This Phase 3 study evaluated the efficacy and safety of 1 milligram/kilogram (mg/kg) intravenous (IV) infusions of SBC-102 (sebelipase alfa) administered every other week (qow) in participants with late onset lysosomal acid lipase deficiency (LAL-D) (cholesteryl ester storage disease \[CESD\]). Late-onset LAL-D is an underappreciated cause of cirrhosis, liver failure and dyslipidemia. There is currently no standard treatment for LAL-D other than supportive care. Enzyme replacement therapy may be a potential new treatment option for LAL-D participants.
Lysosomal acid lipase deficiency (LAL-D) is a genetic disease characterized by abnormal lipid accumulation in many parts of the body due to a marked decrease in activity of the enzyme lysosomal acid lipase (LAL). The LAL-D disease spectrum ranges from a presentation in infants that is rapidly progressive to a presentation that occurs in childhood, adolescence, or less frequently, in adulthood in which the rate of disease progression is more variable. Irrespective of where a patient is on the disease spectrum, LAL-D is associated with significant burden of disease and a shortened life expectancy in some patients. The non-infantile onset form of the disease, also known as CESD, occurs in both children and adults and is an under-appreciated cause of fatty liver with prominent microvesicular steatosis, fibrosis, and cirrhosis. Although the natural history of the disease has not been well studied, serious complications are frequently described, including early death, liver transplantation, or cardiovascular accidents. Other complications include premature atherosclerosis (hardening of arteries) associated with high levels of total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, often called the "bad" cholesterol. The levels of triglycerides can also be high and the levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol (the "good" cholesterol) are typically low. In the past, treatments mainly focused on control of the lipid abnormalities through diet and the use of lipid-lowering medications, which only address some aspects of the disease, while progression to fibrosis and cirrhosis may still occur. In preclinical studies and clinical studies in participants with LAL-D, treatment with SBC-102 (sebelipase alfa, Kanuma®) has been shown to produce improvements in markers of liver damage and in the lipid abnormalities. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of using SBC-102 to treat LAL-D through a placebo-controlled, randomized, double-blinded study in children and adults. This multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study involving 66 participants evaluated the safety and efficacy of enzyme-replacement therapy with sebelipase alfa (administered intravenously at a dose of 1 mg/kg of body weight qow). The study included a 20-week placebo-controlled period followed by open-label treatment periods for all participants. The primary end-point was normalization of the alanine aminotransferase level. Secondary end-points included additional disease-related efficacy and safety assessments. Final study results have not been published in a peer-reviewed journal.
IV infusions of sebelipase alfa
IV infusions of matched placebo
Córdoba, Argentina