scholarly journals Long-term safety, tolerability, and efficacy of fremanezumab in migraine

Neurology ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 95 (18) ◽  
pp. e2487-e2499 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter J. Goadsby ◽  
Stephen D. Silberstein ◽  
Paul P. Yeung ◽  
Joshua M. Cohen ◽  
Xiaoping Ning ◽  
...  

ObjectiveTo assess the long-term safety, tolerability, and efficacy of fremanezumab, a fully humanized monoclonal antibody approved for the preventive treatment of migraine.MethodsA 52-week, multicenter, randomized, double-blind, parallel-group study evaluated fremanezumab monthly or quarterly in adults with chronic migraine (CM) or episodic migraine (EM). Safety and tolerability were assessed by adverse event (AE) monitoring (performed by the investigators), systematic local injection-site assessments (immediately and 1 hour after injection), laboratory/vitals assessments, and immunogenicity testing. Prespecified exploratory evaluations included change from baseline in the monthly number of migraine days, headache days of at least moderate severity, and days with any acute headache medication use. Change from baseline in headache-related disability (6-item Headache Impact Test scores) was also measured.ResultsOf 1,890 patients enrolled, 551 and 559 patients with CM received quarterly and monthly dosing; 394 and 386 patients with EM received quarterly or monthly, respectively. The most commonly reported AEs were injection-site reactions (induration 33%, pain 31%, and erythema 26%). Fremanezumab reduced monthly migraine days (CM quarterly −7.2 days, CM monthly −8.0 days, EM quarterly −5.2 days, EM monthly −5.1 days) and headache days of at least moderate severity (CM quarterly −6.4 days, CM monthly −6.8 days, EM quarterly −4.4, EM monthly −4.2 days) from baseline to 12 months. Reductions in any acute headache medication use and headache-related disability were also maintained over 12 months.ConclusionsFremanezumab quarterly and fremanezumab monthly were well tolerated and demonstrated sustained improvements in monthly migraine days, headache days, and headache-related disability for up to 12 months in patients with migraine.ClinicalTrials.govNCT02638103.Classification of evidenceThis study provides Class IV evidence that long-term fremanezumab treatment is safe, well tolerated, and effective at sustaining reductions in monthly migraine and headache days.

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Messoud Ashina ◽  
Joshua M. Cohen ◽  
Maja Galic ◽  
Verena Ramirez Campos ◽  
Steve Barash ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Fremanezumab, a fully humanized monoclonal antibody (IgG2Δa) selectively targets the calcitonin gene-related peptide and has proven efficacy for the preventive treatment of migraine. In this study, we evaluated the long-term efficacy, safety, and tolerability of monthly and quarterly fremanezumab. Methods Episodic migraine and chronic migraine patients completing the 12-week double-blind period of the FOCUS trial entered the 12-week open-label extension and received 3 monthly doses of fremanezumab (225 mg). Changes from baseline in monthly migraine days, monthly headache days of at least moderate severity, days of acute headache medication use, days with photophobia/phonophobia, days with nausea or vomiting, disability scores, and proportion of patients achieving a ≥50% or  ≥75% reduction in monthly migraine days were evaluated. Results Of the 807 patients who completed the 12-week double-blind treatment period and entered the open-label extension, 772 patients completed the study. In the placebo, quarterly fremanezumab, and monthly fremanezumab dosing regimens, respectively, patients had fewer average monthly migraine days (mean [standard deviation] change from baseline: − 4.7 [5.4]; − 5.1 [4.7]; − 5.5 [5.0]), monthly headache days of at least moderate severity (− 4.5 [5.0]; − 4.8 [4.5]; − 5.2 [4.9]), days per month of acute headache medication use (− 4.3 [5.2]; − 4.9 [4.6]; − 4.8 [4.9]), days with photophobia/phonophobia (− 3.1 [5.3]; − 3.4 [5.3]; − 4.0 [5.2]), and days with nausea or vomiting (− 2.3 [4.6]; − 3.1 [4.5]; − 3.0 [4.4]). During the 12-week open-label extension, 38%, 45%, and 46% of patients, respectively, achieved a ≥50% reduction and 16%, 15%, and 20%, respectively, achieved a ≥75% reduction in monthly migraine days. Disability scores were substantially improved in all 3 treatment groups. There were low rates of adverse events leading to discontinuation (<1%). Conclusion Fremanezumab demonstrated sustained efficacy up to 6 months and was well tolerated in patients with episodic migraine or chronic migraine and documented inadequate response to multiple migraine preventive medication classes. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03308968 (FOCUS).


