Oral presentation will highlight final data from Phase 2 M-PLACE study of felzartamab in patients with Primary Membranous Nephropathy SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif., Oct. 13, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Human Immunology Biosciences (HI-Bio™), a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing targeted therapies for patients with severe immune-mediated diseases (IMDs), today announced that three abstracts will be presented at the upcoming American Society of Nephrology's (ASN) Kidney Week 2023 Annual Meeting, taking place November 2-5, 2023 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. This will include an oral presentation of final data from the Phase 2 M-PLACE trial of felzartamab in patients with primary membranous nephropathy (PMN). Abstract Title: Safety and Efficacy of Felzartamab in Primary Membranous Nephropathy (PMN): Final Analysis of the M-PLACE Study [#TH-OR27] Date and Time: November 2, 2023, 5:24 PM – 5:33 PM ET
Session Title: Informational Posters - I
Date and Time: November 2, 2023, 10 AM – 12 PM ET
Date and Time: November 4, 2023, 10 AM – 12 PM ET
Presenter: Donna Flesher, Ph.D., HI-Bio For more information on these and other abstracts, please visit the ASN Kidney Week 2023 website.
Approximately 80% of PMN cases arise due to autoantibodies that recognize the phospholipase A2 receptor (PLA2R) antigen expressed on podocytes. Anti-PLA2R is both a diagnostic and prognostic biomarker, and total aPLA2R antibody level has been shown to be a biomarker for prognosis of outcome in patients with PMN. Other autoantibodies have been identified in patients with PMN including anti-THSD7A, NELL-1 and Sema3B, further supporting the role of antibody-secreting plasma cells in the pathophysiology of PMN. CD38+ long-lived plasma cells and plasmablasts are a main source of autoantibodies. There are no approved therapies for PMN. The current standard of care comprises off-label use of supportive care measures (e.g., angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitorsangiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors or angiotensin receptor blockers, statins, and diuretics), conventional immunosuppressive treatments (ISTs) (e.g. cyclophosphamide combined with steroids and calcineurin inhibitors) or B-cell depleting agents (e.g. anti-CD20 antibodies). However, these treatments are not effective in all patients, with a significant proportion of patients not achieving remission or relapsing. In addition, conventional immunosuppressive treatments are associated with a high risk of toxicity. Lupus nephritis (LN) is an organ-threatening manifestation of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) affecting nearly 135,000 U.S. patients, with only 30 to 40 percent of all patients achieving a complete renal response with current standard of care. Approximately 35 percent of those who do respond may relapse. A hallmark of lupus, including LN, is the production of high-titer, high affinity, isotype-switched autoantibodies produced by CD38+ plasma cells. In patients with LN, autoantibodies form immune complexes that directly induce disease pathogenesis in the kidney through activation of the complement cascade and initiate a feed-forward loop to further drive inflammation through the production of Type I interferons (IFN) and other pro-inflammatory cytokines. Plasmablasts and plasma cells express very high levels of CD38, making CD38 a compelling target for depletion of pathogenic autoantibody-producing cells in patients with SLE, including LN. In patients with SLE, CD38 expression is also induced on plasmacytoid Dendritic Cells (pDCs), the primary cellular source of Type I IFN production that perpetuates SLE pathogenesis. Felzartamab is an investigational therapeutic human monoclonal antibody directed against CD38, a protein expressed on mature plasma cells. By targeting CD38, felzartamab has the potential to deplete CD38+ plasma cells while leaving other functionally important plasma cells intact, which may ultimately improve clinical outcomes in a broad range of autoantibody driven diseases. Felzartamab is an investigational drug that has not yet been approved by any regulatory authorities. Human Immunology Biosciences, Inc. (HI-Bio™) is a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on discovering and developing precision medicines for people suffering from immune-mediated diseases (IMDs). HI-Bio is leading clinical immunology into its next chapter by targeting cellular drivers of disease. To learn more about HI-Bio, visit us at www.hibio.com or follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter.