Adcetris enters phase 2 trial for SLE

Seattle Genetics has announced Adcetris, developed in partnership with Takeda, is entering a phase 2 trial for patients with systemic lupus erythematosus.

Adcetris (brentuximab vedotin) is an antibody drug conjugate that is directed to CD30 expression on activated lymphocytes and believed to play a role in the development of autoimmune diseases. According to the Lupus Foundation of America, only one new treatment for systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) has been approved since the 1950s.

“Treatment options are limited, with few FDA-approved disease-modifying therapeutics available,” Clay B. Siegall, PhD, president and CEO of Seattle Genetics, said in a company press release. “Based on a retrospective review of information collected from patients being treated with Adcetris in the U.S. for lymphoma, we noted some patients reported clinical improvement of concomitant autoimmune diseases, including lupus. Since elevated CD30 expression has been previously reported in lupus patients, we are enthusiastic to evaluate Adcetris as a potential treatment option for this disease.”

The phase 2 trial is a double-blinded, randomized, placebo-controlled, dose-escalation model with the primary goal of evaluating safety and secondary goals of evaluating the pharmacokinetics and activity of the drug. About 40 patients with active SLE are expected to be enrolled, according to the release.

Currently, brentuximab vedotin is the focus of more than 30 ongoing clinical trials, including four phase 3 trials, for indications such as Hodgkin’s lymphoma, systemic anaplastic large cell lymphoma, cutaneous T cell lymphoma and other malignancies.

Brentuximab vedotin was approved by the European Commission in October 2012 for use in Hodgkin’s lymphoma under certain conditions. The drug has also received marketing authorization in more than 55 countries, according to the release.

Reference: www.seattlegenetics.com.