| Literature DB >> 32117274 |
David Baker1, Liaqat Ali1,2, Gauri Saxena1, Gareth Pryce1, Meleri Jones1, Klaus Schmierer1,3, Gavin Giovannoni1,3, Sharmilee Gnanapavan1,3, Kathleen C Munger4, Lawrence Samkoff4, Andrew Goodman4, Angray S Kang1,5.
Abstract
Alemtuzumab was designed to reduce the immunogenicity of the parent CD52-specific rat immunoglobulin. Although originally marketed for use in cancer (Mabcampath®), alemtuzumab is currently licensed and formulated for the treatment of relapsing multiple sclerosis (Lemtrada®). Perhaps due to its history as the first humanized antibody, the potential of immunogenicity of the molecule has been considered inconsequential, and anti-drug antibodies (ADA) responses were similarly reported as being clinically insignificant. Nonetheless, despite humanization and depletion of peripheral T and B cells, alemtuzumab probably generates the highest frequency of binding and neutralizing ADA of all humanized antibodies currently in clinical use, and they occur rapidly in a large majority of people with MS (pwMS) on alemtuzumab treatment. These ADA appear to be an inherent issue of the biology of the molecule-and more importantly, the target-such that avoidance of immunogenicity-related effects has been facilitated by the dosing schedule used in clinical practice. At the population level this enables the drug to work in most pwMS, but in some individuals, as we show here, antibody neutralization appears to be sufficiently severe to reduce efficacy and allow disease breakthrough. It is therefore imperative that efficacy of lymphocyte depletion and the anti-drug response is monitored in people requiring additional cycles of treatment, notably following disease breakthrough. This may help inform whether to re-treat or to switch to another disease-modifying treatment.Entities:
Keywords: CD52; anti-drug antibodies; humanized; immunogenicity; immunoglobulin; multiple sclerosis; neutralizing antibodies
Mesh:
Substances:
Year: 2020 PMID: 32117274 PMCID: PMC7034358 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2020.00124
Source DB: PubMed Journal: Front Immunol ISSN: 1664-3224 Impact factor: 7.561
Alemtuzumab dosing schedule can limit anti-drug antibody activity.
| ADA develop in most pwMS. | Primary antibody response usually takes at least 6 days to generate#, | |
| ADA develop in most pwMS. | Secondary antibody responses often take 3–4 days to generate#. | |
| ADA slowly subside with time. | Repeat dosing during high titers of BAbs and NAbs avoided. | |
| ADA may become more persistentPre-cycle 3. BAbs 75% NAbs 31% | ADA levels wane before next cycle. | |
| Reduction of infusion reactions/cytokine release syndrome. |
Dosing schedule of alemtuzumab
(5), the occurrence of anti-drug antibodies (ADA), binding (BAbs), and neutralizing (NAbs) and adverse effects in people with multiple sclerosis (pwMS) following the treatment cycles in the pivotal CARE-MS I and II trials
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A high frequency of anti-drug antibodies develops following alemtuzumab treatment in people with MS.
| Rituximab | CD20 | 1,000 mg Q26W | BAbs 24–37% | ( |
| Ocrelizumab | CD20 | 600 mg Q26W | BAbs 0.4%, NAbs <0.1% | ( |
| Natalizumab | CD49d | 300 mg Q4W | BAbs 5–9% | ( |
| Alemtuzumab | CD52 | 36–60 mg Q52W | BAbs 85%, NAbs 78% | ( |
Reported frequency of anti-drug antibody (ADA) responses to various disease-modifying therapies (infusion dose and frequency are shown) during the first 2 years of use in major clinical trials for multiple sclerosis.
Figure 1Expression profile of CD52 antigen on leucocytes. Gene expression of CD52 antigen in various cell types assessed using microarray. Data was extracted from the BioGPS portal [www.biogps.org] (30–32) using normalized data from the Primary Cell Atlas (http://biogps.org/dataset/2429/primary-cell-atlas/) (33) and the CD52 probe (34210_at) in Affymetrix Human Genome U133 Plus 2.0 expression arrays (33). The results represent the mean ± SD relative gene expression (arbitrary units) from 2 to 5 replicates. Polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMN).
Figure 2High-titer binding and neutralizing ADA may limit CD4 T cell depletion. People in the CARE-MS extension study received three cycles of alemtuzumab. The results compare the pre-dose binding and neutralization ADA titer, expressed as the lowest to highest quartile and the post-dose absolute number of peripheral CD4 T blood cells over time. The diagram was adapted from data presented in Jacobs et al. (14). The data for the highest quartile was described as “limited and non-significant.” Poster available. https://onlinelibrary.ectrims-congress.eu/ectrims/2018/ectrims-2018/228455/alan.jacobs.minimal.impact.of.anti-alemtuzumab.antibodies.on.the.html (accessed 5th December 2019). Reproduced with permission from L. Chung and Genzyme.
Figure 3Loss of lymphocyte-depleting function after three alemtuzumab cycles. Lymphocyte depletion following alemtuzumab treatment in people that switched to fingolimod. Evidence for loss of function after two or more cycles. Although the clinical course is not shown, additional treatments after two cycles or switching to another treat in an indicator for disease breakthrough in the form of new relapses or magnetic resonance imaging. Poster available http://www.empireneuro.org/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderfiles/ean2015poster.pdf (accessed 5th December 2019). Reproduced with permission from Genzyme and D. J. Arnold.
Figure 4Alemtuzumab neutralizing antibodies develop in a person failing treatment. (A) Lymphocyte (lower limit of normal is shown by a dashed line) and CD4 T cell levels were assessed in a person with clinically-definite multiple sclerosis who received the standard 12 mg/day dosing of alemtuzumab at 12-month intervals. Following detection of an active spinal cord lesion, detected by T1 gadolinium (Gd+) enhanced magnetic resonance imaging, an additional alemtuzumab infusion cycle was given. Lymphocyte deletion was limited. A magnetic resonance imaging scan subsequently detected 17 brain and 7 spinal cord gadolinium enhancing lesions, and prompted intravenous methyl prednisolone and plasma exchange, followed by an oral steroid taper. A serum sample (collected during routine sampling) following five cycles of plasma exchange was used following informed written consent and approval given for publication, consistent with institutional guidelines. These were assayed to conform with United Kingdom regulations. (B) Binding (Saxena et al., in press) and (C) neutralizing ADA (Ali et al., in press) levels taken prior to 1000mg rituximab therapy, which was given at 2-week intervals.