Trial of Belimumab in Early Lupus

Pilot Trial of Belimumab in Early Lupus

This two year study will evaluate the effects of giving belimumab (Benlysta) to patients with Early Lupus. Early lupus is a diagnosis of lupus within 2 years. Subjects will be randomized to receive belimumab or placebo during the first year. During the second year, subjects who were randomized to belimumab will be rerandomized to continue to receive belimumab or to receive placebo. The study will look at clinical effects as well as effects on the immune system.

Study Overview

• Status: Recruiting
• Conditions: Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic; Lupus Erythematosus
• Intervention / Treatment: Biological: Belimumab; Biological: Belimumab/Placebo; Other: Placebo

Detailed Description

This protocol proposes that early treatment of Systemic Lupus Erythematous (SLE) may prevent tissue damage and may even lead to long-term remission of disease. This concept is supported by reports of SLE-associated autoimmunity that are detected serologically many years prior to any constitutional symptoms or specific tissue inflammation and immune dysregulation precedes the development of clinically apparent SLE. Belimumab (Benlysta) is an FDA approved medication and is a monoclonal antibody directed against B cell-activating factor (BAFF)/ B Lymphocyte Stimulator (BLyS). B cells maturing in environments with high BAFF levels are more likely to be autoreactive B cells. This is a double-blind placebo controlled trial of belimumab, in patients with early lupus, ie lupus diagnosed within 2 years. Thirty subjects will be randomized (2:1) to receive subcutaneous belimumab weekly or placebo. After a year of treatment, subjects receiving belimumab will be rerandomized (1:1) to receive belimumab or placebo. The primary outcome is B cell autoreactivity. Clinical efficacy including disease activity, flares, attainment of low disease activity or remission as well as surrogate cardiovascular biomarkers will also be assessed.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Estimated): 30
• Phase: Phase 4

Contacts and Locations

• Study Contact: Name: Sanita Kandasami, BS; Phone Number: 516 562-2401; Email: skandasami@northwell.edu
• Study Contact Backup: Name: Cynthia Aranow, MD; Phone Number: 516 562-3845; Email: caranow@northwell.edu

Study Locations

• United States
  • New York
    • Manhasset, New York, United States, 11030
      • Recruiting
      • Feinstein Institute
      • Contact: Sanita Kandasami; Phone Number: 516-562-2401; Email: skandasami@northwell.edu
      • Principal Investigator: Cynthia Aranow, M.D.

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Diagnosis of SLE per current ACR classification criteria
• Date of SLE diagnosis within 2 years of screening
• ANA positive (with a titer ≥ 80)
• anti-ds DNA antibody positive
• Mild to moderate disease activity define by a SLEDAI-2K ≥4
• Stable corticosteroid dose in the 4 weeks prior to screening ≤ 30mg/day.
• If on methotrexate, dose must be stable for 4 weeks
• Concomitant treatment with hydroxychloroquine unless documented inability to tolerate
• Able and willing to give written informed consent and comply with the requirements of the study protocol
• Negative serum pregnancy test (for women of child bearing potential)
• Men and women of reproductive potential must agree to use an acceptable method of birth control during treatment and for 16 weeks after completion of treatment

Exclusion Criteria:

• Previous exposure to disease modifying drugs such as azathioprine, mycophenolate mofetil, cyclophosphamide, or cyclosporine.
• Previous exposure to biologic therapies including rituximab, belimumab or other agents that have been investigated for SLE.
• Active renal or nervous system disease or disease activity fulfilling BILAG A criteria
• Use of high dose steroids (>0.5 mg/kg/ day) within the 4 weeks prior to screening
• Expectation (by the investigator) that the subject will require treatment with a disease modifying drug within the first 52 weeks of the study
• Hemoglobin: < 8.0 gm/dL
• Platelets: < 50,000/mm
• ANC < 1.0 x 103/mm
• AST or ALT >2.5 x Upper Limit of Normal unless related to primary disease.
• Creatinine clearance ≤ 25ml/min per 1.73 m2
• Positive Hepatitis B or C serology (Hep B Surface antigen, Hep B core Ab or Hepatitis C antibody)
• History of positive HIV (HIV conducted during screening if applicable)
• Treatment with any investigational agent within 4 weeks of screening or 5 half-lives of the investigational drug (whichever is longer)
• Receipt of a live vaccine within 30 days prior to baseline or concurrently with belimumab
• Have a history of an anaphylactic reaction to parenteral administration of contrast agents, human or murine proteins or monoclonal antibodies
• Currently on any suppressive therapy for a chronic infection (such as tuberculosis, pneumocystis, cytomegalovirus, herpes simplex virus, herpes zoster and atypical mycobacteria)
• Hospitalization for treatment of infection within 60 days of Day 0.
• Use of parenteral (IV or IM) antibiotics (antibacterials, antivirals, anti-fungals, or anti parasitic agents) within 60 days of Day 0
• History of serious recurrent or chronic infection
• Lack of peripheral venous access
• History of drug, alcohol, or chemical abuse within 365 days prior to Day 0
• Pregnancy (a negative serum pregnancy test must be obtained for all women of childbearing potential at screening; a urine pregnancy test must be negative < 7 days prior to first dose and monthly)
• Lactation
• History of psychiatric disorder that would interfere with normal participation in this protocol
• Significant cardiac or pulmonary disease (including obstructive pulmonary disease)
• Any other disease, metabolic dysfunction, physical examination finding, or clinical laboratory finding giving reasonable suspicion of a disease or condition that contraindicates the use of an investigational drug or that may affect the interpretation of the results or render the patient at high risk from treatment complications
• History of malignant neoplasm within the last 5 years with the exception of adequately treated basal or squamous cell carcinoma of the skin or carcinoma in situ of the cervix
• Evidence of serious suicide risk including any history of suicidal behaviour in the last 6 months and/or any suicidal ideation in the last 2 months or who in the investigator's judgment, pose a significant suicide risk
• History of a primary immunodeficiency
• Have a significant IgG deficiency (IgG level < 400 mg/dL)
• Have an IgA deficiency (IgA level < 10 mg/dL)
• Have any other clinically significant abnormal laboratory value in the opinion of the investigator
• Comorbidities requiring corticosteroid therapy, including those which have required two or more courses of systemic courses of systemic corticosteroids within the previous 12 months
• Inability to comply with study and follow-up procedures

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Treatment
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Crossover Assignment
• Masking: Quadruple

Number of Arms

3

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Active Comparator: Belimumab; Subjects in this arm will receive 200mg belimumab for self administration subcutaneously weekly for 2 years	Biological: Belimumab; Subjects in this arm will receive 200mg belimumab subcutaneously weekly for 2 years
Experimental: Belimumab/Placebo; Subjects in this arm will receive 200mg belimumab for self administration subcutaneously weekly for 1 year and then placebo injections subcutaneously for 1 year.	Biological: Belimumab/Placebo; Subjects in this arm will receive weekly subcutaneous injections of 200mg belimumab for 1 year and then placebo subcutaneous injections for 1 year.
Placebo Comparator: Placebo; Subjects in this arm will receive placebo for self administration subcutaneously weekly for 2 years	Other: Placebo; Subjects in this arm will receive weekly subcutaneous injections of placebo for 2 years

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Frequency of anergic autoreactive naïve B cells	The frequency of autoreactive B cells in the naïve subset will be identified by flow cytometry.	Assessment at year 1

