A Randomized, Double-blind 2-arm NEPTUNUS Extension Study to Assess the Long-term Safety and Efficacy of Ianalumab in Patients With Sjogrens Syndrome. (NEPTUNUS-Ext)

The purpose of this study is to measure the long-term safety and tolerability of ianalumab in participants with Sjogrens syndrome who have previously completed treatment from one of two NEPTUNUS 1 year core studies (CVAY736A2301 or CVAY736A2302).

• The study treatment is ianalumab 300 mg in a 2 mL pre-filled syringe for injection. All participants will receive ianalumab either monthly or every 3 months.
• The treatment duration will be 3 years with an additional up to 2-year safety follow-up. The total duration of this extension study will be up to 5 years.
• The visit frequency will be monthly during both the treatment period and mandatory follow-up, and then less frequently during the subsequent conditional follow-up

Treatment of interest: The randomized treatment (ianalumab) will be received monthly or every 3 months. Participants assigned to treatment every 3 months will receive placebo every month between the ianalumab doses to maintain blinding.

Number of Participants: Approximately 600 participants from the NEPTUNUS core studies will be rolled over into the extension study.

Treatment Groups:There will be no screening period in this trial. From Week 48 of the NEPTUNUS core study, participants will be given the opportunity to consent to this extension study.

From Week 52 of the NEPTUNUS core studies (i.e., Day 1 in the extension study), eligible participants will be assigned to either one of the treatment regimens:

• ianalumab 300 mg monthly or
• ianalumab 300 mg once every 3 months Participants receiving placebo in either of the NEPTUNUS core studies will be randomized 1:1 to receive ianalumab 300 mg monthly or every 3 months starting from Week 60 and participants receiving ianalumab in either of the NEPTUNUS core studies will continue the same treatment in the extension study.

Ianalumab will be given as a subcutaneous injection from a 2 mL pre-filled syringe. Participants will be given the opportunity to self-inject at home on some visits after receiving training.

Study Overview

• Status: Recruiting
• Conditions: Sjogrens Syndrome
• Intervention / Treatment: Drug: Ianalumab (VAY736); Other: Placebo

Detailed Description

The primary purpose of this 3-year treatment extension study is the continued evaluation of the safety and tolerability of treatment with ianalumab 300 mg monthly or every 3 months. An additional purpose is to explore the long-term efficacy of both dosing regimens of ianalumab 300 mg.

The Primary Objective is to assess the long-term safety and tolerability of ianalumab in participants with Sjogrens syndrome. Secondary objectives are as follows, To evaluate the long-term efficacy of VAY736 300 mg administered monthly or every 3 months.

To show comparability of ianalumab Ctrough between 2x 1mL PFS (from the NEPTUNUS core studies: CVAY736A2301 and CVAY736A2302) and 1x 2mL PFS for participants on continuous monthly treatment.

To further assess the pharmacokinetics of ianalumab. To assess the impact of long-term treatment on B-cell depletion. Trial Design: This is a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, phase 3b study to assess the long-term safety and tolerability of four treatment regimens of ianalumab in participants with Sjogrens syndrome who have taken part in and completed one of two NEPTUNUS core studies, NEPTUNUS-1 (CVAY736A2301) or NEPTUNUS-2 (CVAY736A2302). There will be no screening period in this trial. From week 48 of the NEPTUNUS core study, participants will be given the opportunity to consent to this extension study. Eligible participants will continue their assigned treatment to receive ianalumab 300 mg either monthly or every 3 months for up to 3 additional years of treatment beyond the 1-year core study period. After the treatment period, all participants will enter a follow-up period to be monitored for at least 20 weeks and then a conditional (if B-cell recovery criteria have not been met) follow-up period. The total post treatment follow-up period is up to 2 years.

Study Population: Participants with Sjogrens syndrome who have completed treatment in one of two NEPTUNUS core studies.

Method of blinding: Double-blind Study treatment assignment method: Participants randomized to ianalumab 300 mg monthly or every 3 months in one of the NEPTUNUS core studies will continue their assigned treatment. Participants randomized to placebo in the NEPTUNUS core studies will be randomized in a 1:1 ratio to either ianalumab 300 mg monthly or every 3 months.

Participants randomized to ianalumab 300 mg every 3 months will receive placebo (a dummy treatment) once monthly between doses.

