title: Epratuzumab for patients with moderate to severe flaring SLE: health-related quality of life outcomes and corticosteroid use in the randomized controlled ALLEVIATE trials and extension study SL0006.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and corticosteroid use in patients with moderate to severely active SLE enrolled in two international, multicentre, randomized controlled trials of epratuzumab (ALLEVIATE-1 and -2) and a long-term extension study (SL0006).
  
  
  METHODS
  Ninety ALLEVIATE patients (43% BILAG A, mean BILAG score 13.2) were randomized to receive 360 mg/m(2) (n = 42) or 720 mg/m(2) (n = 11) epratuzumab or placebo (n = 37), plus standard of care, in 12-week cycles. Corticosteroid use, patient and physician global assessments of disease activity (PtGA and PGA) and 36-item Medical Outcomes Survey Short Form (SF-36) results were recorded at baseline and every 4 weeks. Both trials were prematurely discontinued due to a drug supply interruption; patients followed for ≥6 months were analysed. Twenty-nine patients continued in SL0006, with interim analysis at a median exposure of 120 (range 13-184) weeks.
  
  
  RESULTS
  At week 12, proportions of patients with a PGA ≥20% above baseline or with a PtGA improvement greater than or equal to the minimum clinically important difference were higher in the epratuzumab arms than the placebo arm. PGA and PtGA improvements were sustained but did not reach statistical significance. At week 24, mean cumulative corticosteroid doses with epratuzumab 360 and 720 mg/m(2) were 1051 and 1973 mg less than placebo (P = 0.034 and 0.081, respectively). At week 48, SF-36 scores approached or exceeded US age- and gender-matched norms in five domains with the 360 mg/m(2) treatment. Improvements were maintained in SL0006 over ∼2 years.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Epratuzumab treatment produced clinically meaningful and sustained improvements in PGA, PtGA and HRQOL and reductions in corticosteroid doses.
authors.affiliation: Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA, USA. vstrand@stanford.edu.
authors.forename: Vibeke
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Strand
authors.forename: Michelle
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Petri
authors.forename: Kenneth
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kalunian
authors.forename: Caroline
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gordon
authors.forename: Daniel J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Wallace
authors.forename: Kathryn
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hobbs
authors.forename: Lexy
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Kelley
authors.forename: Brian
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kilgallen
authors.forename: William A
authors.initials: WA
authors.lastname: Wegener
authors.forename: David M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Goldenberg
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000328:Adult; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D018771:Arthralgia / Q000188:drug therapy; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D038622:Internationality; D008180:Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010147:Pain Measurement; D011788:Quality of Life; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; C448700:epratuzumab
keywords: ALLEVIATE; CD22; HRQOL; SF-36; SLE; clinical trial; corticosteroids; epratuzumab; lupus; monoclonal antibody