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ALPN-101 (Acazicolcept) in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

A Randomized, Double-blind, Placebo-controlled Study of ALPN-101 in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

Status
Completed
Phases
Phase 2
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT04835441
Acronym
Synergy
Enrollment
76
Registered
2021-04-08
Start date
2021-06-22
Completion date
2024-07-09
Last updated
2025-08-15

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

Keywords

CD28, ICOS, Autoimmune disease, Immune system disease, Immunosuppressive agent

Brief summary

This is Phase 2, multinational, randomized, blinded study to evaluate the safety, tolerability, efficacy, immunogenicity, pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of ALPN-101 (acazicolcept) in adults with moderate to severe active systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE)

Interventions

Intravenous infusion via an infusion pump.

DRUGPlacebo

Intravenous infusion via an infusion pump.

Sponsors

Alpine Immune Sciences Inc, A Subsidiary of Vertex
Lead SponsorINDUSTRY

Study design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
QUADRUPLE (Subject, Caregiver, Investigator, Outcomes Assessor)

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to 70 Years
Healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

Key Inclusion Criteria Summary * SLE onset ≥ 6 months prior to Screening * Positive ANA and/or elevated anti-dsDNA and/or elevated anti-Smith antibody test * Active lupus at Screening and Baseline, as defined per-protocol and confirmed by the study's medical monitor, including a SLEDAI score at Screening of ≥ 6 and a clinical score at Baseline of ≥ 4 * Standard lupus medications must be stable prior to Screening Key

Exclusion criteria

Summary: * Life-threatening or organ system-threatening lupus activity that is anticipated to require increased treatment during the study * Proteinuria consistent with nephrotic syndrome * Active lupus-related neuropsychiatric disease * Drug-induced lupus * Recent or serious ongoing infection; risk or history of serious infection * Receipt of live vaccination within 8 weeks of Day 1, or expected to require live vaccination during the study * Prior diagnosis of, or fulfills diagnostic criteria for, another rheumatic disease that overlaps with lupus or another autoimmune or inflammatory disease that may confound clinical assessments or increase subject risk in the study * Diagnosis of, or fulfills diagnostic criteria for fibromyalgia * Functional class IV * Serious lupus disease activity, which warrants immediate immunosuppressive therapy not appropriate for the study or which makes the possibility of receiving placebo or investigational agent an inappropriate risk

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Safety and Tolerability as Assessed by Number of Participants With Treatment- Emergent Adverse Events (TEAEs) and Serious Adverse Events (SAEs)Day 1 up to Safety follow-up (up to 28 weeks)
Percentage of Participants Achieving a Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) Responder Index (SRI)-4At Day 169The SRI-4 is a composite index of SLE disease improvement that consists of scores derived from the SLE Disease Activity Index 2000 (SLEDAI-2K), the British Isles Lupus Assessment Group (BILAG) 2004 Index, and the Physician's Global Assessment (PGA). Participants classified as responder if they met all of the following criteria: 1) ≥ 4-point reduction in the SLEDAI-2K total score; 2) no new severe disease activity (BILAG A organ score) or more than 1 new moderate organ score (BILAG B) compared with baseline; and 3) No worsening from baseline in participants' lupus disease activity (i.e., increase of ≥0.3 0 on a 3-point scale) in PGA. The SLEDAI-2K total score falls between 0 and 105, with higher scores representing increased disease activity. SLEDAI-2K: assesses improvement in disease activity (range: 0 to 105; higher score = higher severity). BILAG: assesses disease extent, severity (range: A\[severe\] to E\[no disease\]). PGA: assesses worsening in participant's general health.
Percentage of Participants Achieving a British Isles Lupus Assessment Group-based Composite Lupus Assessment (BICLA) ResponseAt Day 169The BICLA is a responder index developed to measure response to therapy, and it includes scores from the BILAG, SLEDAI-2K, and Physician's Global Assessment (PGA). BICLA response is defined as: 1) at least 1 gradation of improvement in baseline BILAG 2004 scores in all body systems with moderate disease activity at entry (eg, all B \[mild disease\] scores falling to C \[Stable and mild\], or D \[no activity\]); 2) no new BILAG A or more than 1 new BILAG B scores; 3) no worsening of total SLEDAI-2K score from baseline; 4) ≤ 10% deterioration in PGA score. The PGA is measured on a 0 to 100 mm scale with score 0 indicates No Disease Activity and score 100 indicates the most Severe Disease Activity.

