Aline Goebel’s research while affiliated with AbbVie and other places

Data from phase IIb/III and phase III studies were used to characterize the population pharmacokinetics of risankizumab and its exposure-response relationships for efficacy and safety in ulcerative colitis (UC) patients. A two-compartment model with first-order absorption and elimination accurately described risankizumab pharmacokinetics. Although certain covariates, namely, body weight, serum albumin, fecal calprotectin, sex, corticosteroid use, advanced therapy inadequate response, and pancolitis, were statistically correlated with risankizumab clearance, their impact on exposure was not clinically meaningful for efficacy or safety. Phase II exposure-response analyses demonstrated that the 1,200 mg intravenous (IV) induction dose at Weeks 0, 4, and 8 achieved near maximal response for all efficacy end points, with suboptimal efficacy from the 600 mg and little added benefit from the 1,800 mg regimens, justifying 1,200 mg IV as the induction dose in the phase III study. Phase III exposure-response analyses for efficacy during induction showed statistically significant exposure-response relationships at Week 12 following 1,200 mg IV at Weeks 0, 4, and 8, in line with phase IIb results. Exposure-response analyses for maintenance demonstrated modest improvement in Week 52 efficacy when increasing the subcutaneous dose from 180 mg to 360 mg with largely overlapping confidence intervals. Exposure-response analyses for safety indicated no apparent exposure-dependent safety events over the induction or maintenance treatment. Based on these results, the recommended dosing regimen for risankizumab in UC patients is 1,200 mg IV at Weeks 0, 4, and 8, followed by 180 mg or 360 mg subcutaneously at Week 12 and every 8 weeks thereafter.

Background Risankizumab (RZB) has been evaluated in subjects with moderately to severely active ulcerative colitis (UC) in the INSPIRE and COMMAND trials. Population pharmacokinetic (PPK) and exposure-response (ER) analyses were conducted at the end of Phase 2b and following Phase 3 to characterize RZB PK and its relationship with clinical efficacy and safety to support Phase 3 induction dose selection, and the final dose recommendations for induction and maintenance treatment. Methods PPK analyses in UC used a previously developed PPK model for Crohn’s disease with additional evaluation of covariates relevant to UC. ER relationships between RZB exposures and efficacy endpoints at the end of induction (Week 12), re-induction (Week 24; exploratory only) and maintenance (Week 52) periods were established using exploratory graphical analyses and logistic regression modeling. ER analyses for safety were performed for key variables through Weeks 12, 24 and 52 using graphical analyses. Results A two-compartment model with first-order absorption for SC administration and first-order elimination adequately described RZB PK. Among the various covariates assessed, body weight, baseline (BL) serum albumin, BL high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, BL fecal calprotectin, sex, advanced therapy IR status, BL pancolitis and corticosteroid use were statistically correlated with RZB clearance but their impact on exposure was not clinically relevant for efficacy. ER analyses for efficacy using Phase 2b induction data showed that while incremental improvement in efficacy was predicted with doses increasing from 1200 to 1800 mg, the magnitude of difference in efficacy was modest especially for endoscopy-driven endpoints. Phase 3 ER analyses for efficacy showed statistically significant trends of exposure-dependent increase in efficacy following induction treatment with 1200 mg IV at Week 0, 4 and 8, with greater response rates observed with higher exposures across all evaluated endpoints at Week 12, in line with the results from Phase 2b. ER analyses for maintenance demonstrated an exposure-dependent increase in efficacy for Week 52 endpoints, with modest improvement in efficacy when increasing the dose from 180 mg to 360 mg, and largely overlapping confidence intervals. ER analyses for safety indicated no apparent exposure-dependent safety events over the induction or maintenance treatment. Conclusion The PPK and ER analyses of RZB in subjects with UC characterized the disposition of RZB and its relationship to efficacy and safety, as well as the lack of impact by intrinsic and extrinsic factors on PK and efficacy. Results supported the final dosing regimen recommendations for the treatment of moderately to severely active UC.

The population pharmacokinetics (PK) of risankizumab, and exposure‐response relationships for efficacy and safety in subjects with Crohn's disease (CD), were characterized using data from phase 2 and 3 studies, to support dosing regimen selection. A two‐compartment model with first order absorption and first order elimination adequately described risankizumab PK. Covariates including sex, baseline fecal calprotectin, corticosteroid use, baseline creatinine clearance, body weight, and baseline albumin were statistically correlated with risankizumab clearance but their impact on exposure was not clinically relevant for efficacy or safety. Exposure‐response analyses showed that exposures associated with the 600 mg intravenously (IV) induction dose at week 0, 4, and 8 achieved a near maximal response for all efficacy endpoints evaluated, with negligible added benefit from the 1200 mg IV regimen. By week 52 of the maintenance treatment, trends of higher responses were observed for the exposures range associated with the 360 mg subcutaneously (SC) every 8 weeks (Q8W) regimen for most of the evaluated efficacy endpoints, particularly for the more stringent endpoints such as endoscopic remission and ulcer free endoscopy. Exposure‐response analyses for safety did not identify any apparent relationship between exposure and safety. These results supported the final dose recommendation of 600 mg IV at weeks 0, 4, and 8, followed by 360 mg SC at week 12 and Q8W thereafter in subjects with CD.