Committees: An independent Data Monitoring Committee (DMC) will be utilized for safety review throughout the study. A steering committee will be formed to ensure overview of the study conduct.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Estimated): 600
• Phase: Phase 3

Contacts and Locations

• Study Contact: Name: Novartis Pharmaceuticals; Phone Number: 1-888-669-6682; Email: novartis.email@novartis.com
• Study Contact Backup: Name: Novartis Pharmaceuticals; Phone Number: +41613241111

Study Locations

• Argentina
  • Buenos Aires
    • Quilmes, Buenos Aires, Argentina, 1878
      • Recruiting
      • Novartis Investigative Site
• Australia
  • Queensland
    • Maroochydore, Queensland, Australia, 4558
      • Recruiting
      • Novartis Investigative Site
  • Tasmania
    • Hobart, Tasmania, Australia, 7000
      • Recruiting
      • Novartis Investigative Site
• Austria
  • Graz, Austria, 8036
    • Recruiting
    • Novartis Investigative Site
• Bulgaria
  • Burgas, Bulgaria, 8000
    • Recruiting
    • Novartis Investigative Site
• Canada
  • Quebec
    • Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada, J1G 2E8
      • Recruiting
      • Novartis Investigative Site
• Czechia
  • Brno, Czechia, 63800
    • Recruiting
    • Novartis Investigative Site
  • Uherske Hradiste, Czechia, 686 01
    • Recruiting
    • Novartis Investigative Site
• France
  • Angers Cedex 9, France, 49933
    • Recruiting
    • Novartis Investigative Site
  • Brest, France, 29200
    • Recruiting
    • Novartis Investigative Site
  • Saint Etienne, France, 42100
    • Recruiting
    • Novartis Investigative Site
• Germany
  • Berlin, Germany, 13353
    • Recruiting
    • Novartis Investigative Site
  • Dresden, Germany, 01307
    • Recruiting
    • Novartis Investigative Site
  • Erlangen, Germany, 91056
    • Recruiting
    • Novartis Investigative Site
  • Freiburg, Germany, 79106
    • Recruiting
    • Novartis Investigative Site
  • Ludwigshafen, Germany, 67063
    • Recruiting
    • Novartis Investigative Site
  • Wuerzburg, Germany, 97080
    • Recruiting
    • Novartis Investigative Site
• Guatemala
  • Guatemala, Guatemala, 01010
    • Recruiting
    • Novartis Investigative Site
• Hungary
  • Debrecen, Hungary, 4032
    • Recruiting
    • Novartis Investigative Site
  • Gyula, Hungary, 5700
    • Recruiting
    • Novartis Investigative Site
  • Szeged, Hungary, 6720
    • Recruiting
    • Novartis Investigative Site
  • Fejer
    • Szekesfehervar, Fejer, Hungary, 8000
      • Recruiting
      • Novartis Investigative Site
• Israel
  • Kfar Saba, Israel, 4428164
    • Recruiting
    • Novartis Investigative Site
  • Ramat Gan, Israel, 52621
    • Recruiting
    • Novartis Investigative Site
• Italy
  • MI
    • Milano, MI, Italy, 20100
      • Recruiting
      • Novartis Investigative Site
• Japan
  • Aichi
    • Nagoya, Aichi, Japan, 457 8510
      • Recruiting
      • Novartis Investigative Site
  • Fukuoka
    • Kitakyushu-city, Fukuoka, Japan, 807-8556
      • Recruiting
      • Novartis Investigative Site
  • Kanagawa
    • Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan, 245-8575
      • Recruiting
      • Novartis Investigative Site
  • Okayama
    • Kurashiki, Okayama, Japan, 710-8522
      • Active, not recruiting
      • Novartis Investigative Site
  • Tokyo
    • Chuo ku, Tokyo, Japan, 104-8560
      • Recruiting
      • Novartis Investigative Site
    • Meguro-ku, Tokyo, Japan, 152-8902
      • Recruiting
      • Novartis Investigative Site
    • Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, Japan, 160 8582
      • Recruiting
      • Novartis Investigative Site
• Poland
  • Bydgoszcz, Poland, 85 168
    • Recruiting
    • Novartis Investigative Site
  • Krakow, Poland, 30 002
    • Recruiting
    • Novartis Investigative Site
  • Warszawa, Poland, 00-874
    • Recruiting
    • Novartis Investigative Site