Secondary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Change From Baseline in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Disease Activity Index 2000 (SLEDAI-2K) Total ScoreFrom Baseline to Day 169SLEDAI-2K score is a disease activity score used to identify patients with more active disease at enrolment in study. Total score is defined as the sum of the weighted scores of each individual item within each organ system class. For each system organ with baseline score \>0, improvement in SLEDAI-2K improvement is achieved by meeting all the following criteria: * Reduction in system organ scores among participants with baseline SLEDAI-2K scores greater than 0 * No early discontinuation of study drug * No use of restricted medications beyond the protocol-allowed threshold before assessment SLEDAI-2K uses a weighted checklist to assign a numerical score based on the presence or absence of 24 symptoms. Each symptom present is assigned between 1 and 8 points based on its usual clinical importance, yielding a total score that ranges from 0 points (no symptoms) to 105 points (presence of all defined symptoms).
Annualized Flare Rate by British Isles Lupus Assessment Group (BILAG)-2004 Flare IndexFrom Baseline to Day 169The BILAG-2004 index covers 86 questions item assessed across 9 organ systems. Each question is answered as 0-not present, 1-improving, 2- same, 3-worse, to 4-new. The BILAG-2004 index categorizes disease activity in each organ system into five different levels from A to E. Grade A represents requires disease-modifying treatment, Grade B represents mild, reversible problems requiring symptomatic therapy, Grade C indicates mild stable disease, and grade D implies no disease activity, but suggests the organ system had previously been affected. Grade E indicates no current or previous disease activity. Higher scores indicate more severe disease activity. Annualized flare rate is defined as the number of flares observed during the treatment period divided by the flare exposure time in days multiplied by 365.25.
Percentage of Participants With ≥ 50% Reduction In CLASI Activity Score In Participants With Baseline CLASI Activity Score ≥ 8From Baseline to Day 169CLASI is an validated measurement instrument for lupus erythematosus developed for use in clinical studies that consists of separate scores for the activity of the disease. CLASI Activity is scored based on erythema, scale/hyperkeratosis, mucous membrane involvement, acute hair loss and nonscarring alopecia. The total CLASI activity score ranges from 0-70, with higher scores indicating more severe skin disease.
Cumulative Prednisone-equivalent Dose Use Through Day 169From Baseline through Day 169
Time-to-first Flare by BILAG-2004 Flare IndexFrom Baseline to Day 169Time-to-first SLE flare is defined as the number of days from the administration of first dose to the first occurrence of flare. A flare was defined as having an adjudicated BILAG A or B score in any of the 8 organ systems during treatment. The BILAG disease activity index evaluates SLE activity in 8 organ systems, using a separate alphabetic score (A to E) assigned to each organ system defined as follows. BILAG A: Disease sufficiently active requiring disease modifying treatment (prednisone greater than 20 mg daily or immunosuppressants); BILAG B: Disease less active than in A, mild reversible problems requiring only symptomatic therapy such as antimalarials, NSAIDs, or prednisone less than 20 mg day; BILAG C: Stable mild disease; BILAG D: System previously affected but now inactive; BILAG E: System never involved.
Percentage of Participants Achieving a Lupus Low Disease Activity State (LLDAS)At Day 169The LLDAS is a composite measure designed to identify patients achieving a state of low disease activity. LLDAS was defined as SLE disease activity index (SLEDAI-2k \<=4, with no activity in major organ systems (CNS, vascular, renal, cardiorespiratory and constitutional); where no activity is defined as all items of SLEDAI-2K within these major organ systems equal to 0; No new features of lupus disease activity compared to previous occurred visit, where the new feature is defined as any of the SLEDAI-2K 24 items changed from 0 to greater than 0; PGA (scale 0-3 higher scores = higher severity), \<=1; current prednisolone (or equivalent) dose \<=7.5 mg daily; and allowance for maintenance doses of immunosuppressive drugs and approved biological agents.

Countries

France, Hungary, Poland, Puerto Rico, Spain, Taiwan, United States

Participant flow

Pre-assignment details

The study was conducted in participants with active systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) aged 18 years and older.