2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 179-190
Author(s):  
Deborah I. Friedman ◽  
Joshua M. Cohen

Fremanezumab is a fully humanized monoclonal antibody (IgG2Δa) that targets calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP), a key neuropeptide involved in the pathophysiology of migraine. Fremanezumab is approved for quarterly and monthly subcutaneous dosing for the preventive treatment of migraine in adults. The phase 3 clinical development program for fremanezumab aimed to evaluate the efficacy of this preventive treatment across different patient populations, including those with difficult-to-treat migraine. Two pivotal 12-week, phase 3, placebo-controlled studies investigated quarterly and monthly dosing of fremanezumab in participants with chronic migraine (HALO CM) and episodic migraine (HALO EM). The efficacy of fremanezumab was further explored in individuals with difficult-to-treat chronic or episodic migraine in the 12-week FOCUS study, which enrolled participants who had previously experienced an inadequate response to 2–4 pharmacological classes of migraine preventive medications. The long-term efficacy of fremanezumab was assessed in a 12-month long-term study (HALO LTS), which enrolled participants completing the 12-week HALO studies and new participants. Across these studies, treatment with fremanezumab dosed quarterly or monthly provided significant reductions in the frequency of migraine days, headache days of at least moderate severity, and migraine- and headache-related disability compared with placebo. Sustained improvements were seen with long-term fremanezumab treatment. Subgroup analyses of participants with difficult-to-treat migraine (those with comorbid depression, overuse of acute headache medications, and concomitant use of other migraine preventive medications) demonstrated the effectiveness of quarterly or monthly fremanezumab in these populations. Ongoing studies are further exploring the potential benefits of fremanezumab in difficult-to-treat migraine and other headache and pain disorders.


Cephalalgia ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 40 (5) ◽  
pp. 470-477 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jan Lewis Brandes ◽  
David Kudrow ◽  
Paul P Yeung ◽  
Fumihiko Sakai ◽  
Ernesto Aycardi ◽  
...  

Background Fremanezumab, a fully humanized monoclonal antibody targeting calcitonin gene-related peptide, has demonstrated efficacy for the preventive treatment of migraine in adults. Objective To evaluate the effect of fremanezumab treatment on acute headache medication use and migraine-associated symptoms in patients with episodic migraine. Methods In the Phase 3 HALO trial, patients with episodic migraine were randomized to receive subcutaneous fremanezumab monthly (225 mg at baseline, weeks 4 and 8), fremanezumab quarterly (675 mg at baseline, placebo at weeks 4 and 8), or placebo over a 12-week period. The secondary endpoint was change from baseline in the monthly number of days with use of any acute headache mediation or migraine-specific acute headache medication; exploratory endpoints were change from baseline in the monthly number of days with nausea or vomiting, photophobia, or phonophobia. Results Of 875 patients randomized, 865 were included in the analysis (monthly, n = 287; quarterly, n = 288; placebo, n = 290). Baseline mean ± standard deviation days with: Any acute headache medication use (monthly: 7.7 ± 3.4; quarterly: 7.8 ± 3.7; placebo: 7.7 ± 3.6), migraine-specific acute headache medication use (6.1 ± 3.1; 6.6 ± 3.1; 7.1 ± 3.0), nausea or vomiting (4.5 ± 3.6; 4.9 ± 3.7; 4.5 ± 3.3) and photophobia and phonophobia (5.5 ± 4.1; 6.3 ± 4.1; 6.0 ± 3.9) were similar among treatment arms. Fremanezumab reduced the number of days of acute headache medication use ([least-squares mean change vs. placebo] monthly: −1.4 [95% confidence interval: −1.84, −0.89], p < 0.001; quarterly: −1.3 [−1.76, −0.82], p < 0.001) and migraine-specific acute headache medication use (monthly: −2.2 [−2.80, −1.56], p < 0.001; quarterly: −2.2 [−2.81, −1.58], p < 0.001) compared with placebo. Fremanezumab also reduced nausea or vomiting, photophobia, and phonophobia compared with placebo. Conclusions Fremanezumab reduced the need for acute headache medications, including migraine-specific medications, while treating migraine-associated symptoms in patients with episodic migraine. Trial registration Clinicaltrials.gov NCT02629861


2021 ◽  
pp. jnnp-2021-327480
Author(s):  
Michel Dominique Ferrari ◽  
Uwe Reuter ◽  
Peter J Goadsby ◽  
Gabriel Paiva da Silva Lima ◽  
Subhayan Mondal ◽  
...  

