Benzinga | Jan 7, 2022 01:05PM EST

BioCryst Reports Began Patient Enrollment In REDEEM-1 Trial Evaluating BCX9930 As Oral Monotherapy For Patients With Paroxysmal Nocturnal Hemoglobinuria

BioCryst Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:BCRX) today announced the enrollment of the first patient in the REDEEM-1 pivotal trial with its oral Factor D inhibitor, BCX9930, in patients with paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH).

REDEEM-1 is a randomized, open-label, active comparator-controlled comparison of the efficacy and safety of BCX9930 (500 mg bid) monotherapy in approximately 81 PNH patients with an inadequate response to a C5 inhibitor. In part 1 of this trial, patients who have not had an adequate response to a C5 inhibitor will be randomized 2:1 to discontinue their C5 inhibitor and receive BCX9930 as monotherapy or to continue receiving their C5 inhibitor for 24 weeks. All patients will receive BCX9930 in part 2 (weeks 25-52) to assess the long-term safety, tolerability and effectiveness of BCX9930. Patients who are randomized to C5 inhibitor therapy in part 1 will discontinue that therapy at the week 24 visit and start BCX9930 for part 2. The primary endpoint of REDEEM-1 is change from baseline in hemoglobin, as assessed at weeks 12 to 24.

"On the heels of recently beginning enrollment in our REDEEM-2 pivotal trial, today's announcement marks another important milestone as we advance BCX9930 closer to registration for patients living with PNH," said Dr. William Sheridan, chief medical officer of BioCryst. "Given the unmet need patients have related to the current standard of care, we aim to demonstrate in the REDEEM-1 pivotal trial the potential of BCX9930 as an oral monotherapy that could represent significant improvement for patients compared to their experiences with C5 inhibitor therapies."

In a dose-ranging trial of BCX9930 in C5 inadequate response patients, the company previously reported that BCX9930 (at doses of 400 mg or 500 mg bid) increased hemoglobin from baseline by a mean of 2.7 g/dL through weeks 12 to 24 with 80 percent of patients being transfusion-free over the same period. BCX9930 was safe and generally well-tolerated in the trial.

BioCryst recently announced it had begun enrolling patients in the REDEEM-2 pivotal trial, a randomized, placebo-controlled trial to evaluate the efficacy and safety of BCX9930 (500 mg bid) as monotherapy versus placebo in approximately 57 PNH patients not currently receiving complement inhibitor therapy. Additionally, the company is initiating a proof-of-concept trial of BCX9930 in renal complement-mediated diseases including C3 glomerulopathy (C3G), IgA nephropathy (IgAN) and primary membranous nephropathy (PMN).

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has granted both Fast Track status and Orphan Drug Designation to BCX9930 for PNH. For more information about REDEEM-1, visit ClinicalTrials.gov and search NCT number NCT05116774.