Objective and design The aim of this double-blind, placebo-controlled, phase III CORONA clinical trial was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of IL-6 receptor inhibitor levilimab (LVL) in subjects with severe COVID-19. Subjects The study included 217 patients. The eligible were men and non-pregnant women aged 18 years or older, hospitalized for severe COVID-19 pneumonia. Treatment 206 subjects were randomized (1:1) to receive single subcutaneous administration of LVL 324 mg or placebo, both in combination with standard of care (SOC). 204 patients received allocated therapy. After the LVL/placebo administration in case of deterioration of symptoms, the investigator could perform a single open-label LVL 324 mg administration as the rescue therapy. Methods The primary efficacy endpoint was the proportion of patients with sustained clinical improvement on the 7-category ordinal scale on Day 14. All efficacy data obtained after rescue therapy administration were considered missing. For primary efficacy analysis, all subjects with missing data were considered non-responders. Results 63.1% and 42.7% of patients in the LVL and in the placebo groups, respectively, achieved sustained clinical improvement on Day 14 (P = .0017). The frequency of adverse drug reactions was comparable between the groups. Conclusion In patients with radiologically confirmed SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia, requiring or not oxygen therapy (but not ventilation) with no signs of other active infection administration of LVL + SOC results in an increase of sustained clinical improvement rate. Trail registration The trial is registered at the US National Institutes of Health (ClinicalTrials.gov; NCT04397562).

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Netakimab (NTK) is a humanized anti-interleukin-17А (IL-17A) monoclonal antibody approved for the treatment of psoriatic arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, moderate to severe psoriasis. Here, we present the results of the 24-weeks double blind period of the PATERA study.Objective. The objective of the study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of NTK compared to placebo in patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA).Patients and methods. 194 patients with active PsA with an inadequate response to previous therapy with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, conventional or biologic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs, were randomized in a 1:1 ratio to receive subcutaneous 120 mg NTK or placebo at weeks 0, 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 14, 18, 22. At week 16 ACR20 (20% improvement in the American College of Rheumatology response criteria) non-responders in placebo group were reassigned to NTK in a blinded manner. The primary endpoint was the proportion of patients achieved ACR20 response at week 24.Results. 82,5% of patients in the NTK group and 9.3% of patients in the placebo group achieved ACR20 at week 24 with the 95% CI [0,63; 0,84] (p < 0,0001). Skin manifestations and axial disease significantly improved with NTK. The safety profile of NTK was comparable to placebo. The most frequent treatment-related AEs were expected and common for all other IL-17 inhibitors: increased alanine aminotransferase (ALT), infections, lymphopenia.Conclusion. NTK in the dose of 120 mg has superior efficacy over placebo in patients with active psoriatic arthritis. The safety profile is consistent with other IL-17 inhibitors.

Netakimab (NTK) is a humanized anti-interleukin-17A monoclonal antibody. To date, the drug has been approved to treat ankylosing spondylitis (AS), psoriatic arthritis, and plaque psoriasis. The paper gives the data obtained during 52-week follow-up of AS patients in the phase III ASTERA study.Objective: to study the efficacy and safety of NTK when used long in patients with active AS.Patients and methods. The investigation enrolled 228 patients with active AS, in whom nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or biological agents were ineffective. The patients were randomized in a 1:1 ratio to receive NTK 120 mg or placebo. The drug was administered subcutaneously at weeks 0, 1, 2, and then once every 2 weeks. Patients who received placebo and achieved a 20% improvement according to the ASAS criteria (ASAS20) were excluded from the study at week 16. At this week, patients who took placebo and did not achieve an ASAS20 response were switched to subcutaneous NTK at 120 mg dose once every two weeks. The follow-up period was 52 weeks.Results and discussion. Patients with active AS who received NTK were more likely to respond to treatment than those who took placebo. The proportion of people who achieved 40% improvement (ASAS40) during treatment with NTK increased throughout the follow-up period and amounted to 80.7% at week 52. Positive changes were achieved in all used clinical and laboratory parameters of AS activity. There was also a decrease in inflammatory changes, as shown by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The adverse events (AEs) were mainly laboratory abnormalities and upper respiratory tract infections. Treatment-related AEs were recorded in no more than one third of patients and they were mild to moderate. Severe AEs were singular.Conclusion. Response to NTK therapy generates in the first weeks of drug use and increases throughout a year. The safety profile of NTK when used long is generally favorable.