Participants by arm

ArmCount
ALPN-101 (Acazicolcept)
Participants received a weight-based dose of 3mg/kg ALPN-101 Q2W up to 24 weeks.
38
Placebo
Participants received placebo matched to ALPN-101 up to 24 weeks.
38
Total76

Withdrawals & dropouts

PeriodReasonFG000FG001
Overall StudyLost to Follow-up01
Overall StudyOther11
Overall StudyPhysician Decision44

Baseline characteristics

CharacteristicTotalALPN-101 (Acazicolcept)Placebo
Age, Continuous48.3 years
STANDARD_DEVIATION 11.07
48.7 years
STANDARD_DEVIATION 11.2
47.8 years
STANDARD_DEVIATION 11.08
Ethnicity (NIH/OMB)
Hispanic or Latino
23 Participants13 Participants10 Participants
Ethnicity (NIH/OMB)
Not Hispanic or Latino
53 Participants25 Participants28 Participants
Ethnicity (NIH/OMB)
Unknown or Not Reported
0 Participants0 Participants0 Participants
Race/Ethnicity, Customized
American Indian or Alaska Native
1 Participants0 Participants1 Participants
Race/Ethnicity, Customized
Black or African American
23 Participants12 Participants11 Participants
Race/Ethnicity, Customized
East Asian
1 Participants1 Participants0 Participants
Race/Ethnicity, Customized
Other
1 Participants0 Participants1 Participants
Race/Ethnicity, Customized
Other Asian
3 Participants1 Participants2 Participants
Race/Ethnicity, Customized
White
47 Participants24 Participants23 Participants
Sex: Female, Male
Female
70 Participants35 Participants35 Participants
Sex: Female, Male
Male
6 Participants3 Participants3 Participants

Adverse events

Event typeEG000
affected / at risk
EG001
affected / at risk
deaths
Total, all-cause mortality
0 / 380 / 38
other
Total, other adverse events
18 / 3816 / 38
serious
Total, serious adverse events
2 / 382 / 38

Outcome results

Primary

Percentage of Participants Achieving a British Isles Lupus Assessment Group-based Composite Lupus Assessment (BICLA) Response

The BICLA is a responder index developed to measure response to therapy, and it includes scores from the BILAG, SLEDAI-2K, and Physician's Global Assessment (PGA). BICLA response is defined as: 1) at least 1 gradation of improvement in baseline BILAG 2004 scores in all body systems with moderate disease activity at entry (eg, all B \[mild disease\] scores falling to C \[Stable and mild\], or D \[no activity\]); 2) no new BILAG A or more than 1 new BILAG B scores; 3) no worsening of total SLEDAI-2K score from baseline; 4) ≤ 10% deterioration in PGA score. The PGA is measured on a 0 to 100 mm scale with score 0 indicates No Disease Activity and score 100 indicates the most Severe Disease Activity.

Time frame: At Day 169

Population: mITT includes all randomized participants who received any amount of study drug and have completed at least one post-baseline disease assessment. Here, Overall Number of Participants Analyzed signifies participants who were evaluable for this outcome measure.

ArmMeasureValue (NUMBER)
ALPN-101 (Acazicolcept)Percentage of Participants Achieving a British Isles Lupus Assessment Group-based Composite Lupus Assessment (BICLA) Response22 percentage of participants
PlaceboPercentage of Participants Achieving a British Isles Lupus Assessment Group-based Composite Lupus Assessment (BICLA) Response32 percentage of participants
p-value: 0.308Cochran-Mantel-Haenszel
Primary

Percentage of Participants Achieving a Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) Responder Index (SRI)-4

The SRI-4 is a composite index of SLE disease improvement that consists of scores derived from the SLE Disease Activity Index 2000 (SLEDAI-2K), the British Isles Lupus Assessment Group (BILAG) 2004 Index, and the Physician's Global Assessment (PGA). Participants classified as responder if they met all of the following criteria: 1) ≥ 4-point reduction in the SLEDAI-2K total score; 2) no new severe disease activity (BILAG A organ score) or more than 1 new moderate organ score (BILAG B) compared with baseline; and 3) No worsening from baseline in participants' lupus disease activity (i.e., increase of ≥0.3 0 on a 3-point scale) in PGA. The SLEDAI-2K total score falls between 0 and 105, with higher scores representing increased disease activity. SLEDAI-2K: assesses improvement in disease activity (range: 0 to 105; higher score = higher severity). BILAG: assesses disease extent, severity (range: A\[severe\] to E\[no disease\]). PGA: assesses worsening in participant's general health.

Time frame: At Day 169

Population: Modified intent-to-treat population (mITT), includes all randomized participants who received any amount of study drug and have completed at least one post-baseline disease assessment. Here, Overall Number of Participants Analyzed signifies participants who were evaluable for this outcome measure.