  • Wrocław, Poland, 50367
    • Recruiting
    • Novartis Investigative Site
  • Dolnoslaskie
    • Wroclaw, Dolnoslaskie, Poland, 52-210
      • Recruiting
      • Novartis Investigative Site
    • Wroclaw, Dolnoslaskie, Poland, 52 416
      • Recruiting
      • Novartis Investigative Site
  • Wielkopolskie
    • Poznan, Wielkopolskie, Poland, 61-397
      • Recruiting
      • Novartis Investigative Site
• Portugal
  • Lisboa, Portugal, 1050-034
    • Recruiting
    • Novartis Investigative Site
  • Lisboa, Portugal, 1649-035
    • Recruiting
    • Novartis Investigative Site
• Romania
  • Cluj-Napoca, Romania, 400006
    • Recruiting
    • Novartis Investigative Site
• Slovakia
  • Bratislava, Slovakia, 811 08
    • Recruiting
    • Novartis Investigative Site
  • Kosice, Slovakia, 04011
    • Recruiting
    • Novartis Investigative Site
  • Zvolen, Slovakia, 960 01
    • Recruiting
    • Novartis Investigative Site
• Spain
  • Barcelona
    • Sabadell, Barcelona, Spain, 08208
      • Recruiting
      • Novartis Investigative Site
  • Cantabria
    • Santander, Cantabria, Spain, 39008
      • Recruiting
      • Novartis Investigative Site
  • Galicia
    • La Coruna, Galicia, Spain, 15006
      • Recruiting
      • Novartis Investigative Site
  • Pontevedra
    • Vigo, Pontevedra, Spain, 36200
      • Recruiting
      • Novartis Investigative Site
• Taiwan
  • Kaohsiung, Taiwan, 81346
    • Recruiting
    • Novartis Investigative Site
  • Taichung, Taiwan, 407
    • Recruiting
    • Novartis Investigative Site
• United Kingdom
  • Leeds, United Kingdom, LS1 3EX
    • Recruiting
    • Novartis Investigative Site
  • Liverpool, United Kingdom, L9 7AL
    • Recruiting
    • Novartis Investigative Site
• United States
  • California
    • La Palma, California, United States, 90623
      • Recruiting
      • Advanced Medical Research
      • Contact: Andy Hodgson; Phone Number: 562-867-8195; Email: ahodgson@advmedresearch.com
      • Principal Investigator: Gerald Ho
  • Florida
    • Tamarac, Florida, United States, 33321
      • Recruiting
      • West Broward Rheumatology Assoc Inc
      • Principal Investigator: Alan R Alberts
      • Contact: Phone Number: 954-545-8400
  • Georgia
    • Duluth, Georgia, United States, 30096
      • Recruiting
      • North GA Rheumatology Group, PC CAIN457FUS01
      • Principal Investigator: Theresa Lawrence Ford
      • Contact: Jerry Wilkerson; Phone Number: 770-822-1090; Email: Jerry.Wilkerson@ngrgroup.net
  • Illinois
    • Orland Park, Illinois, United States, 60467
      • Recruiting
      • Clin Invest Specialists Inc
      • Contact: Megi Stafa; Phone Number: 847-599-2492; Email: mstafa@cisresearch.com
      • Principal Investigator: Cory Conniff
  • Louisiana
    • Baton Rouge, Louisiana, United States, 70809
      • Recruiting
      • Ochsner Health System
      • Principal Investigator: Saravanan Thiagarajan
      • Contact: Phone Number: 225-761-5375
  • New Mexico
    • Las Cruces, New Mexico, United States, 88011
      • Recruiting
      • Arthritis Osteoporosis Assoc of NM
      • Contact: Phone Number: 575-571-7529
      • Principal Investigator: Arthur Snyder
  • Ohio
    • Dayton, Ohio, United States, 45402
      • Recruiting
      • STAT Research Inc .
      • Contact: Phone Number: 937-223-4229
      • Principal Investigator: Sanford Wolfe
  • Oklahoma
    • Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States, 73116
      • Recruiting
      • RAO Research LLS
      • Contact: Emma Hendrix; Phone Number: 405-608-8060; Email: ehendrix@raoklahoma.com
      • Principal Investigator: Latisha Heinlen
  • Texas
    • Spring, Texas, United States, 77382
      • Recruiting
      • Advanced Rheumatology of Houston
      • Principal Investigator: Tamar Brionez
      • Contact: Kathleen Dang; Phone Number: 281-766-7886; Email: kathleen@advancedrheum.com

