.
Topline results from U-EXCEED and U-EXCEL induction studies were announced in December 2021 and February 2022, respectively, and topline results from the U-ENDURE maintenance study were announced in May 2022. These studies include assessments of efficacy, safety and tolerability of upadacitinib. .
About upadacitinib (RINVOQ)
Discovered and developed by AbbVie scientists, RINVOQ is a JAK inhibitor that is being studied in several immune-mediated inflammatory diseases. Based on enzymatic and cellular assays, RINVOQ demonstrated greater inhibitory potency for JAK-1 vs. JAK-2, JAK-3 and TYK-2. The relevance of inhibition of specific JAK enzymes to therapeutic effectiveness and safety is not currently known.
Phase 3 trials of RINVOQ in rheumatoid arthritis, atopic dermatitis, psoriatic arthritis, axial spondyloarthritis, ulcerative colitis, giant cell arteritis and Takayasu arteritis are ongoing.
The use of upadacitinib in Crohn’s disease is not approved and its safety and efficacy have not been evaluated by regulatory authorities.