ObjectiveTo evaluate individual and group long-term efficacy and safety of erenumab in individuals with episodic migraine (EM) for whom 2–4 prior preventatives had failed.MethodsParticipants completing the 12-week double-blind treatment phase (DBTP) of the LIBERTY study could continue into an open-label extension phase (OLEP) receiving erenumab 140 mg monthly for up to 3 years. Main outcomes assessed at week 112 were: ≥50%, ≥75% and 100% reduction in monthly migraine days (MMD) as group responder rate and individual responder rates, MMD change from baseline, safety and tolerability.ResultsOverall 240/246 (97.6%) entered the OLEP (118 continuing erenumab, 122 switching from placebo). In total 181/240 (75.4%) reached 112 weeks, 24.6% discontinued, mainly due to lack of efficacy (44.0%), participant decision (37.0%) and adverse events (AEs; 12.0%). The ≥50% responder rate was 57.2% (99/173) at 112 weeks. Of ≥50% responders at the end of the DBTP, 36/52 (69.2%) remained responders at ≥50% and 22/52 (42.3%) at >80% of visits. Of the non-responders at the end of the DBTP, 60/185 (32.4%) converted to ≥50% responders in at least half the visits and 24/185 (13.0%) converted to ≥50% responders in >80% of visits. Change from baseline at 112 weeks in mean (SD) MMD was −4.2 (5.0) days. Common AEs (≥10%) were nasopharyngitis, influenza and back pain.ConclusionsEfficacy was sustained over 112 weeks in individuals with difficult-to-treat EM for whom 2–4 prior migraine preventives had failed. Erenumab treatment was safe and well tolerated, in-line with previous studies.Trial registration numberNCT03096834


Neurology ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 89 (12) ◽  
pp. 1237-1243 ◽  
Author(s):  
Messoud Ashina ◽  
David Dodick ◽  
Peter J. Goadsby ◽  
Uwe Reuter ◽  
Stephen Silberstein ◽  
...  

Objective:To assess long-term safety and efficacy of anti–calcitonin gene-related peptide receptor erenumab in patients with episodic migraine (EM).Methods:Patients enrolled in a 12-week, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial (NCT01952574) who continued in an open-label extension (OLE) study will receive erenumab 70 mg every 4 weeks for up to 5 years. This preplanned interim analysis, conducted after all participants had completed the 1-year open-label follow-up, evaluated changes in monthly migraine days (MMD), achievement of ≥50%, ≥75%, and 100% reductions, Headache Impact Test (HIT-6) score, Migraine-Specific Quality of Life (MSQ), Migraine Disability Assessment (MIDAS), and safety. Data reported as observed without imputation for missing data.Results:Of 472 patients enrolled in the parent study, 383 continued in the OLE with a median exposure to erenumab of 575 days (range 28–822 days). Mean (SD) MMD were 8.8 (2.6) at parent study baseline, 6.3 (4.2) at week 12 (beginning of OLE), and 3.7 (4.0) at week 64 (mean change from baseline [reduction] of 5.0 days). At week 64, 65%, 42%, and 26% achieved ≥50%, ≥75%, and 100% reduction in MMD, respectively. Mean HIT-6 scores were 60.2 (6.3) at baseline and 51.7 (9.2) at week 64. MSQ and MIDAS improvements from baseline were maintained through week 64. Safety profiles during the OLE were similar to those in the double-blind phase, which overall were similar to placebo.Conclusions:One-year efficacy, supported by functional improvements and favorable safety and tolerability profiles, supports further investigation of erenumab as a preventive treatment in patients with EM.Clinicaltrials.gov identifier:NCT01952574.Classification of evidence:This study provides Class IV evidence that for patients with episodic migraine, erenumab reduces long-term MMD and improves headache-related disability and migraine-specific quality of life.