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Adult; Older Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

1. Signed informed consent prior to participation in the extension study.
2. Participants must have participated in either one of the two NEPTUNUS core studies, CVAY736A2301 or CVAY736A2302, and must have completed the entire treatment up to Week 48 without treatment discontinuation in core NEPTUNUS studies.
3. In the judgement of the Investigator, participants must be expected to clinically benefit from continued ianalumab therapy.

Exclusion Criteria:

1. Use of therapies excluded by the NEPTUNUS-1 and NEPTUNUS-2 study protocols (see NEPTUNUS studies protocols exclusion criteria in Section 5.2 for details).
2. Plans for administration of live vaccines during the study period.
3. Pregnant or nursing (lactating) women, where pregnancy is defined as the state of a female after conception and until the termination of gestation, confirmed by a positive human Chorionic Gonadotropin (hCG) laboratory test.

4. Women of child-bearing potential (WOCBP), defined as all women physiologically capable of becoming pregnant, unless they are using highly effective methods of contraception while taking study treatment during dosing and for 6 months after stopping of investigational drug. Highly effective contraception methods include:

   • Total abstinence (when this is in line with the preferred and usual lifestyle of the participant. Periodic abstinence (e.g., calendar, ovulation, symptothermal, post-ovulation methods) and withdrawal are not acceptable methods of contraception.
   • Female bilateral tubal ligation, female sterilization (have had surgical bilateral oophorectomy with or without hysterectomy) or total hysterectomy at least six weeks before taking study treatment. In case of oophorectomy alone, only when the reproductive status of the woman has been confirmed by follow up hormone level assessment.
   • Male sterilization (at least 6 months prior to screening). For female participants on the study, the vasectomized male partner should be the sole partner for that participant.
   • Use of oral (estrogen and progesterone), injected, or implanted hormonal methods of contraception or placement of an intrauterine device (IUD) or intrauterine system (IUS), or other forms of hormonal contraception that have comparable efficacy (failure rate < 1%), for example hormone vaginal ring or transdermal hormone contraception.

   In case of use of oral contraception women should have been stable on the same pill for a minimum of 3 months before taking study treatment.

   Contraception should be used in accordance with locally approved prescribing information of concomitant medications administered.

   Women are considered post-menopausal if they have had 12 months of natural (spontaneous) amenorrhea with an appropriate clinical profile (e.g., age-appropriate history of vasomotor symptoms). Women are considered of not child-bearing potential if they are post-menopausal or have had surgical bilateral oophorectomy (with or without hysterectomy), total hysterectomy or bilateral tubal ligation at least six weeks ago. In the case of oophorectomy alone, only when the reproductive status of the woman has been confirmed by follow-up hormone level assessment is she considered not of child-bearing potential.

   If local regulations deviate from the contraception methods listed above to prevent pregnancy, local regulations apply and will be described in the informed consent form (ICF).

5. Sexually active males unless they agree to use barrier protection during intercourse while taking study treatment are excluded. As condom use alone has a reported failure rate exceeding 1% per year, it is recommended female partners of male study participants use a second method of birth control. Although ianalumab is not teratogenic and/or genotoxic, and not transferred to semen, male contraception is required, as requested by FDA.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

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

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Ianalumab Monthly; ianalumab 300 mg s.c. monthly	Drug: Ianalumab (VAY736); VAY736 300 mg /2 mL, PFS, Solution for injection for subcutaneous use
Experimental: Ianalumab 3 Monthly; ianalumab 300 mg s.c. every three months	Drug: Ianalumab (VAY736); VAY736 300 mg /2 mL, PFS, Solution for injection for subcutaneous use; Other: Placebo; Placebo 0 mg/2 mL, PFS, Solution for injection for subcutaneous Use

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Number of Treatment-emergent AEs (TEAEs)/SAEs	Assessment of Safety and tolerability of ianalumab (VAY736) in patients with active Sjogrens syndrome	Week 52 to Week 304

