84 - General Safety and Tolerability of Subcutaneous Tanezumab for the Treatment of Osteoarthritis: A Pooled Analysis of Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Trials

¹Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA. ²Sorbonne Université, INSERM, AP-HP Hospital Saint Antoine, Paris, France. ³Altoona Center for Clinical Research, Duncansville, PA, USA. ⁴Eli Lilly and Company, Indianapolis, IN, USA. ⁵Pfizer Inc, New York, NY, USA. 6Pfizer Inc, Groton, CT, USA

Purpose
Tanezumab, a monoclonal antibody against nerve growth factor, is in development for the treatment of signs and symptoms of osteoarthritis (OA). The purpose of this study was to assess the safety and tolerability of subcutaneous (SC) tanezumab in patients with OA.
Methods
Data were derived from 3 randomized placebo-controlled OA trials. SC treatment (every 8 weeks for 16–24 weeks with 8–24 week follow-up) included placebo, tanezumab 2.5 mg, tanezumab 2.5/5 mg (2.5 mg at day 1 and 5 mg at week 8), and tanezumab 5 mg. Overall treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs) and TEAEs of abnormal peripheral sensation were pooled from all 3 trials (placebo N = 586; tanezumab: 2.5 mg N =602, 2.5/5 mg N = 219, 5 mg N = 347).Pre-specified TEAEs potentially associated with sympathetic neuropathy (anhidrosis, bradycardia, hypohidrosis, orthostatic hypotension, or syncope) and pre-specified joint events (primary osteonecrosis, rapidly progressive OA [RPOA] type 1 or type 2, subchondral insufficiency fracture, or pathological fracture; adjudicated by an independent committee of experts) were pooled from the 2 trials that included prospective evaluation of sympathetic and joint safety (placebo N = 514; tanezumab: 2.5 mg N = 528, 2.5/5 mg N = 219, 5 mg N = 284).TEAEs are presented for the treatment period; joint safety is presented for the full study (treatment plus follow up) period.
Results
Patient demographics (80.7% white, 66.8% female, mean age ≈ 63 years) and clinical characteristics were similar across groups. TEAE rates were: placebo = 51.7%, tanezumab 2.5 mg = 52.3%, tanezumab 2.5/5 mg = 47.0%, and tanezumab 5 mg = 54.8%. Of TEAEs occurring in ≥2% of patients in any group, only oedema peripheral, joint stiffness, and paraesthesia had a higher incidence (95% confidence interval excluded 0) in any tanezumab group relative to placebo. Serious TEAE rates were: placebo = 1.5%, tanezumab 2.5 mg = 2.2%, tanezumab 2.5/5 mg = 1.4%, and tanezumab 5 mg = 2.6%. Rates of treatment and/or study discontinuation due to TEAEs were: placebo = 2.2%, tanezumab 2.5 mg = 1.8%, tanezumab 2.5/5 mg = 0.5%, and tanezumab 5 mg = 1.4%. Only arthralgia and OA led to discontinuation in >1 patient in any group. TEAEs of abnormal peripheral sensation rates were: placebo = 2.2%, tanezumab 2.5 mg = 5.1%, tanezumab 2.5/5 mg = 3.2%, and tanezumab 5 mg = 6.1%. Paraesthesia and hypoaesthesia were the most common events. Potential sympathetic neuropathy TEAE rates were: placebo = 0.8%, tanezumab 2.5 mg = 1.5%, tanezumab 2.5/5 mg = 0.5%, and tanezumab 5 mg = 2.8%; exposure-adjusted rates were not statistically different between any tanezumab group and placebo. Bradycardia and orthostatic hypotension were the most common events. No patient was considered to have a sympathetic neuropathy. TEAEs of abnormal peripheral sensation and potential sympathetic neuropathy were mostly mild and resolved. Joint safety event rates were statistically different for tanezumab 5mg (3.2%), but not 2.5mg (1.9%) or 2.5/5mg (0.5%), compared to placebo (0%). RPOA type-1 was the most common event. Total joint replacement rates were: placebo = 4.5%, tanezumab 2.5 mg = 5.9%, tanezumab 2.5/5 mg = 6.8%, and tanezumab 5 mg = 7.0%; rates were not statistically different between any tanezumab group and placebo.
Conclusions
Tanezumab was generally safe and well tolerated in most patients, with rates of overall TEAEs and treatment/study discontinuations similar to placebo and no evidence of a sympathetic safety signal. TEAEs of abnormal peripheral sensation and joint safety events were infrequent but more common with tanezumab than placebo.