The information contained in this Item 7.01 and in Exhibits 99.1 of this Current Report on Form 8-K shall not be deemed “filed” for purposes of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), or incorporated by reference in any filing under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), or the Exchange Act, except as expressly set forth by specific reference in such a filing.
On October 28, 2020, ChemoCentryx, Inc. (the “Company”) issued a press release announcing topline data from a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multi-center Phase II clinical trial of avacopan for the treatment of the chronic disabling skin disease Hidradenitis Suppurativa (HS). Avacopan is a first-in-class, orally-administered selective inhibitor of the complement C5a receptor.
The Phase II AURORA clinical trial randomized 398 patients to one of three treatment arms. The study population included patients with moderate HS (Hurley Stage II) or severe HS (Hurley Stage III), which were stratified evenly across the treatment groups. The primary endpoint of the proportion of all patients (both moderate Hurley Stage II plus severe Hurley Stage III) achieving Hidradenitis Suppurativa Clinical Response (HiSCR), as assessed 10 mg twice-daily (BID) and 30 mg BID dosing regimens of avacopan against placebo after 12 weeks of treatment in the combined study population was not achieved with statistical significance at either dose level, although a numerical improvement was noted at the avacopan 30mg BID dose. Importantly, avacopan 30mg BID demonstrated a statistically significant higher response than placebo in the pre-specified population of Hurley Stage III (severe) HS patients in the study. The Company plans to advance avacopan into Phase III development for the treatment of severe HS.
Table 1: Hidradenitis Suppurativa Clinical Response (HiSCR) Results
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Placebo | | Avacopan 10 mg BID | | Avacopan 30 mg BID |
| | n/N (%) | | n/N (%) | | D % | | (95% CI) | | n/N (%) | | D % | | | (95% CI) |
All | | 40/130 ( 30.8) | | 30/134 ( 22.4) | | -8.2 | | (-18.7, 2.4) | | 47/134 ( 35.1) | | | 4.4 | | | (-6.9, 15.5) |
Hurley Stage II | | 30/85 ( 35.3) | | 18/84 ( 21.4) | | -13.8 | | (-26.8, -0.2) | | 27/87 ( 31.0) | | | -4.3 | | | (-18.1, 9.6) |
Hurley Stage III | | 10/45 ( 22.2) | | 12/50 ( 24.0) | | 1.8 | | (-15.3, 18.3) | | 20/47 ( 42.6) | | | 20.3 | * | | (1.6, 37.9) |
A consistency of effects with avacopan was noted in Hurley Stage III patients across every secondary endpoint assessed to date. Favorable reductions for avacopan were observed in International HS Severity Score (IHS4), as well as reduction in AN (abscesses and inflammatory nodules), draining fistula, and abscess count at week 12 (all % change from baseline to week 12), relative to placebo.
Avacopan demonstrated a favorable safety profile. Treatment emergent adverse events (TEAEs) of all types were observed to be fewer in the avacopan groups (48.5%) than in placebo (55%). The majority of TEAEs were related to underlying HS and were mild to moderate. Serious TEAEs were observed in 2.3% of placebo subjects vs 1.5% on avacopan.
A full analysis of the data is underway and expanded results are expected to be announced at medical meetings later in the year.