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
ESSDAI change from baseline	EULAR Sjogren's syndrome disease activity index (ESSDAI) is a validated clinical disease outcome measure for Sjogrens that will be used in the study The instrument contains 12 organ-specific domains contributing to assessment of disease activity. For each domain, features of disease activity are scored by a clinician in 3 or 4 (Level 0=No disease activity to Level 3= high disease activity) levels according to their severity. These scores are then summed across the 12 domains in a weighted manner to provide the total score. The maximum possible score is 123.To calculate ESSDAI, all 12 organ domains must be individually assessed by a trained assessor (study Investigator) at every scheduled timepoint. This is to evaluate the long-term efficacy of VAY736 300 mg administered monthly or every 3 months.	Over time up to Week 204
Proportion of participants achieving ESSPRI ≤ 3 AND ≥ 1.5 points reduction from baseline	The EULAR Sjogren's Syndrome Patient Reported Index (ESSPRI) questionnaire consists of three items to be given an activity level score between 0-10: pain (joint and/or muscle pain), fatigue and dryness (0 = no symptom at all and 10 = worst symptom imaginable ESSPRI is an established disease outcome measure for Sjogrens. It consists of three domains of dryness, pain and fatigue. The participant will assess severity of symptoms they experience on a single 0-10 numerical scale for each of the three domains. The ESSPRI score is defined as a mean of scores from the three scales: (dryness + pain + fatigue) /3.	Over time up to Week 204
Proportion of participants achieving meaningful improvement in the SSSD score	The Sjogrens Syndrome Symptom Diary (SSSD) is questionnaire consists of five (six for females) questions about symptoms of Sjögren's syndrome, each question given a score of 0-10 (0=no symptoms, 10=worst possible symptoms) where patient choose the one response that best describes how severe the symptom was at its worst in the PAST 24 HOURS. It includes six symptom items (eye dryness, mouth dryness, skin dryness, physical fatigue, muscle and/or joint pain, genital dryness), and applies a recall period of 24 hrs. The aim of the SSSD is to establish patient reported endpoints for the treatment of Sjogrens syndrome. Participants will complete the diary daily for 7 days prior to the scheduled dosing.	Over time up to Week 204
Pre-dose Ianalumab serum concentrations	To show comparability of ianalumab Ctrough between 2x 1 mL PFS (from the NEPTUNUS core studies: CVAY736A2301 and CVAY736A2302) and 1x 2 mL PFS for participants on continuous monthly treatment.	pre-dose (i.e., Ctrough) at Week 52 and Week 64
On-treatment Ianalumab serum concentrations	To further assess the pharmacokinetics of ianalumab.	During treatment (e.g., Ctrough) i.e. from Week 52 to Week 204 and follow-up i.e. 304, after last dose.
B-cell count measurement	To assess impact of long-term treatment on B-cell depletion.	Week 52 to Week 304

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Novartis Pharmaceuticals
• Investigators: Study Director: Novartis Pharmaceuticals, Novartis Pharmaceuticals

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): October 27, 2023
• Primary Completion (Estimated): August 21, 2028
• Study Completion (Estimated): July 18, 2030

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: August 3, 2023
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: August 3, 2023
• First Posted (Actual): August 14, 2023

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): April 16, 2024
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: April 15, 2024
• Last Verified: April 1, 2024

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: VAY736; Sjogrens Syndrome; ianalumab; NEPTUNUS
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Pathologic Processes; Immune System Diseases; Autoimmune Diseases; Eye Diseases; Disease; Joint Diseases; Musculoskeletal Diseases; Rheumatic Diseases; Connective Tissue Diseases; Arthritis; Stomatognathic Diseases; Mouth Diseases; Lacrimal Apparatus Diseases; Arthritis, Rheumatoid; Xerostomia; Salivary Gland Diseases; Dry Eye Syndromes; Syndrome; Sjogren's Syndrome
• Other Study ID Numbers: CVAY736A2301E1; 2022-502966-26 (EudraCT Number)

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

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

IPD Plan Description

Novartis is committed to sharing access to patient-level data and supporting clinical documents from eligible studies with qualified external researchers. Requests are reviewed and approved by an independent review panel on the basis of scientific merit. All data provided is anonymized to protect the privacy of patients who have participated in the trial in line with applicable laws and regulations.

This trial data availability is according to the criteria and process described on www.clinicalstudydatarequest.com

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: Yes
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No