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Study design for FABHALTA® (iptacopan)

TO REDUCE PROTEINURIA IN ADULTS WITH PRIMARY IgAN AT RISK OF RAPID DISEASE PROGRESSION (UPCR ≥1.5 g/g)1

APPLAUSE: A phase 3 clinical study assessing FABHALTA for patients with IgAN1,2

  • Study design: A multicenter, randomized, double-blind study1

  • Study population: Adults with biopsy-proven IgAN, elevated proteinuria (UPCR ≥1 g/g), and eGFR ≥20 mL/min/1.73 m2 1

    • Patients were primarily treated with a stable dose of maximally-tolerated RASi therapy with or without a stable dose of an SGLT2i. Rescue immunosuppressive treatment could be initiated per investigator discretion during the trial1

BASELINE CHARACTERISTICS1,2

of patients who contributed to the efficacy analysis (N=250)

Gender:
Male: 52%
Female: 48%

MEST-C scorea:
M1: 62%
E1: 29%
S1: 70%
T1/T2: 38%/3%
C1/C2: 21%/2%

Treatments:
ACEi or ARB: 99% 
SGLT2i: 13%

Mean age:
39 years
(range 18 to 74 years)

Mean eGFR: 64 
mL/min/1.73 m2

Comorbidities:
Hypertension: 59%
Type 2 diabetes: 6%

Ethnicity:
Asian: 54%
White: 44%
Black or African American: <1%

Hematuriab: 75%

Geometric Mean UPCR: 2.0 g/g
UPCR ≥3.5 g/g: 12%

aNot all MEST-C components were available for all patients.2
bHematuria was based on urine dipstick and not available for all patients.1

SELECTED KEY INCLUSION CRITERIA1,3: 

  • Patients ≥18 years of age with biopsy-proven IgAN

    • Biopsy anytime for eGFR 20 to <30 mL/min/1.73 m²

    • Biopsy within 5 years for eGFR ≥45 mL/min/1.73 m²

    • Biopsy within 2 years (with <50% tubulointerstitial fibrosis) for eGFR 30 to <45 mL/min/1.73 m²

  • Proteinuria (UPCR ≥1 g/g) at screening and run-in period 

  • Primarily on a stable dose of maximally-tolerated RASi therapy with or without a stable dose of an SGLT2i

  • Vaccination against Neisseria meningitidis and Streptococcus pneumoniae. Recommendation to be vaccinated against Haemophilus influenzae type b

SELECTED KEY EXCLUSION CRITERIA3:

  • Any secondary IgAN

  • Previous treatment with immunosuppressive agents within 90 days before the first study drug administration

  • SBP >140 mm Hg or DBP >90 mm Hg at randomization

  • Bacterial, viral, or fungal infection within 14 days before randomization

  • Prior transplantation (any solid organ transplantation)

FABHALTA received accelerated approval in IgAN based on 24-hour UPCR reductions1-3

The interim efficacy analysis was based on the first 250 patients with eGFR ≥30 mL/min/1.73 m2 who had completed or discontinued the study prior to the Month 9 visit.1

Click on image to enlarge.

ACCELERATED APPROVAL1

FABHALTA was approved by the FDA based on UPCR data from the interim analysis at 9 months. It has not been established whether FABHALTA slows kidney function decline in patients with IgAN. Continued approval for this indication may be contingent upon verification and description of clinical benefit in a confirmatory clinical trial.

See trial results for FABHALTA

Explore the safety profile for FABHALTA

Definitions 
ACEi, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor; ARB, angiotensin receptor blocker; bid, twice daily; DBP, diastolic blood pressure; eGFR, estimated glomerular filtration rate; FDA, US Food and Drug Administration; IgAN, immunoglobulin A nephropathy; MEST-C, mesangial hypercellularity (M), endocapillary hypercellularity (E), segmental glomerulosclerosis (S), tubular atrophy/interstitial fibrosis (T), and crescents (C); RASi, renin-angiotensin system inhibitor; SBP, systolic blood pressure; SD, standard deviation; SGLT2i, sodium/glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitor; UPCR, urine protein-to-creatinine ratio.

References
1. Fabhalta. Prescribing information. Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corp.
2. Data on file. Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corp; 2024.
3. Rizk DV, Rovin BH, Zhang H, et al. Targeting the alternative complement pathway with iptacopan to treat IgA nephropathy: design and rationale of the APPLAUSE-IgAN study. Kidney Int Rep. 2023;8(5):968-979. doi:10.1016/j.ekir.2023.01.041