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Summary Background Tralokinumab, a fully human monoclonal antibody, specifically neutralizes interleukin‐13, a key cytokine driving peripheral inflammation in atopic dermatitis (AD). In phase II studies, tralokinumab combined with topical corticosteroids provided early and sustained improvements in AD signs and symptoms. Objectives To evaluate the efficacy and safety of tralokinumab monotherapy in adults with moderate‐to‐severe AD who had an inadequate response to topical treatments. Methods In two 52‐week, randomized, double‐blind, placebo‐controlled, phase III trials, ECZTRA 1 and ECZTRA 2, adults with moderate‐to‐severe AD were randomized (3 : 1) to subcutaneous tralokinumab 300 mg every 2 weeks (Q2W) or placebo. Primary endpoints were Investigator’s Global Assessment (IGA) score of 0 or 1 at week 16 and ≥ 75% improvement in Eczema Area and Severity Index (EASI 75) at week 16. Patients achieving an IGA score of 0 or 1 and/or EASI 75 with tralokinumab at week 16 were rerandomized to tralokinumab Q2W or every 4 weeks or placebo, for 36 weeks. The trials were registered with ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT03131648 and NCT03160885. Results At week 16, more patients who received tralokinumab vs. placebo achieved an IGA score of 0 or 1: 15·8% vs. 7·1% in ECZTRA 1 [difference 8·6%, 95% confidence interval (CI) 4·1–13·1; P = 0·002] and 22·2% vs. 10·9% in ECZTRA 2 (11·1%, 95% CI 5·8–16·4; P, What is already known about this topic? Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic interleukin (IL)‐13‐mediated disease.There is a need for safe and effective long‐term treatment options for AD.Tralokinumab is a fully human monoclonal antibody that binds specifically to IL‐13 with high affinity, thereby preventing receptor interaction and subsequent downstream signalling.Tralokinumab combined with topical corticosteroids showed early and sustained efficacy and safety in a 12‐week, phase IIb trial in moderate‐to‐severe AD. What does this study add? These are the first pivotal phase III trials demonstrating that by specifically targeting IL‐13 alone, patients can achieve significant improvements in AD signs and symptoms and quality of life, and maintain these improvements over time without the requirement for topical corticosteroids.These trials provide evidence that tralokinumab offers a long‐term, well‐tolerated treatment option for patients with moderate‐to‐severe AD. Linked Comment: Morra and Drucker. Br J Dermatol 2021; 184:386–387. Plain language summary available online

Tralokinumab (Adtralza®) is a human IgG4 monoclonal antibody being developed by LEO Pharma for the treatment of atopic dermatitis. The T-helper cytokine IL-13 is thought to play a key role in the pathogenesis of atopic dermatitis. Tralokinumab specifically binds with high affinity to IL-13, inhibiting its interaction with the IL-13 receptor and thereby neutralising the biological activity of the cytokine. Based on results from the ECZTRA 1-3 trials, tralokinumab has recently been approved in the EU for the treatment of moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis in adult patients who are candidates for systemic therapy. This article summarizes the milestones in the development of tralokinumab leading to this first approval for atopic dermatitis. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s40265-021-01583-1.

Limited treatment options are available for adolescents with moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis (AD). Tralokinumab is a high-affinity, fully human monoclonal antibody that specifically neutralizes interleukin-13, a key driver of inflammation in AD. In the phase III ECZTRA 6 trial (NCT03526861), tralokinumab 150 or 300 mg monotherapy every 2 weeks (Q2W) was effective and well tolerated in paediatric patients aged 12–17 years, and tralokinumab 300 mg was recently approved in Europe for the treatment of adolescents with moderate-to-severe AD. To report the efficacy and safety of tralokinumab 300 mg in adolescents with AD over the entire 52-week ECZTRA 6 study period. Patients were randomized to tralokinumab 300 mg Q2W (n = 97) or placebo (n = 94) for 16 weeks. At week 16, patients were initiated on tralokinumab and achieved the primary endpoints (Investigator’s Global Assessment [IGA] 0/1 and/or Eczema Area and Severity Index [EASI]-75), without the use of rescue treatment (topical/systemic AD therapy), were re-randomized to tralokinumab 300 mg Q2W/Q4W monotherapy for 36 additional weeks. During this blinded maintenance period, patients exhibiting a pre-defined relapse relative to their week 16 response were transferred to the open-label arm and treatment with tralokinumab 300 mg Q2W plus optional topical calcineurin inhibitors (TCIs) or topical corticosteroids (TCSs). Patients not achieving the primary endpoints were transferred to the open-label arm at week 16. A pre-specified treatment policy approach for the analyses was adopted using observed data, regardless of rescue medication and treatment discontinuation, to better reflect real-world treatment scenarios. Missing data were imputed using multiple imputations. Treatment differences for the binary endpoints were analysed using the Cochran-Mantel-Haenszel method stratified by region, and baseline IGA. Continuous endpoints were analysed using analysis of covariance accounting for the treatment, region, baseline IGA and baseline outcome value. Post-hoc analyses were conducted by pooling week 16–52 data for all patients initially randomized to tralokinumab 300 mg Q2W, irrespective of the response achieved at week 16, the dosing regimen received beyond week 16, or whether discontinuing treatment before week 16. At week 16, greater proportions of tralokinumab-treated patients (300 mg Q2W vs. placebo) achieved EASI-75 (38.4% vs. 23.5%; difference 15.4% [standard error, SE 6.53%]; P = 0.0186) and EASI-90 (23.9% vs. 10.4%, difference 13.6% [SE 5.55%]; P = 0.0142). Pooling all patients initially randomized to tralokinumab 300 mg Q2W and subsequently continuing on Q2W/Q4W monotherapy or Q2W plus optional TCI/TCS, response rates increased to 68.8% (EASI-75) and 42.8% (EASI-90) at week 52. Similarly, mean [SE] EASI and SCORing AD (SCORAD) improved with tralokinumab vs. placebo (EASI: 59.62% [4.36%] vs. 37.90% [5.16%]; P = 0.0006 and SCORAD: 43.72% [3.13%] vs. 24.91% [3.31%]; P < 0.0001) at week 16, with further improvement to 77.95% [2.96%] and 60.77% [2.81%] at week 52, respectively. Cumulative proportions of patients using concomitant TCI/TCS as rescue therapy during the first 16 weeks were lower with tralokinumab (29.9%) vs. placebo (54.3%). Over 52 weeks, the cumulative proportion of tralokinumab-treated patients using TCI/TCS increased to 47.4%, as TCI/TCS was permitted as optional concomitant medication in the open-label arm. Through week 16, proportions of patients with ≥1 adverse event (AE) were (tralokinumab 300 mg vs. placebo) 64.9 vs. 61.7%; ≥1 serious AE, 1.0 vs. 5.3%; AEs leading to discontinuation, 0% vs. 0%. The number of patients with conjunctivitis (incl. bacterial and allergic) was low (3.1% vs. 2.1%). The safety profile of tralokinumab 300 mg through week 52 was consistent with that at week 16. At week 16, tralokinumab 300 mg improved the extent and severity of AD compared with a placebo in adolescent patients with moderate-to-severe AD. Response rates progressively improved with continued tralokinumab plus optional TCS/TCI. Tralokinumab was well tolerated with a reassuring long-term safety profile over 52 weeks.

In the monotherapy phase 3 trial (ECZTRA 6, NCT03526861) in adolescents with moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis (AD) treated with tralokinumab, IGA of clear/almost clear skin (IGA 0/1) at week 16 was a primary endpoint. IGA 0/1 can be a high standard to achieve for patients with moderate-to-severe AD and may not fully reflect achievement of other clinically meaningful parameters, such as improvement in signs, symptoms and/or quality-of-life (QoL). To assess the impact of tralokinumab (150 or 300 mg) vs. placebo on other clinically meaningful parameters at week 16 in the subset of patients who did not achieve IGA 0/1 at week 16 and/or used rescue medication. Adolescents (12–17 years) were randomized to subcutaneous tralokinumab 150 or 300 mg, or placebo, every 2 weeks. Patients who did not achieve IGA 0/1 at week 16 and/or utilized rescue therapy were included in this post-hoc analysis. Non-responder imputation was used for patients who utilized rescue therapy or had missing data. Clinically meaningful responses were defined as EASI-50, ≥ 3-point improvement in pruritus NRS, or ≥6-point improvement in CDLQI. At week 16, 78.6% and 82.5% of tralokinumab-treated patients (150 mg/300 mg) vs. 95.7% (placebo) exhibited IGA > 1 and/or used rescue therapy. 36.4% (150 mg) and 52.5% (300 mg) of patients with IGA > 1 in the tralokinumab arms, compared to 21.1% (placebo), achieved clinically meaningful responses in at least one measure: EASI-50, pruritus NRS, or CDLQI. Greater proportions of tralokinumab-treated patients (150/300 mg vs. placebo) achieved EASI-50 (31.2%/41.3% vs. 10.0%) and ≥3-point improvement in pruritus NRS (21.6%/22.8% vs. 8.0%). A greater proportion of tralokinumab 300 mg patients vs. placebo (35.2% vs. 15.0%) achieved ≥6-point improvement in CDLQI. Many tralokinumab-treated adolescents who did not achieve IGA 0/1 at week 16 and/or used rescue therapy still achieved clinically meaningful improvements in AD signs, symptoms, and/or QoL.

As atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic and potentially life-long disease, it is important to determine the long-term safety of new treatments. Tralokinumab, which specifically targets interleukin-13, is approved in Europe, Canada and the United States for the treatment of adults with moderate-to-severe AD. During the initial 12–16 week placebo-controlled treatment period of Phase 2 and 3 trials, tralokinumab was well-tolerated with an overall frequency of adverse events (AEs) similar to the placebo. An ongoing open-label extension trial, ECZTEND (NCT03587805), is assessing the safety and efficacy of tralokinumab up to 5 years after parent trials (PT). To report an interim safety analysis of patients treated with tralokinumab for up to 42 months (≤ 1 year in PT and ≤ 2.5 years in the open-label extension ECZTEND), including AEs of special interest (AESI). In ECZTEND, moderate-to-severe AD patients who completed the previous tralokinumab PT received subcutaneous tralokinumab 300 mg every 2 weeks after a 600 mg loading dose; topical corticosteroid use was optional. All AEs were recorded, coded, and classified by severity, causality and outcome. AESIs were predefined in PT based on areas of safety interest for monoclonal antibodies in AD, including eye disorders (e.g. conjunctivitis), skin infections requiring systemic treatment, eczema herpeticum and malignancies diagnosed after dosing. Event rates are presented as the number of events (nE) per 100 patient-years of exposure (PYE). All AEs described were treatment-emergent AEs, defined as AEs reported after the first dosing of the study drug. As of 30 April 2021, the interim safety analysis included 1442 patients from the PT ECZTRA 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 7 who had received ≥1 dose of tralokinumab in ECZTEND, with 121.0 weeks mean exposure time on tralokinumab [median 131.5 weeks (IQR 83.4–161.8); min 0.0, max 186.4 weeks]. Total exposure time in ECZTEND was 2446.2 PYE. Overall, 1127 patients experienced an AE (198.7 nE/100 PYE), the majority of which were mild (132.6 nE/100 PYE). The most frequently reported AEs (≥5.0% of patients) were the same as in the PT, including viral upper respiratory tract infection (18.2 nE/100 PYE, mainly reported as the common cold), atopic dermatitis (17.9 nE/100 PYE), upper respiratory tract infection (5.8 nE/100 PYE), headache (4.4 nE/100 PYE) and conjunctivitis (3.8 nE/100 PYE). The rates of AEs were generally lower as compared to short-term rates in the PT. Most of the serious AEs (SAEs; 4.9 nE/100 PYE) were reported as single events without clustering on the type. No events of conjunctivitis AEs were SAEs, and only five patients discontinued due to conjunctivitis AEs. AESI eye disorders, skin infections requiring systemic treatment, eczema herpeticum and malignancies were observed at rates similar to or lower than reported in PT. Consistent safety was demonstrated during up to 42 months of tralokinumab treatment in patients with moderate-to-severe AD. Exposure-adjusted incidence rates of AESIs, including eczema herpeticum and skin infections requiring systemic treatment, were generally lower than rates reported during the short-term, placebo-controlled period up to week 16. Exposure-adjusted incidence rates of conjunctivitis were lower with long-term exposure, and only five patients discontinued due to conjunctivitis. This analysis supports the long-term benefit-risk profile of targeted IL-13 inhibition with tralokinumab for patients with moderate-to-severe AD.

Background Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic inflammatory skin disease. Interleukin (IL) 13 is a type 2 cytokine that is key to the inflammation underlying AD. Tralokinumab is a first-in-class, fully human, monoclonal antibody that specifically binds with high affinity to IL-13, neutralizing it in AD. Immunomodulatory treatments may impair vaccine-induced immune responses. Objective Assess the immune responses to standard vaccines in adults with moderate-to-severe AD who are undergoing treatment with tralokinumab. Methods ECZema TRAlokinumab Trial No. 5 (ECZTRA 5; NCT03562377 ) was a phase 2, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial taking place over 30 weeks. Eligible adults were randomized 1:1, with 107 patients receiving tralokinumab 300 mg and 108 patients receiving a placebo every 2 weeks for 16 weeks. All patients received Tdap (tetanus/diphtheria/pertussis) and meningococcal vaccines at week 12. The primary end points were positive antitetanus and antimeningococcal responses between weeks 12 and 16 (noninferiority margin, −25%; responder, >3-fold increase in IgG). Results The noninferiority of tralokinumab versus placebo for immune response to Tdap (91.9% vs 96.1%) and meningococcal (86.0% vs 84.2%) vaccines was demonstrated at week 16. During treatment, the rates of adverse events were lower for tralokinumab than for the placebo, with most events being mild or moderate. Limitations Responses to other vaccines (including influenza) were not examined. Conclusions Treatment with tralokinumab 300 mg every 2 weeks did not affect immune responses to Tdap and meningococcal vaccines. Treatment was well tolerated when administered concomitantly with the vaccines and demonstrated a safety profile comparable to phase 3 trials.

