Celltrion showcases promising results in phase III study for CT-P47, a biosimilar candidate of RoActemra® (tocilizumab) in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) at EULAR 2024

• CT-P47 was highly similar in terms of efficacy and safety to the reference product RoActemra^® (tocilizumab) for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) up to week 32¹
• High usability of the CT-P47 autoinjector (AI) was observed in RA patients, offering greater flexibility and an alternative treatment option

INCHEON, South Korea–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Celltrion today presented positive Phase III data for CT-P47, a biosimilar candidate referencing RoActemra^® in patients with moderate-to-severe rheumatoid arthritis (RA), at the Annual European Congress of Rheumatology (EULAR) 2024. Data from the Phase III comparative clinical trial demonstrated that the investigational biosimilar candidate, CT-P47, has an equivalent efficacy, and comparable safety and immunogenicity profile to the reference tocilizumab product.

The Phase III study randomised 471 patients with moderate to severe RA to receive either CT-P47 or reference tocilizumab every 4 weeks at a dose of 8 mg/kg for the first 20 weeks. Prior to dosing at week 24, patients receiving tocilizumab were re-randomised either to continue with reference tocilizumab or undergo transition to CT-P47 up to week 48.

The primary endpoint was disease activity score 28 (DAS28) erythrocyte segmentation rate (ESR), improvement at weeks 12 and 24. The estimated differences between the two groups were -0.01 at week 12 and -0.1 at week 24, and the confidence intervals of the difference were entirely within the pre-defined equivalence margins at both timepoints (95% CI: -0.26 to 0.24 at week 12 and 90% CI: -0.30 to 0.10 at week 24). The treatment groups were highly similar in terms of mean serum concentration up to week 32, incidence of treatment emergent adverse events and anti-drug antibody positivity, demonstrating comparable pharmacokinetics, safety and immunogenicity.

“Biosimilars provide an opportunity to address unmet medical needs by expanding access to high-quality biologic medicines. The positive top-line results from the Phase III study supports the biosimilarity of CT-P47 to reference tocilizumab, and also provide clinical evidence for the possibility of switching from reference tocilizumab to CT-P47,” said Dr. Josef S. Smolen, Emeritus Professor of Medicine at the Medical University of Vienna, Austria.

In addition, a Phase I/III study compared pharmacokinetic (PK) similarity between the CT-P47 autoinjector (AI) and the pre-filled syringe (PFS) and evaluated the usability of the CT-P47 AI.² The study showed PK similarity of the CT-P47 AI and the PFS in healthy subjects. In addition, higher usability of the CT-P47 AI was observed compared to the PFS in RA patients. The CT-P47 AI was well tolerated, and no new safety signals were found in the study.

“We believe that administration of CT-P47 via an autoinjector presents an alternative delivery option to a pre-filled syringe in clinical practice and aims to improve treatment compliance,” said Taehun Ha, Vice President and Head of Europe Division at Celltrion. “The availability of tocilizumab biosimilars such as CT-P47 represents a great opportunity to reduce treatment costs, contributing to health-care budget sustainability, improved patient access, and lower disease burden. At Celltrion, we are always expanding our biosimilars portfolio for immunology, and we remain committed to improving the quality of patients’ lives and the sustainability of healthcare systems whilst increasing physician choice and patient access to biologics.”

About rheumatoid arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic inflammatory disease that causes pain, swelling and stiffness in joints.³ Approximately 1% of the population worldwide suffer from RA⁴, however, the cause remains unknown. Symptoms of RA develop due to immune system dysfunction, causing immune cells to attack healthy cells, but it is currently unknown why the immune system behaves in this way. Although there’s no cure for RA, early treatment such as disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs) and biological treatments can reduce the risk of joint damage and limit the impact of the condition.⁵

About CT-P47 (biosimilar tocilizumab)

CT-P47, containing the active ingredient tocilizumab, is a recombinant humanised monoclonal antibody that acts as an interleukin 6 (IL-6) receptor antagonist. Based on data from the global Phase III clinical trial, designed to evaluate the efficacy, pharmacokinetics (PK), safety, and immunogenicity of CT-P47 compared to the reference product RoActemra^®, CT-P47 was filed for regulatory approval with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and European Medicines Agency (EMA) in January and February 2024 respectively.

About Celltrion

Celltrion is a leading biopharmaceutical company based in Incheon, South Korea that specialises in researching, developing, manufacturing, marketing and sales of innovative therapeutics that improve people’s lives worldwide. The company’s solutions include world-class monoclonal antibody biosimilars such as Remsima^®, Truxima^®, Herzuma^®, Yuflyma^®, and Vegzelma^®, and novel therapeutics such as Remsima^® SC (US brand name Zymfentra^®) providing broader patient access globally. To learn more, please visit www.celltrion.com/en-us.

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Trademark

RoActemra^® is a registered trademark of Chugai Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., a member of the Roche Group.

References

¹ Josef S. Smolen et al., Similar Efficacy, Safety, and Immunogenicity of Tocilizumab Biosimilar (CT-P47) and Reference Tocilizumab in Patients with Moderate–to Severe Active Rheumatoid Arthritis: Week 32 Results from the Phase 3 Single Transition Study. Poster (POS0610). Presented at EULAR 2024.

² Edward Keystone et al., Pharmacokinetics, Usability and safety of Tocilizumab Biosimilar (CT-P47) administered subcutaneously by auto-injector or pre-filled syringe. Poster (POS0634). Presented at EULAR 2024.

³ Arthritis Research UK. Rheumatoid arthritis. Available at https://www.versusarthritis.org/about-arthritis/conditions/rheumatoid-arthritis.

⁴ Allan Gibofsky. Overview of Epidemiology, Pathophysiology, and Diagnosis of Rheumatoid Arthritis. American Journal of Managed Care. 2012;18:S295-302.

⁵ Arthritis Foundation. Rheumatoid Arthritis. Available at https://www.arthritis.org/about-arthritis/types/rheumatoid-arthritis/ [Last accessed June 2024]. NHS UK. Treatment Available at https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/rheumatoid-arthritis/treatment/.

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