Results also presented during late-breaking session at ESC Heart Failure congress 2023
Neurimmune announced today that primary results of its Phase 1 proof-of-concept study of NI006, a recombinant human antibody to deplete amyloid deposits in ATTR cardiomyopathy, have been presented in Prague at Heart Failure 2023, a scientific congress of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC), and published in The New England Journal of Medicine (DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa2303765).
Amyloid transthyretin cardiomyopathy (ATTR-CM) is an underdiagnosed, systemic condition that leads to progressive heart failure and high rate of fatality within four years from diagnosis.1,2 Progressive ATTR amyloid depositions characterize the disease, causing heart failure and death. Despite recent advances and approved therapies, there remains significant unmet medical need in treating moderate to severe ATTR-CM, and amyloid depletion may constitute an important new mechanism to achieve further effectiveness.
NI006 has been designed to target the pathology of ATTR-CM by enabling depletion of amyloid fibrils in the heart. This Phase 1 study investigated safety, tolerability, pharmacology, and efficacy at 12 months of NI006 treatment in ascending doses.
Results indicate that the safety profile of NI006 is favorable up to the highest dose tested. No apparent dose-limiting toxic effects or drug-related serious adverse reactions were observed. The pharmacokinetic profile was consistent with that of an IgG antibody, and no antidrug antibodies were detected. At doses of at least 10 mg per kilogram, cardiac amyloid deposition (detected by either scintigraphy or cardiac magnetic resonance imaging) was substantially reduced over a period of 12 months. Reductions were also seen in levels of biomarkers measuring cardiac stress and cardiomyocyte death, N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide and troponin T.
“The depletion of the cardiac ATTR deposits is a rational therapeutic target to revert disease pathology and restore organ function”, said Dr. Pablo Garcia-Pavia from the Hospital Universitario Puerta de Hierro and CNIC in Madrid, Spain, and principal investigator of the study. “The results of this study are very promising and show initial evidence that NI006 acts as a depleter of cardiac amyloid load with potential to improve cardiac structure, function and outcomes in ATTR cardiomyopathy.”
“ATTR cardiomyopathy is a rare but serious condition that is progressive, systemic and potentially fatal,” said Gianluca Pirozzi, SVP, Head of Development, Regulatory and Safety, Alexion. “These early results are encouraging, and we look forward to continuing to evaluate NI006 as a potential therapeutic option to address the high unmet medical need.”
“We thank all patients, their families and investigators, study staff and collaborators for the participation in the NI006 first-in-human study,” said Prof. Christoph Hock, Chief Medical Officer of Neurimmune. “The NI006 results warrant further development of this drug candidate with the potential of reverting disease progression in ATTR amyloidosis.”
In 2022, Neurimmune entered into an exclusive global collaboration and license agreement with Alexion, AstraZeneca’s Rare Disease group, for NI006. Neurimmune will continue to be responsible for completion of the current Phase 1 clinical trial on behalf of Alexion, and Alexion will pay certain trial costs. Following the Phase 1 trial, Alexion will be responsible for further clinical development, manufacturing, and commercialization.
1. Lauppe RE, et al. Nationwide prevalence and characteristics of transthyretin amyloid cardiomyopathy in Sweden. Open Heart. 2021 Oct;8(2):e001755. doi: 10.1136/openhrt-2021-001755.
2. Gonzalez-Duarte A, et al. Impact of non-cardiac clinicopathologic characteristics on survival in transthyretin amyloid polyneuropathy. Neurol Ther. 2020;9(1):135-149. doi:10.1007/s40120-020-00183-7.
NI006 Published Article in The New England Journal of Medicine:
Phase 1 Trial of Antibody NI006 for Depletion of Cardiac Transthyretin Amyloid
Pablo Garcia-Pavia, MD PhD1; Fabian aus dem Siepen, MD2; Erwan Donal, MD PhD3; Olivier Lairez, MD4; Peter van der Meer, MD PhD5; Arnt V. Kristen, MD6; Michele F. Mercuri, MD PhD7; Aubin Michalon, PhD8; Robert J. A. Frost, MD PhD8; Jan Grimm, PhD8; Roger M. Nitsch, MD8,9; Christoph Hock, MD8,9; Peter C. Kahr, MD8,10; Thibaud Damy, MD PhD11.
N Engl J Med 2023; DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa2303765
The authors’ affiliations are as follows: 1) Hospital Universitario Puerta de Hierro Majadahonda, IDIPHISA, CIBERCV, Madrid, Spain, Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares (CNIC), Madrid, Spain, Universidad Francisco de Vitoria (UFV), Pozuelo de Alarcon, Spain 2) University Hospital Heidelberg, Department of Cardiology, Im Neuenheimer Feld 410, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany 3) Department of Cardiology, University of Rennes, CHU Rennes, INSERM, LTSI – UMR 1099, Rennes, France 4) CHU de Toulouse – Hopital Rangueil, Service de Cardiologie, 1 Avenue du Pr. Jean Poulhes, 31059 Toulouse, France 5) Department of Cardiology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Hanzeplein 1, 9713 GZ Groningen, The Netherlandsn 6) Cardiovascular Center Darmstadt, Dieburger Strabe 31c, 64287 Darmstadt, Germany 7) Alexion/AstraZeneca Rare Disease, 121 Seaport Blvd, Boston, MA 02210, USA 8) Neurimmune AG, Wagistrasse 18, 8952 Schlieren, Switzerland 9) Institute for Regenerative Medicine, University of Zurich, Wagistrasse 13, 8952 Schlieren, Switzerland 10) Center for Molecular Cardiology, University of Zurich, Wagistrasse 13, 8952 Schlieren, Switzerland 11) Cardiology Department and French National Reference Centre for Cardiac Amyloidosis, at Hopitaux Universitaires Henri Mondor, AP-HP, and IMRB, INSERM, Universite Paris Est Creteil, 94010 Creteil, France.
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