Celgene Announces Positive Phase 3 Study Results for MS Drug Ozanimod

Celgene Corporation announced that its phase III SUNBEAM trial, evaluating the efficacy and safety of ozanimod, an investigational oral, selective S1P 1 and 5 receptor modulator, in patients with relapsing multiple sclerosis (RMS), met the primary endpoint in reducing annualized relapse rate (ARR), compared to weekly interferon (IFN) β-1a (Avonex®).

SUNBEAM evaluated two orally administered treatment doses (0.5 mg and 1 mg) of ozanimod, with patients treated for at least one year. The randomized phase III trial enrolled 1,346 RMS patients in 20 countries.

Top-line data show that both the ozanimod 1 mg and 0.5 mg treatment arms demonstrated statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvements compared to Avonex® for the primary endpoint of ARR and the measured secondary endpoints of the number of gadolinium-enhancing MRI lesions and the number of new or enlarging T2 MRI lesions at month 12. As agreed to in the Special Protocol Assessment (SPA) with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, a pre-specified analysis on the time to onset of disability progression will be conducted using pooled results from both the SUNBEAM and RADIANCE phase III trials.

The overall safety and tolerability profile was consistent with results from previously reported phase II RMS (RADIANCE) and phase II ulcerative colitis (TOUCHSTONE) trials.

“The safety and efficacy results from SUNBEAM are consistent with the long-term results from the phase II trial (RADIANCE). These data add to the growing body of evidence supporting the use of ozanimod as a disease modifying therapy for relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis,” said Bruce Cree, Associate Professor of Neurology, Multiple Sclerosis Center, Department of Neurology, University of California San Francisco. “We look forward to the continued study of ozanimod as well as presentation of the full results of the phase III trial at an upcoming international scientific meeting.”

“People living with multiple sclerosis need additional therapies and we are pleased that oral ozanimod showed meaningful improvements across primary and measured secondary endpoints in this study,” said Scott Smith, President of Celgene Inflammation and Immunology. “We look forward to data from the confirmatory phase III RADIANCE trial in the second quarter as we advance toward planned regulatory submissions by year-end.”

About SUNBEAM

SUNBEAM is a phase III multicenter, randomized, double-blind, double-dummy, active-controlled study assessing the efficacy, safety and tolerability of two orally administered doses of ozanimod (0.5 mg and 1 mg) against weekly intramuscular interferon beta-1a (Avonex®) over a minimum of a 12-month treatment period. The study included 1,346 RMS patients across 152 sites in 20 countries.

The primary endpoint of the active comparator trial is ARR during the treatment period. The measured secondary endpoints are: the number of new or enlarging hyperintense T2-weighted brain MRI lesions over 12 months and the number of GdE brain MRI lesions at month 12. The time to onset of disability progression as defined by a sustained worsening in EDSS of 1.0 points or more, confirmed after 3 months and 6 months, will be analyzed as part of a pre-specified pooled analysis of SUNBEAM and RADIANCE data.