Cephalalgia ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 38 (6) ◽  
pp. 1015-1025 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tina Marie Myers Oakes ◽  
Vladimir Skljarevski ◽  
Qi Zhang ◽  
William Kielbasa ◽  
Michael E Hodsdon ◽  
...  

Background Safety findings from a Phase 2b study of galcanezumab, a humanized monoclonal antibody against calcitonin gene-related peptide, for prevention of migraine (NCT02163993) are reported here. Methods Patients aged 18–65 years with episodic migraine were evaluated in this multicenter, double-blind, randomized study. After randomization, 410 patients were administered 5, 50, 120 or 300 mg of galcanezumab or placebo subcutaneously once every 4 weeks for 12 weeks, followed by a post-treatment off-drug period lasting 12 weeks. Results Treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs) were primarily rated as mild to moderate. Serious adverse events reported in galcanezumab dose groups were appendicitis, Crohn’s disease, suicidal ideation, and congenital ankyloglossia in an infant of a paternal pregnancy; each of these were reported by one patient. Adverse events leading to discontinuation with galcanezumab treatment were abdominal pain, visual impairment, and upper limb fracture, each reported by one patient. Treatment-emergent injection-site reactions were reported significantly more frequently ( p = 0.013) with galcanezumab (13.9%) than with placebo (5.8%). Injection-site pain was the most common injection-site reaction (galcanezumab 11.4%; placebo 2.9%, p = 0.004). Upper respiratory tract infection (galcanezumab 10.0%; placebo 8.8%) and nasopharyngitis (galcanezumab 7.0%; placebo 2.2%) also occurred more frequently with galcanezumab treatment. Potential hypersensitivity events were reported at similar frequencies in galcanezumab (3.3%) and placebo (5.1%) groups. Incidence of treatment-emergent anti-drug antibodies in galcanezumab dose groups (4.6% of patients during treatment period) did not appear to have any meaningful effects on safety, the pharmacokinetics of galcanezumab, or its ability to bind to the target ligand. Conclusion The results from this 3-month Phase 2b study support the initiation of larger Phase 3 trials of longer duration.


Cephalalgia ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 38 (8) ◽  
pp. 1442-1454 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vladimir Skljarevski ◽  
Manjit Matharu ◽  
Brian A Millen ◽  
Michael H Ossipov ◽  
Byung-Kun Kim ◽  
...  

Introduction Galcanezumab is a humanized monoclonal antibody binding calcitonin gene-related peptide, used for migraine prevention. Methods A global, double-blind, 6-month study of patients with episodic migraine was undertaken with 915 intent-to-treat patients randomized to monthly galcanezumab 120 mg (n = 231) or 240 mg (n = 223) or placebo (n = 461) subcutaneous injections. Primary endpoint was overall mean change from baseline in monthly migraine headache days. Key secondary endpoints were ≥50%,  ≥ 75%, and 100% response rates; monthly migraine headache days with acute migraine medication use; Patient Global Impression of Severity rating; the Role Function-Restrictive score of the Migraine-Specific Quality of Life Questionnaire. Results Mean monthly migraine headache days were reduced by 4.3 and 4.2 days by galcanezumab 120 and 240 mg, respectively, and 2.3 days by placebo. The group differences (95% CIs) versus placebo were 2.0 (−2.6, −1.5) and 1.9 (−2.4, −1.4), respectively. Both doses were superior to placebo for all key secondary endpoints. Injection site pain was the most common treatment-emergent adverse event, reported at similar rates in all treatment groups. Both galcanezumab doses had significantly more injection site reactions and injection site pruritus, and the 240 mg group had significantly more injection site erythema versus placebo. Conclusions Galcanezumab 120 or 240 mg given once monthly was efficacious, safe, and well tolerated. Study identification EVOLVE-2; NCT02614196; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02614196 . Trial Registration NCT02614196.


Cephalalgia ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 40 (3) ◽  
pp. 241-254 ◽  
Author(s):  
Messoud Ashina ◽  
Joel Saper ◽  
Roger Cady ◽  
Barbara A Schaeffler ◽  
David M Biondi ◽  
...  