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Frequency of anergic autoreactive naïve B cells	The frequency of autoreactive B cells in the naïve subset will be identified by flow cytometry.	Assessment at year 2
Frequency of autoreactivity in transitional B cells	The frequency of autoreactive B cells in the transitional B cell subset will be identified by flow cytometry.	Year 1
Frequency of autoreactivity in transitional B cells	The frequency of autoreactive B cells in the transitional B cell subset will be identified by flow cytometry.	Year 2
Time to reconstitution of B cell subsets in subjects in belimumab/placebo arm randomized to receive placebo after 1 year of belimumab therapy	B cell numbers decrease following belimumab; the time for B cell reconstituion will be determined	Year 2
SRI (SLE Response Index) modified	Systemic lupus response index	Year 1
SRI modified	Systemic lupus response index	Year 2
Low lupus disease activity state (LLDAS)	LLDAS as defined by the Asia-Pacific Lupus Association	Year 1
Low lupus disease activity state	LLDAS as defined by the Asia-Pacific Lupus Association	Year 2
Remission	Remission defined by DORIS (Definition of Remission in SLE)	Year 1
Remission	Remission defined by DORIS (Definition of Remission in SLE)	Year 2
Flare of lupus disease	Lupus flare will be measure using the SELENA-SLEDAI (Safety of Estrogens in Lupus Erythematosus National Assessment --Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Disease Activity Index) flare instrument or British Isles Lupus Assessment Group (BILAG) disease activity index	Through year 2
New Classification Criteria for SLE.	Accumulation of new American College of Rheumatology (ACR) Classification criteria or Systemic Lupus International Cooperative Clinics (SLICC) criteria	Through year 2
Serologies	Changes in titers of anti-DNA antibody levels	Through year 2
Complement levels	Changes in measures of C3 and C4 (mg/dL)	Through year 2
Complement levels	Changes in measures of C3, C4 (mg/dL)	Through year 2
Serum immunoglobulin levels	Change from baseline of serum IgG, IgM and IgA (mg/dL)	Through year 2
Damage	Damage accrual assessed using a SLE damage index	Through year 2
Cardiovascular biomarkers	IgM phosphocholine antibody titers and proinflammatory HDL	Through year 2
Safety and tolerability (adverse events)	All adverse events and serious adverse events will be collected	Through year 2
Frequency of autoreactivity in CD27+, IgD+ memory B cells	The frequency of autoreactive B cells in the CD27+, IgD+ B cell subset will be identified by flow cytometry.	Year 1
Frequency of autoreactivity in CD27+, IgD+ memory B cells	The frequency of autoreactive B cells in the CD27+, IgD+ B cell subset will be identified by flow cytometry.	Year 2
Frequency of autoreactivity in CD27+, IgD- B cells	The frequency of autoreactive B cells in the CD27+, IgD- B cell subset will be identified by flow cytometry.	Year 1
Frequency of autoreactivity in CD27+, IgD- B cells	The frequency of autoreactive B cells in the CD27+, IgD- B cell subset will be identified by flow cytometry.	Year 2
Frequency of autoreactivity in CD27-, IgD- B cells	The frequency of autoreactive B cells in the CD27-, IgD- B cell subset will be identified by flow cytometry.	Year 1
Frequency of autoreactivity in CD27-, IgD- B cells	The frequency of autoreactive B cells in the CD27-, IgD- B cell subset will be identified by flow cytometry.	Year 2
The absolute numbers of transitional B cells	The number of transitional B cells will be determined by flow cytometry.	Year 1
The absolute numbers of transitional B cells	The number of transitional B cells will be determined by flow cytometry.	Year 2
The absolute numbers of naïve B cells	The number of transitional B cells will be determined by flow cytometry.	Year 1
The absolute numbers of naïve B cells	The number of naïve B cells will be determined by flow cytometry.	Year 2
The absolute numbers of memory B cells	The number of memory B cells will be determined by flow cytometry.	Year 1
The absolute numbers of memory B cells	The number of memory B cells will be determined by flow cytometry.	Year 2
The absolute number of plasmablasts	The number of plasmablasts will be determined by flow cytometry.	Year 1
The absolute number of plasmablasts	The number of plasmablasts will be determined by flow cytometry.	Year 2
The absolute number of plasma cells	The number of plasma cells will be determined by flow cytometry.	Year 1
The absolute number of plasma cells	The number of plasma cells will be determined by flow cytometry.	Year 2

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Northwell Health
• Collaborators: GlaxoSmithKline
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Cynthia Aranow, MD, Feinstein Institute for Medical Research, Northwell Health

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): September 15, 2020
• Primary Completion (Estimated): September 1, 2028
• Study Completion (Estimated): March 1, 2029

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: April 12, 2018
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: May 31, 2018
• First Posted (Actual): June 1, 2018

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): June 12, 2026
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: June 10, 2026
• Last Verified: June 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: lupus; early lupus; belimumab; autoreactivity
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Connective Tissue Diseases; Autoimmune Diseases; Immune System Diseases; Skin and Connective Tissue Diseases; Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic; Physiological Effects of Drugs; Immunosuppressive Agents; Immunologic Factors; belimumab
• Other Study ID Numbers: 17-0861

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: UNDECIDED

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: Yes
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No
• product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.: No