Safety and Efficacy of VAY736 in Patients With Primary Sjogren's Syndrome (pSS)

This was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicenter, parallel-group trial that was divided into 4 study periods. Period 1: A screening period of 4 weeks to assess patient eligibility. Patients could be re-screened only once, and no study-related re-screening procedure could be performed prior to written re-consent by the patient. Period 2: A blinded treatment period of 24 weeks. At baseline, eligible patients were randomized to one of three ianalumab dose arms (VAY736 5 mg, 50 mg or 300 mg s.c.) or a placebo arm (placebo s.c.). Blinded study drug was administered every four weeks (q4w) for a 24-week period. Except for Japan, randomization was stratified by baseline ESSDAI score (\<10 or ≥10 based on weighted scores). Separate blocks of randomization numbers were generated for patients in Japan versus the other countries participating to ensure that Japanese patients were equally distributed across all treatment groups in the study. The primary endpoint was assessed at the end of Period 2 (Week 24). Treatment assignment in Period 2 remained double-blinded until the end of Period 3. Period 3: An extended blinded treatment period of 28 weeks. After Week 24 assessments, patients in the ianalumab 300 mg arm were re-randomized in a 1:1 ratio to either continue on ianalumab 300 mg s.c. q4w or switch to matching placebo up to Week 52. Patients who received placebo during Period 2 were switched to ianalumab 150 mg s.c q4w up to Week 52. Patients who received 5 mg and 50 mg s.c. in Period 2 proceeded directly to safety follow-up (Period 4). Treatment assignment in Period 3 remained double-blinded. Period 4: A post-treatment safety follow-up period. Patients who prematurely discontinued the study treatment at any time point or completed the treatment as planned entered the safety follow-up period. The minimum required duration of follow-up in the study was 20 weeks from the last administration of the study treatment (mandatory follow-up). The maximum duration of the follow-up was 2 years from the last dose of the study treatment, and it was defined by the level of recovery of CD19+ B-cells: conditional follow up (with reduced visit frequency) until CD19+ B-cell levels return to at least 80% of baseline or 50 cells/µL, whichever occurred first. Patients who had not yet recovered their B-cell counts two years after last ianalumab dosing were discharged from the study and had undergone their End of Study (EoS) visit. Patients who were treated with another immunomodulatory or immunosuppressive treatment (e.g., azathioprine, cyclophosphamide, high dose glucocorticosteroids) after completion of the minimum 20-week safety follow-up period were excluded from further safety follow-up.