AB Sciencesmasitinib significantly slowed disability progression in people with primary progressive multiple sclerosis (PPMS) and non-active secondary progressive MS (SPMS) at a lower dose of 4.5 mg/kg a day, top-line results from a Phase 2b/3 clinical trial show.
Masitinib, formerly known as AB1010, is an oral therapy that inhibits the activity of cells in the innate immune system, specifically mast cells, microglia, and macrophages. In doing so, the therapy is expected to limit the inflammatory processes that cause damage to the nervous system in MS.
It may also have applications in other conditions, including other neurological diseases and certain cancers.
People with primary progressive (PPMS) and non-active secondary progressive (nSPMS) forms of multiple sclerosis account for half of all MS patients, Patrick Vermersch, PhD, a professor at University of Lillein France and a trial investigator, said in an AB Science press release.
PPMS is estimated to affect about 15% of all MS patients, while non-active SPMS affects about 30% to 35%.
While numerous treatments based on targeting of B-cells and T-cells of the adaptive immune system are available for patients with relapsing forms of MS, these strategies have failed or had inconclusive results in PPMS and nSPMS. Consequently, there remains a very high medical need for people with progressive MS forms, Vermersch added.
In the AB07002 Phase 2b/3 clinical trial (NCT01433497), a group consisting of 301 MS patients were enrolled, with 200 randomized to 4.5 mg/kg of masitinib daily, and 101 to a placebo. The trials primary endpoint (goal) was changes in disability, measured through the Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) score, from the studys start (baseline) through week 12 to week 96 of treatment.
Results showed the primary endpoint was met, with significantly lower increases in EDSS seen in the masitinib-treated group compared to the placebo group. This treatment effect was maintained for both the PPMS and non-active SPMS subpopulations. (Higher EDSS score represent worsening disability levels.)
Treatment also significantly delayed disease progression, as measured by the time to reach an EDSS score of 7.0 functionally, this score means a person requires the use of a wheelchair.
[T]he results from this study represent a scientific breakthrough because this is the first time that the novel strategy of targeting the innate immune system via mast cells and microglia has been able to significantly slow progression of clinical disability in progressive forms of MS, Vermersch said. These data are extremely encouraging, and may provide new hope for progressive MS patients.
Added Olivier Hermine, MD, PhD, president of AB Sciences scientific committee:This positive result in progressive MS is an important new finding that further validates the mechanism of action of masitinib in neurodegenerative diseases.
Masitinibs safety was consistent with the therapys known profile. Overall, 95% of people on 4.5 mg/kg masitinib daily, and 87.1% of those in the corresponding placebo group, experienced at least one reported adverse event. AB Science did not specify what these events were.
People in another trial arm were given masitinib a daily dose of 6.0 mg/kg, with titration starting at 4.5 mg/kg/day. This group consisted of 310 people, with 203 treated with masitinib and 107 given a placebo. No significant beneficial effects over placebo with masitinib at this higher dose were seen.
Further details were not released, which AB Science said would be given at an upcoming scientific conference. The company also announced a new patent filing for masitinib based on AB07002 trial results, and said it will be in contact with regulatory authorities to discuss further development of masitinib as a treatment for progressive forms of MS.
Masitinib is also being tested patients withamyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), where a single-site Phase 3 trial (NCT03127267) is expected to open in March in Montreal, Canada. A Phase 3 trial (NCT01872598) in people withAlzheimers diseaseor probable Alzheimers also recently concluded.
This MS trial is the second piece of supportive evidence delivered by the masitinib clinical program. The first one was thepositive Phase 2B/3 study with masitinib in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Hermine said.
The two studies taken together clearly demonstrate that targeting the innate immune system via macrophage/microglia and mast cells, as masitinib does, is one of the right strategies to treat neurodegenerative disorders, Hermine concluded.
Marisa holds an MS in Cellular and Molecular Pathology from theUniversity of Pittsburgh, where she studied novel genetic drivers ofovarian cancer. She specializes in cancer biology, immunology, andgenetics. Marisa began working with BioNews in 2018, and haswritten about science and health for SelfHacked and the GeneticsSociety of America. She also writes/composes musicals and coachesthe University of Pittsburgh fencing club.
Total Posts: 1,053
Patrcia holds her PhD in Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases from the Leiden University Medical Center in Leiden, The Netherlands. She has studied Applied Biology at Universidade do Minho and was a postdoctoral research fellow at Instituto de Medicina Molecular in Lisbon, Portugal. Her work has been focused on molecular genetic traits of infectious agents such as viruses and parasites.