ArmMeasureValue (NUMBER)
ALPN-101 (Acazicolcept)Percentage of Participants Achieving a Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) Responder Index (SRI)-427 percentage of participants
PlaceboPercentage of Participants Achieving a Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) Responder Index (SRI)-446 percentage of participants
p-value: 0.107Cochran-Mantel-Haenszel
Primary

Safety and Tolerability as Assessed by Number of Participants With Treatment- Emergent Adverse Events (TEAEs) and Serious Adverse Events (SAEs)

Time frame: Day 1 up to Safety follow-up (up to 28 weeks)

Population: Safety set included all participants who received at least 1 dose of study drug in the treatment period.

ArmMeasureGroupValue (COUNT_OF_PARTICIPANTS)
ALPN-101 (Acazicolcept)Safety and Tolerability as Assessed by Number of Participants With Treatment- Emergent Adverse Events (TEAEs) and Serious Adverse Events (SAEs)Participants with SAEs2 Participants
ALPN-101 (Acazicolcept)Safety and Tolerability as Assessed by Number of Participants With Treatment- Emergent Adverse Events (TEAEs) and Serious Adverse Events (SAEs)Participants with TEAEs23 Participants
PlaceboSafety and Tolerability as Assessed by Number of Participants With Treatment- Emergent Adverse Events (TEAEs) and Serious Adverse Events (SAEs)Participants with SAEs2 Participants
PlaceboSafety and Tolerability as Assessed by Number of Participants With Treatment- Emergent Adverse Events (TEAEs) and Serious Adverse Events (SAEs)Participants with TEAEs24 Participants
Secondary

Annualized Flare Rate by British Isles Lupus Assessment Group (BILAG)-2004 Flare Index

The BILAG-2004 index covers 86 questions item assessed across 9 organ systems. Each question is answered as 0-not present, 1-improving, 2- same, 3-worse, to 4-new. The BILAG-2004 index categorizes disease activity in each organ system into five different levels from A to E. Grade A represents requires disease-modifying treatment, Grade B represents mild, reversible problems requiring symptomatic therapy, Grade C indicates mild stable disease, and grade D implies no disease activity, but suggests the organ system had previously been affected. Grade E indicates no current or previous disease activity. Higher scores indicate more severe disease activity. Annualized flare rate is defined as the number of flares observed during the treatment period divided by the flare exposure time in days multiplied by 365.25.

Time frame: From Baseline to Day 169

Population: mITT includes all randomized participants who received any amount of study drug and have completed at least one post-baseline disease assessment. Here, Overall Number of Participants Analyzed signifies participants who were evaluable for this outcome measure. Data was planned to be reported as LS Mean and Standard Error.

ArmMeasureValue (LEAST_SQUARES_MEAN)Dispersion
ALPN-101 (Acazicolcept)Annualized Flare Rate by British Isles Lupus Assessment Group (BILAG)-2004 Flare Index3.27 Flares per person-yearsStandard Error 0.426
PlaceboAnnualized Flare Rate by British Isles Lupus Assessment Group (BILAG)-2004 Flare Index2.80 Flares per person-yearsStandard Error 0.426
p-value: 0.442ANOVA
Secondary

Change From Baseline in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Disease Activity Index 2000 (SLEDAI-2K) Total Score

SLEDAI-2K score is a disease activity score used to identify patients with more active disease at enrolment in study. Total score is defined as the sum of the weighted scores of each individual item within each organ system class. For each system organ with baseline score \>0, improvement in SLEDAI-2K improvement is achieved by meeting all the following criteria: * Reduction in system organ scores among participants with baseline SLEDAI-2K scores greater than 0 * No early discontinuation of study drug * No use of restricted medications beyond the protocol-allowed threshold before assessment SLEDAI-2K uses a weighted checklist to assign a numerical score based on the presence or absence of 24 symptoms. Each symptom present is assigned between 1 and 8 points based on its usual clinical importance, yielding a total score that ranges from 0 points (no symptoms) to 105 points (presence of all defined symptoms).

Time frame: From Baseline to Day 169

Population: mITT includes all randomized participants who received any amount of study drug and have completed at least one post-baseline disease assessment. Here, Overall Number of Participants Analyzed signifies participants who were evaluable for this outcome measure.

ArmMeasureValue (LEAST_SQUARES_MEAN)
ALPN-101 (Acazicolcept)Change From Baseline in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Disease Activity Index 2000 (SLEDAI-2K) Total Score-2.4 score on a scale
PlaceboChange From Baseline in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Disease Activity Index 2000 (SLEDAI-2K) Total Score-3.0 score on a scale
p-value: 0.302Mixed models for repeated measures
Secondary

Cumulative Prednisone-equivalent Dose Use Through Day 169

Time frame: From Baseline through Day 169

Population: mITT includes all randomized participants who received any amount of study drug and have completed at least one post-baseline disease assessment. Here, Overall Number of Participants Analyzed signifies participants who were evaluable for this outcome measure.

