title: Brodalumab, a human anti-interleukin-17-receptor antibody in the treatment of Japanese patients with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis: Efficacy and safety results from a phase II randomized controlled study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Brodalumab (KHK4827 or AMG 827) is a human monoclonal antibody that binds to the human interleukin (IL)-17 receptor A and blocks the biological activities of IL-17A, IL-17F, IL-17A/F, and IL-17E also known as IL-25. A 12-week phase 2 trial in the USA, Europe, and other countries showed the good efficacy of brodalumab in treating patients with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis. However, with the exception of a phase 1 study, a clinical trial of brodalumab in psoriasis has not been undertaken in Japan.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the efficacy and safety of brodalumab in Japanese patients with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis, including psoriatic arthritis, in a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group comparative phase 2 study, and to assess the pharmacokinetics of brodalumab.
  
  
  METHODS
  Japanese patients with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis, including psoriatic arthritis, were randomized to receive 70mg, 140mg, or 210mg of brodalumab, or placebo, injected subcutaneously at baseline and weeks 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10. The primary efficacy endpoint was the percentage improvement in the Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) score from baseline to week 12. Secondary efficacy endpoints included the percentage of patients with ≥75% reduction of PASI scores (PASI 75), ≥90% (PASI 90), and 100% (PASI 100) and the percentage of patients with a static physician's global assessment (sPGA) of 0 (clear) or 1 (almost clear) at week 12. Safety was evaluated by assessing the adverse events (AE) and the patients' hematologic and laboratory values.
  
  
  RESULTS
  At week 12, the mean percentage improvements in the PASI scores were 37.7%, 82.2%, 96.8%, and 9.4% in the 70mg, 140mg, 210mg, and placebo groups, respectively, (p<0.001 for all comparisons with placebo). The percentage of patients with PASI 75, PASI 90, and PASI 100 at week 12 were 7.9%, 2.6%, and 0%, respectively, in the placebo group, 25.6%, 15.4%, and 2.6%, respectively, in the 70mg brodalumab group, 78.4%, 64.9%, and 35.1%, respectively, in the 140mg brodalumab group, and 94.6%, 91.9%, and 59.5%, respectively, in the 210mg brodalumab group. Concerning psoriatic arthritis, at week 12, the numbers (%) of patients fulfilling the American College of Rheumatology response criteria for a 20% improvement were 0 (0%) in the placebo group, and 1 (20%), 2 (40%), and 4 (100%) in the 70mg, 140mg, and 210mg brodalumab groups, respectively. The percentages of patients with Dermatology Life Quality Index scores of 0 or 1 at week 12 were greater in the 140mg (54.1%) and the 210mg (56.8%) brodalumab groups than in the placebo group (8.8%). The most common AE in the brodalumab groups were nasopharyngitis (12.4% vs. 7.9% for placebo), diarrhea (5.3% vs. 0%), upper respiratory tract inflammation (3.5% vs. 0%), and folliculitis (3.5% vs. 0%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The rapid, robust efficacy of brodalumab and its favorable safety profile shown in the current study confirm previous studies conducted in Caucasian people, further warranting the use of brodalumab as a new treatment option for plaque psoriasis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, The Jikei University, School of Medicine, 3-25-8 Nishishinbashi, Minato-ku, Tokyo 105-8461, Japan. Electronic address: hidemi@jikei.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Hidemi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Nakagawa
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine and Biosystemic Science, Faculty of Medicine, Kyushu University, 3-1-1 Maidashi, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka-shi, Fukuoka 812-8582, Japan. Electronic address: hniiro@med.kyushu-u.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Hiroaki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Niiro
authors.affiliation: Kyowa Hakko Kirin Co., Ltd., Tokyo, Japan. Electronic address: kenji.ootaki@kyowa-kirin.co.jp.
authors.forename: Kenji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ootaki
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000097:blood / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; D015535:Arthritis, Psoriatic / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D044466:Asian People; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011565:Psoriasis / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D053722:Receptors, Interleukin-17 / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000276:immunology; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; D053722:Receptors, Interleukin-17; C571216:brodalumab