Summary Background Tralokinumab is a fully human monoclonal antibody that specifically neutralizes interleukin‐13, a key driver of atopic dermatitis (AD). Objectives To evaluate the efficacy and safety of tralokinumab in combination with topical corticosteroids (TCS) in patients with moderate‐to‐severe AD who were candidates for systemic therapy. Methods This was a double‐blind, placebo plus TCS controlled phase III trial. Patients were randomized 2 : 1 to subcutaneous tralokinumab 300 mg or placebo every 2 weeks (Q2W) with TCS as needed over 16 weeks. Patients who achieved an Investigator’s Global Assessment (IGA) score of 0/1 and/or 75% improvement in Eczema Area and Severity Index (EASI 75) at week 16 with tralokinumab were rerandomized 1 : 1 to tralokinumab Q2W or every 4 weeks (Q4W), with TCS as needed, for another 16 weeks. Results At week 16, more patients treated with tralokinumab than with placebo achieved IGA 0/1: 38·9% vs. 26·2% [difference (95% confidence interval): 12·4% (2·9–21·9); P = 0·015] and EASI 75: 56·0% vs. 35·7% [20·2% (9·8–30·6); P, What is already known about this topic? Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic interleukin (IL)‐13‐mediated disease.In clinical practice, biologics are commonly initiated as add‐on therapy to topical corticosteroids (TCS).Tralokinumab is a fully human monoclonal antibody that binds specifically to the IL‐13 cytokine with high affinity, thereby preventing receptor interaction and subsequent downstream signalling.Tralokinumab combined with TCS showed early and sustained efficacy and safety in a 12‐week, phase IIb trial in moderate‐to‐severe AD. What does this study add? This is the first phase III trial evaluating a targeted anti‐IL‐13 biologic in combination with TCS.These data demonstrate that tralokinumab plus TCS can achieve significant improvements in AD signs and symptoms and quality of life, as well as exert a steroid‐sparing effect.Response with tralokinumab in combination with TCS was maintained over 32 weeks.Tralokinumab may be considered a targeted biological treatment option for patients with moderate‐to‐severe AD. Linked Comment: Morra and Drucker. Br J Dermatol 2021; 184:386–387. Plain language summary available online

Introduction Tralokinumab is a monoclonal antibody (mAb) that neutralizes interleukin (IL)-13, a cytokine involved in the pathogenesis of asthma. Objective The objectives of this study were to characterize the potential immunogenic properties of tralokinumab and report data for anti-drug antibodies (ADAs) and hypersensitivity reactions from two phase III clinical trials. Methods The oligosaccharide structure of tralokinumab, Fab-arm exchange, and ADAs were characterized by standard techniques. Hypersensitivity adverse events (AEs) were evaluated in two pivotal clinical trials of tralokinumab in severe, uncontrolled asthma: STRATOS 1 and 2 (NCT02161757 and NCT02194699). Results No galactose-α-1,3-galactose (α-Gal) epitopes were found in the Fab region of tralokinumab and only 4.5% of glycoforms contained α-Gal in the Fc region. Under non-reducing conditions, Fab-arm exchange did not take place with another immunoglobulin (Ig) G4 mAb (mavrilimumab). However, following glutathione reduction, a hybrid antibody with monovalent bioactivity was detected. ADA incidences (titers) were as follows: STRATOS 1—every 2 weeks (Q2 W) 0.8% (26.0), every 4 weeks (Q4 W) 0.5% (26.0), placebo 0.8% (52.0); STRATOS 2—Q2 W 1.2% (39.0), placebo 0.8% (13.0). Participant-reported hypersensitivity AE rates were as follows: STRATOS 1—Q2 W 25.9%, Q4 W 25.0%, placebo 25.5%; STRATOS 2—Q2 W 13.2%, placebo 9.0%. External evaluation for anaphylaxis by Sampson criteria found no tralokinumab-related severe hypersensitivity or anaphylaxis reactions. Conclusion Preclinical assessments suggested a low likelihood of immunogenicity for tralokinumab. In STRATOS 1 and 2, ADA incidence was low, no differences were found between tralokinumab-treated and placebo groups in reporting of hypersensitivity reactions, and there were no Sampson criteria-evaluated anaphylaxis events with tralokinumab treatment. Together, the results suggest that tralokinumab treatment would not increase the risk for severe hypersensitivity or anaphylactic reactions. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1007/s40264-018-00788-w) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.