ArmMeasureValue (LEAST_SQUARES_MEAN)Dispersion
ALPN-101 (Acazicolcept)Cumulative Prednisone-equivalent Dose Use Through Day 1691028.28 milligram (mg)Standard Error 183.729
PlaceboCumulative Prednisone-equivalent Dose Use Through Day 169854.59 milligram (mg)Standard Error 183.729
p-value: 0.506ANOVA
Secondary

Percentage of Participants Achieving a Lupus Low Disease Activity State (LLDAS)

The LLDAS is a composite measure designed to identify patients achieving a state of low disease activity. LLDAS was defined as SLE disease activity index (SLEDAI-2k \<=4, with no activity in major organ systems (CNS, vascular, renal, cardiorespiratory and constitutional); where no activity is defined as all items of SLEDAI-2K within these major organ systems equal to 0; No new features of lupus disease activity compared to previous occurred visit, where the new feature is defined as any of the SLEDAI-2K 24 items changed from 0 to greater than 0; PGA (scale 0-3 higher scores = higher severity), \<=1; current prednisolone (or equivalent) dose \<=7.5 mg daily; and allowance for maintenance doses of immunosuppressive drugs and approved biological agents.

Time frame: At Day 169

Population: mITT includes all randomized participants who received any amount of study drug and have completed at least one post-baseline disease assessment. Here, Overall Number of Participants Analyzed signifies participants who were evaluable for this outcome measure.

ArmMeasureValue (NUMBER)
ALPN-101 (Acazicolcept)Percentage of Participants Achieving a Lupus Low Disease Activity State (LLDAS)14 percentage of participants
PlaceboPercentage of Participants Achieving a Lupus Low Disease Activity State (LLDAS)16 percentage of participants
p-value: 0.792Cochran-Mantel-Haenszel
Secondary

Percentage of Participants With ≥ 50% Reduction In CLASI Activity Score In Participants With Baseline CLASI Activity Score ≥ 8

CLASI is an validated measurement instrument for lupus erythematosus developed for use in clinical studies that consists of separate scores for the activity of the disease. CLASI Activity is scored based on erythema, scale/hyperkeratosis, mucous membrane involvement, acute hair loss and nonscarring alopecia. The total CLASI activity score ranges from 0-70, with higher scores indicating more severe skin disease.

Time frame: From Baseline to Day 169

Population: mITT includes all randomized participants who received any amount of study drug and have completed at least one post-baseline disease assessment. Here, Overall Number of Participants Analyzed signifies participants who were evaluable for this outcome measure.

ArmMeasureValue (NUMBER)
ALPN-101 (Acazicolcept)Percentage of Participants With ≥ 50% Reduction In CLASI Activity Score In Participants With Baseline CLASI Activity Score ≥ 830 percentage of participants
PlaceboPercentage of Participants With ≥ 50% Reduction In CLASI Activity Score In Participants With Baseline CLASI Activity Score ≥ 845 percentage of participants
p-value: 0.659Fisher Exact
Secondary

Time-to-first Flare by BILAG-2004 Flare Index

Time-to-first SLE flare is defined as the number of days from the administration of first dose to the first occurrence of flare. A flare was defined as having an adjudicated BILAG A or B score in any of the 8 organ systems during treatment. The BILAG disease activity index evaluates SLE activity in 8 organ systems, using a separate alphabetic score (A to E) assigned to each organ system defined as follows. BILAG A: Disease sufficiently active requiring disease modifying treatment (prednisone greater than 20 mg daily or immunosuppressants); BILAG B: Disease less active than in A, mild reversible problems requiring only symptomatic therapy such as antimalarials, NSAIDs, or prednisone less than 20 mg day; BILAG C: Stable mild disease; BILAG D: System previously affected but now inactive; BILAG E: System never involved.

Time frame: From Baseline to Day 169

Population: mITT includes all randomized participants who received any amount of study drug and have completed at least one post-baseline disease assessment. Here, Overall Number of Participants Analyzed signifies participants who were evaluable for this outcome measure.

ArmMeasureValue (MEDIAN)
ALPN-101 (Acazicolcept)Time-to-first Flare by BILAG-2004 Flare Index85.0 days
PlaceboTime-to-first Flare by BILAG-2004 Flare Index113.0 days
p-value: 0.788Kaplan-Meier methods

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Feb 4, 2026