Complex immunogenicity assessment in caplacizumab-treated patients with immune-mediated thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura who have received plasma exchange

Background: International Society on Thrombosis and Haemostasis guidelines for immune-mediated thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (iTTP) treatment recommend concurrent therapeutic plasma exchange (TPE), immunosuppressive therapy (IST), and caplacizumab. TPE can complicate antidrug antibody (ADA) measurements by transferring pre-existing antibodies (pre-Abs) into patients via donor plasma and/or diluting treatment-emergent (TE) ADAs.

Objectives: To assess the presence of ADAs in patients with iTTP who received caplacizumab.

Methods: Immunogenicity data from patients with iTTP receiving caplacizumab once daily plus TPE/immunosuppressive therapy in 4 clinical trials (TITAN, HERCULES, Post-HERCULES, and a trial conducted in Japanese patients) in the clinical development program were analyzed. ADA and modified ADA assays differentiated pre-Abs from TE ADAs. A functional neutralizing antibody (NAb) assay and a neutralizing epitope characterization assay (NECA) assessed the presence of ADAs with neutralizing potential. The impact of ADAs on efficacy, pharmacokinetics/pharmacodynamics, and safety was evaluated.

Results: Among 228 patients in 4 studies, prevalence of pre-Abs ranged from 17.1% (TITAN) to 56.7% (HERCULES), while TE ADA prevalence ranged from 3.1% (HERCULES) to 14.3% (Japanese study). The TE NAb-positive rate ranged from 0% (Japanese study) to 12% (Post-HERCULES) using the functional NAb assay and from 2.7% (Post- HERCULES) to 14.3% (Japanese study) using the NECA. The presence of these antibodies did not impact treatment efficacy or safety.

Conclusion: A complex immunogenicity assay strategy was required to define the pre-Ab/TE ADA status of patients with iTTP treated with caplacizumab in a clinical trial setting. In addition to the wide range of pre-Abs observed, few patients had detectable TE ADAs or NAbs, neither of which affected efficacy/safety.