IntroductionRisankizumab is an anti-IL23 monoclonal antibody approved for the treatment of moderate to severe plaque psoriasis and active psoriatic arthritis (PsA). This work characterizes the pharmacokinetics of risankizumab in PsA compared with psoriasis and evaluates the efficacy and safety exposure–response relationships in PsA.Methods The population pharmacokinetic analyses included data from 1527 participants that originated from one phase 1 healthy participant study, one phase 2 dose-ranging study in patients with PsA with an open-label extension study, and two pivotal phase 3 studies in patients with PsA, where the clinical regimen of risankizumab 150 mg administered subcutaneously (SC) at weeks 0, 4, and every 12 weeks thereafter was compared with placebo. Pharmacokinetics were analyzed using nonlinear mixed-effects modeling. Simulation analyses using the final model were conducted to evaluate the impact of covariates on exposure. Data from 1407 patients with PsA from the phase 3 studies were included in the exposure–response analyses. Graphical analyses were used to evaluate efficacy and safety exposure–response relationships, and logistic regression was conducted for further assessment of efficacy exposure–response relationships.ResultsRisankizumab pharmacokinetics were well described by a two-compartment model with first-order SC absorption and elimination. None of the evaluated covariates showed clinically relevant impact on exposure. On the basis of the final model, systemic clearance, steady-state volume of distribution, and terminal phase elimination half-life were estimated to be ~ 0.31 L/day, 11.1 L, and 26.3 days, respectively, for a typical 90 kg patient with PsA. Absolute SC bioavailability was estimated to be 83.5%. Exposure–response quartile analyses suggested that exposures associated with the clinical regimen maximized efficacy across the endpoints evaluated. No exposure dependency was observed for key safety endpoints.Conclusions Risankizumab exhibited linear and time-independent pharmacokinetics in patients with PsA and was comparable to patients with plaque psoriasis. Efficacy and safety exposure–response analyses support that the clinical regimen achieved robust efficacy with a favorable safety profile for patients with active PsA.Clinical Trials: NCT02596217, NCT02719171, NCT02986373, NCT03671148, and NCT03675308.Clinical Trials: NCT02596217, NCT02719171, NCT02986373, NCT03671148, and NCT03675308.

Background In order to support risankizumab dose recommendation for the treatment of Crohn’s disease (CD), population pharmacokinetic (PPK) and exposure-response (ER) analyses were conducted for risankizumab using data from Phases 2 & 3 studies in moderate to severely active CD patients to characterise PK and its relationship with clinical efficacy and safety. Methods PPK analyses used non-linear mixed-effects modelling, leveraging a previously developed PPK model for plaque psoriasis & CD, with additional evaluation of covariates relevant to CD. ER relationships were evaluated for efficacy endpoints (clinical remission/response based on CDAI or stool frequency/abdominal pain, endoscopic endpoints, etc.) at Week 12 (induction), Week 24 (re-induction; exploratory only), and Week 52 (maintenance), using graphical analyses at Week 12, 24 and 52 and logistic regression analyses at Week 12 and 52. ER analyses for safety evaluated key safety variables through Week 12, 24 and 52 using graphical analyses. Results Observed risankizumab concentrations in CD patients were adequately described by the risankizumab PK model. PK in subjects with CD was linear and time-independent, similar to healthy subjects and plaque psoriasis. The majority of the evaluated intrinsic and extrinsic factors showed no statistically significant effect on risankizumab PK, including age, race, country/region, liver function markers, creatinine, baseline CDAI, baseline SES-CD, duration of disease, prior biological therapies, immunosuppressant use, and immunogenicity. Sex, baseline fecal calprotectin, corticosteroid use, baseline creatinine clearance, body weight, and baseline albumin were statistically correlated with risankizumab clearance but their impact on exposure was not clinically relevant for efficacy or safety. ER analyses for induction demonstrated that exposures associated with 600 mg IV at Week 0, 4 and 8 achieved a near maximal response for all evaluated efficacy endpoints at Week 12, with negligible added benefit from 1200 mg IV. ER analyses for maintenance showed higher efficacy response at higher exposures for most of the Week 52 endpoints, particularly the more stringent endoscopic endpoints. ER analyses for safety indicated no apparent relationship between exposure and incidence of any AE, SAE, infection or serious infection over the 12 or 24 weeks of induction or 52 weeks of maintenance treatment. Conclusion PPK and ER analyses of risankizumab in subjects with CD supported the final dose recommendation of 600 mg IV at Week 0, 4, 8 followed by 360 mg SC at Week 12 and Q8W thereafter for the treatment of moderate to severely active CD.