A Response to: Letter to the Editor Regarding "Network Meta-analysis of Food and Drug Administration-approved Treatment Options for Adults with Aquaporin-4 Immunoglobulin G-positive Neuromyelitis Optica Spectrum Disorder"

Ravulizumab in Aquaporin-4-Positive Neuromyelitis Optica Spectrum Disorder

OBJECTIVE

CHAMPION-NMOSD (NCT04201262) is a phase 3, open-label, externally controlled interventional study evaluating the efficacy and safety of the terminal complement inhibitor ravulizumab in adult patients with anti-aquaporin-4 antibody-positive (AQP4+) neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD). Ravulizumab binds the same complement component 5 epitope as the approved therapeutic eculizumab but has a longer half-life, enabling an extended dosing interval (8 vs 2 weeks).

METHODS

The availability of eculizumab precluded the use of a concurrent placebo control in CHAMPION-NMOSD; consequently, the placebo group of the eculizumab phase 3 trial PREVENT (n = 47) was used as an external comparator. Patients received weight-based intravenous ravulizumab on day 1 and maintenance doses on day 15, then once every 8 weeks. The primary endpoint was time to first adjudicated on-trial relapse.

RESULTS

The primary endpoint was met; no patients taking ravulizumab (n = 58) had an adjudicated relapse (during 84.0 patient-years of treatment) versus 20 patients with adjudicated relapses in the placebo group of PREVENT (during 46.9 patient-years; relapse risk reduction = 98.6%, 95% confidence interval = 89.7%-100.0%, p < 0.0001). Median (range) study period follow-up time was 73.5 (11.0-117.7) weeks for ravulizumab. Most treatment-emergent adverse events were mild/moderate; no deaths were reported. Two patients taking ravulizumab experienced meningococcal infections. Both recovered with no sequelae; one continued ravulizumab treatment.

INTERPRETATION

Ravulizumab significantly reduced relapse risk in patients with AQP4+ NMOSD, with a safety profile consistent with those of eculizumab and ravulizumab across all approved indications. ANN NEUROL 2023;93:1053-1068.

Inebilizumab: A Review in Neuromyelitis Optica Spectrum Disorder

Inebilizumab (Uplizna®) is a recently approved monoclonal antibody for use in adults with neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) who are anti-aquaporin-4 (AQP4) antibody seropositive. Inebilizumab targets the B cell antigen CD19 and effectively depletes circulating B cells, thus suppressing inflammatory NMOSD attacks that are potentially disabling or life-threatening. It is approved as an intravenous infusion in several countries. In the pivotal phase 2/3 N-MOmentum trial, inebilizumab reduced the risk of NMOSD attacks compared with placebo, including in AQP4-antibody seropositive patients. Inebilizumab also significantly reduced the risk of disability score worsening, the number of NMOSD-related hospitalisations and MRI lesion count, but had no significant effect on low-contrast binocular vision. The treatment effect on relapse risk and disability scores was sustained in inebilizumab-treated patients for ≥ 4 years during the open-label extension. Inebilizumab was generally well tolerated, with the most common adverse events being urinary tract infection and arthralgia. Thus, inebilizumab is an effective treatment option for adults with AQP4-antibody seropositive NMOSD.