Objective To evaluate the efficacy and safety of eptinezumab, a humanized anti-calcitonin gene-related peptide monoclonal antibody, in the preventive treatment of episodic migraine. Methods The PRevention Of Migraine via Intravenous ALD403 Safety and Efficacy-1 (PROMISE-1) study was a phase 3, multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group study. Adults with episodic migraine were randomized to eptinezumab 30 mg, 100 mg, 300 mg, or placebo for up to four intravenous (IV) doses administered every 12 weeks. The primary endpoint was change from baseline in monthly migraine days (MMDs) over weeks 1–12. Results A total of 888 patients received treatment across 84 study sites. Mean MMDs at baseline was ∼8.6 across treatment groups. Eptinezumab 100 mg and 300 mg met the primary endpoint, significantly reducing MMDs across weeks 1–12 compared with placebo (30 mg, −4.0; 100 mg, −3.9, p = 0.0182; 300 mg, −4.3; placebo, −3.2, p = 0.0001). Treatment-emergent adverse events were reported by 58.4% (30 mg), 63.2% (100 mg), 57.6% (300 mg), and 59.5% (placebo) of patients. Treatment-emergent adverse events reported by ≥2% of eptinezumab-treated patients at an incidence greater than placebo included: upper respiratory tract infection (30 mg, 11.4%; 100 mg, 9.9%; 300 mg, 10.3%; placebo, 7.2%), and fatigue (30 mg, 2.3%; 100 mg, 3.6%; 300 mg, 3.6%; placebo, <1%). Conclusion Eptinezumab (100 mg or 300 mg) significantly reduced migraine frequency, was well tolerated, and had an acceptable safety profile when used for the preventive treatment of migraine in adults with episodic migraine. ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT02559895


2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephen D. Silberstein ◽  
Joshua M. Cohen ◽  
Ronghua Yang ◽  
Sanjay K. Gandhi ◽  
Evelyn Du ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Monoclonal antibodies targeting the calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) pathway, including the fully humanized monoclonal antibody (IgG2Δa) fremanezumab, have demonstrated safety and efficacy for migraine prevention. Clinical trials include responders and nonresponders; efficacy outcomes describe mean values across both groups and thus provide little insight into the clinical benefit in responders. Clinicians and their patients want to understand the extent of clinical improvement in patients who respond. This post hoc analysis of fremanezumab treatment attempts to answer this question: what is the benefit in subjects who responded to treatment during the two, phase 3 HALO clinical trials? Methods We included subjects with episodic migraine (EM) or chronic migraine (CM) who received fremanezumab quarterly (675 mg/placebo/placebo) or monthly (EM: 225 mg/225 mg/225 mg; CM: 675 mg/225 mg/225 mg) during the 12-week randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled HALO EM and HALO CM clinical trials. EM and CM responders were defined as participants with a reduction of ≥ 2 or ≥ 4 monthly migraine days, respectively. Treatment benefits evaluated included reductions in monthly migraine days, acute headache medication use, and headache-related disability, and changes in health-related quality of life (HRQoL). Results Overall, 857 participants from the HALO trials were identified as responders (EM: 429 [73.8%]; CM: 428 [56.7%]). Reductions in the monthly average number of migraine days were greater among EM (quarterly: 5.4 days; monthly: 5.5 days) and CM (quarterly: 8.7 days; monthly: 9.1 days) responders compared with the overall population. The proportion of participants achieving ≥ 50% reduction in the average monthly number of migraine days was also greater in responders (EM: quarterly, 59.8%; monthly, 63.7%; CM: quarterly, 52.8%; monthly, 59.0%) than in the overall population. Greater reductions in the average number of days of acute headache medication use, greater reductions in headache-related disability scores, and larger improvements in HRQoL were observed among EM and CM responders compared with the overall populations. Conclusions Fremanezumab responders achieved clinically meaningful improvements in all outcomes. The magnitude of improvements with fremanezumab across efficacy outcomes was far greater in responders than in the overall trial population, providing insight into expected treatment benefits in participants who respond to fremanezumab in clinical practice. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov identifiers: NCT02629861 (HALO EM) and NCT02621931 (HALO CM).


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