Gilead Sciences Inc. (GILD) and Galapagos NV (GLPG) said that the randomized, placebo-controlled Phase 2 TORTUGA study of filgotinib, an investigational, selective JAK1 inhibitor, achieved its primary efficacy endpoint in adults with moderately to severely active ankylosing spondylitis.
In the study, patients treated with filgotinib achieved significantly greater improvements in AS Disease Activity Score (ASDAS), the primary endpoint, at Week 12, with a mean change from baseline of -1.5 versus -0.6 for those treated with placebo (p<0.0001). More patients receiving filgotinib also achieved an ASAS20 response compared to those treated with placebo (76 percent versus 40 percent, p<0.0001).
Adverse events were generally mild or moderate in severity and were reported in an equal proportion of patients in the filgotinib and placebo groups. Laboratory changes were consistent with those previously reported for filgotinib, and no new safety signals were observed in the study. There was one treatment-emergent serious adverse event reported for a patient receiving filgotinib who experienced pneumonia and recovered after hospital-based antibiotic treatment.
One patient randomized to filgotinib, with an inherited risk for thrombosis, experienced a non-serious deep venous thrombosis after completing the course of study drug. No deaths, malignancies, hepatic events, opportunistic infections or cases of Herpes zoster were observed in the study.