Read more from the original source:
Masitinib Slows Disability Progression in PPMS and Non-active... - Multiple Sclerosis News Today
- Technion team discovers important adaptive strategy of the microbiome, impacting immune system - The Jerusalem Post - April 16th, 2024
- Targeting aging and age-related diseases with vaccines - Nature.com - April 16th, 2024
- Single cell analysis unveils B cell-dominated immune subtypes in HNSCC for enhanced prognostic and therapeutic ... - Nature.com - April 16th, 2024
- After the Smoke Clears: Scars on the Immune System - The Scientist - April 16th, 2024
- Exercise and the Immune System: What's the Latest Research? - Technology Networks - April 16th, 2024
- Analysis of immune cell infiltration characteristics in severe acute pancreatitis through integrated bioinformatics ... - Nature.com - April 16th, 2024
- Vaccination impairs de novo immune response to omicron breakthrough infection, a precondition for the original ... - Nature.com - April 16th, 2024
- Harnessing the power of the body's own cells to defeat cancer - Press Publications Inc. - April 16th, 2024
- Best Life: Immunotherapy targets brain cancer - Action News 5 - April 16th, 2024
- Dietary factors and their influence on immunotherapy strategies in oncology: a comprehensive review | Cell Death ... - Nature.com - April 16th, 2024
- New insights on B cells: Researchers explore building better antibodies and curbing autoimmune diseases - Medical Xpress - April 16th, 2024
- Immune cells' intense reaction to the coronavirus may lead to pneumonia - Science News Magazine - April 16th, 2024
- The telltale traces long Covid leaves in the blood - healthcare-in-europe.com - April 16th, 2024
- Overview of the Immune System - The Merck Manuals - March 18th, 2024
- SUNDAY Unraveling The Gut-Brain Connection: How Infant Gut Bacteria Shape Immune Resilience | TheHealthSit - TheHealthSite - March 18th, 2024
- Making drugs from T cells: The quantitative pharmacology of engineered T cell therapeutics | npj Systems Biology and ... - Nature.com - March 18th, 2024
- Study unlocks the mystery of neonatal neutropenia in newborns - News-Medical.Net - March 18th, 2024
- Vertebral Subluxation and Systems Biology: An Integrative Review Exploring the Salutogenic Influence of Chiropractic ... - Cureus - March 18th, 2024
- A new strategy to attack aggressive brain cancer shrank tumors in two early tests - ABC News - March 18th, 2024
- Turning on the Bat Signal - The Scientist - March 18th, 2024
- Power Foods That Can Support Your Immune System - Videos from The Weather Channel - The Weather Channel - March 18th, 2024
- Report: Aggressive brain tumors respond to new, immune-focused therapy - UPI News - March 18th, 2024
- Designer immune-cell therapy could shrink deadly brain tumors, early trials show - Livescience.com - March 18th, 2024
- 20.2: Introduction to the Immune System - Biology LibreTexts - February 27th, 2024
- Can one shot of yoghurt really boost your immunity and gut health? - Daily Mail - February 27th, 2024
- New cancer therapy approved by FDA supercharges bodys immune system - The Washington Post - February 27th, 2024
- How bubonic plague rewired the human immune system - BBC.com - February 27th, 2024
- Innovative therapy targets and destroys leukemia stem cells - News-Medical.Net - February 27th, 2024
- Participate in Our Study for $100; Open Slots This Week - University of Arkansas Newswire - February 27th, 2024
- Sexual dimorphism during integrative endocrine and immune responses to ionizing radiation in mice | Scientific Reports - Nature.com - February 27th, 2024
- Comprehensive pan-cancer analysis identifies the RNA-binding protein LRPPRC as a novel prognostic and immune ... - ScienceDirect.com - February 27th, 2024
- YOUR HEALTH: The HAMR fights cancer - WAFB - February 27th, 2024
- Cycles of a diet that mimics fasting can reduce signs of immune system aging, as well as insulin resistance and liver fat - News-Medical.Net - February 27th, 2024
- How the powerhouse of the cell could be cancers Achilles heel - Freethink - February 27th, 2024
- Food is medicine: The science behind zinc and other supplements for immune health - Healio - February 27th, 2024
- Unleashing Our Immune Response to Quash Cancer - Medscape - February 27th, 2024
- Tumor histoculture captures the dynamic interactions between tumor and immune components in response to anti-PD1 ... - Nature.com - February 27th, 2024
- Converging and evolving immuno-genomic routes toward immune escape in breast cancer - Nature.com - February 27th, 2024
- Sanjula Jain Urges a Comprehensive Approach in Address Alarming Rise in Cancer Cases Among Younger Populations - Managed Healthcare Executive - February 27th, 2024
- Cystic fibrosis breakthrough points to zinc as infection buster - New Atlas - February 27th, 2024
- Exploring synergies between B- and T-cell vaccine approaches to optimize immune responses against HIVworkshop ... - Nature.com - February 27th, 2024
- Is the 100-year old TB vaccine a new weapon against Alzheimers? - The Guardian - February 27th, 2024
- Immune system in the blood of Alzheimer's patients found to be epigenetically altered - News-Medical.Net - February 10th, 2024
- What impact does exercise have on your immune system? And how to stay well while cycling - BikeRadar - February 10th, 2024
- Had COVID recently? Here's what to know about how long immunity lasts, long COVID, and more - AAMC - February 10th, 2024
- Noor Momin harnesses the immune system to treat heart disease | Penn Today - Penn Today - February 10th, 2024
- Research reveals a process tumors use to induce immune suppressor cells and evade immunotherapy - Medical Xpress - February 10th, 2024
- Immune targeting of HIV-1 reservoir cells: a path to elimination strategies and cure - Nature.com - February 10th, 2024
- Preventing severe allergic reactions with nanoparticles - National Institutes of Health (NIH) (.gov) - February 10th, 2024
- Sugary handshakes are how cells talk to each other understanding these name tags can clarify how the immune ... - The Conversation Indonesia - February 10th, 2024
- Scientists have identified an immune cell that can cause allergies - EL PAS USA - February 10th, 2024
- Sickle cell and the importance of the immune system - Punch Newspapers - February 10th, 2024
- Which cancers can be treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors? - MD Anderson Cancer Center - February 10th, 2024
- How does waste leave the brain? Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis - Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis - February 10th, 2024
- Healthy Kids: Give your immune system a boost to stay healthy this winter - nbc16.com - February 10th, 2024
- The impact of prior exposure to hypoglycaemia on the inflammatory response to a subsequent hypoglycaemic episode ... - Cardiovascular Diabetology - February 10th, 2024
- Impact of Chronic Stress on Immune System and Depression | Health News - Medriva - February 10th, 2024
- I tried 'swamp soup,' the viral recipe that promises to boost your immune system - Yahoo News - February 10th, 2024
- Understanding Immune Checkpoint Inhibition Therapy: Challenges and Strategies - Medriva - February 10th, 2024
- One Simple Change May Dramatically Boost The Effect of COVID-19 Vaccines - ScienceAlert - February 10th, 2024
- The gut virome is associated with stress-induced changes in behaviour and immune responses in mice - Nature.com - February 10th, 2024
- Cancer vaccines are in the works to fight BRCA-linked gene mutations - The Philadelphia Inquirer - February 10th, 2024
- What are the organs of the immune system? - InformedHealth.org - NCBI ... - January 17th, 2024
- Novel insights into the immune response to bacterial T cell superantigens - Nature.com - January 17th, 2024
- FDA signs off on Takeda's HyQvia as maintenance therapy for CIDP - FiercePharma - January 17th, 2024
- CBDs Pobezinsky and Pobezinskaya Use Flow Cytometry to Determine How Tumor Cells Outwit the Bodys Immune ... - UMass News and Media Relations - January 17th, 2024
- Boosting. What To Do. - Science Based Medicine - January 17th, 2024
- Axelia Oncology takes its TLR2/6 agonist into the clinic to harness the innate immune system - BioWorld Online - January 17th, 2024
- Long COVID manifests with T cell dysregulation, inflammation and an uncoordinated adaptive immune response to ... - Nature.com - January 17th, 2024
- Opinion | Thanks to mRNA, Future Drugs Will Be Easier and Faster to Make - Mississippi Free Press - January 17th, 2024
- Elon research team models the COVID immune response, one equation at a time - Today at Elon - January 17th, 2024
- Are plant-based meals good for your immune system? 4 things to know about improving your health this week. - Yahoo Life - January 17th, 2024
- Scientists Find Key To Potential Breast Cancer Prevention, Treatment | Newsroom - UNC Health and UNC School of Medicine - January 17th, 2024
- What if every germ hit you at the exact same time? An immunologist explains - The Conversation - January 17th, 2024
- Why Don't We Have a Staph Vaccine? - Healthnews.com - January 17th, 2024
- Best ways to improve your immune system - The Business Standard - January 17th, 2024
- Stanford University researchers think future pandemics could be prevented with universal vaccines - KGO-TV - January 17th, 2024
- Why you may feel depressed and anxious when you're ill and how to cope with it - The Conversation - January 17th, 2024
- New mechanism with potential to boost checkpoint-blocking cancer immunotherapies identified - Medical Xpress - January 17th, 2024
- Battling Bugs and Blues: The Interplay of Infection and Emotion - News-Medical.Net - January 17th, 2024