Benzinga | Nov 5, 2020 08:54AM EST

Kezar Highlights Presentation Of 'Broad Therapeutic Potential of KZR-616' During ACR Convergence 2020

Clinical and pre-clinical data continues to support potential of KZR-616 to positively effect multiple drivers of immune-mediated diseases

SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Kezar Life Sciences, Inc. (NASDAQ:KZR), a clinical-stage biotechnology company discovering and developing breakthrough treatments for immune-mediated and oncologic disorders, today highlighted the broad therapeutic potential of KZR-616, a first-in-class immunoproteasome inhibitor, in two poster sessions during the American College of Rheumatology Annual Meeting (ACR Convergence 2020). Both posters can be found on Kezar's website under the "Science" section.

Richard Furie, M.D., Chief, Division of Rheumatology, Northwell Health in New York, is presenting updated results from the MISSION Phase 1b study (NCT03393013) evaluating KZR-616 in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) with and without lupus nephritis (LN). The presentation by Dr. Furie includes additional patient-weeks of safety and tolerability data compared to prior data presentations. Encouraging trends in early efficacy signals continue, including improvement of SLE-specific disease activity scores. No new safety signals have been observed, and KZR-616 administered subcutaneously (SC) once weekly has been consistently well tolerated for 13 weeks. KZR-616 has been studied at doses of 45 mg, 60 mg and 75 mg SC weekly. Previously, Kezar has identified 45 mg and 60 mg as likely therapeutic doses to advance in its clinical development program.

Kezar's collaborator, Marta Del Rio Oliva, Ph.D. candidate of the University of Konstanz, is presenting an evaluation of KZR-616 in a well-accepted preclinical mouse model of inflammatory myositis. In this model of myositis, KZR-616 treatment was associated with significant improvement in muscle function and reduced levels of muscle tissue damage. It is also demonstrated that an active immunoproteasome is necessary for the disease to occur. These data suggest that selective inhibition of the immunoproteasome with KZR-616 could have a meaningful clinical impact in patients with inflammatory myopathies, such as dermatomyositis (DM) and polymyositis (PM). Kezar is actively enrolling the PRESIDIO Phase 2 study (NCT04033926), a placebo-controlled, cross-over study of patients with DM and PM. The open-label extension study for PRESIDIO is also enrolling.

"These two presentations strengthen our understanding of how KZR-616 can be an effective treatment for patients with a variety of autoimmune diseases. The preclinical data show the importance of the immunoproteasome in the pathology of myositis and the ability of KZR-616 to selectively inhibit this important regulator of immune function for therapeutic benefit. The clinical data continues to show that KZR-616 is well- tolerated and improves multiple signs and symptoms of SLE. We continue to build a strong foundation for KZR-616 as a novel and important therapeutic for patients living with LN, dermatomyositis and polymyositis and other immune-mediated diseases," said Noreen Henig, M.D., Kezar's Chief Medical Officer.