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ACE-536

Phase 4

Anemia | Monoclonal antibody | Hematology |Merck & Company, Inc.|Trials Updated: Jul 29, 2024

ACE-536 development status

Highest phase Phase 4 run by Bristol-Myers Squibb (NCT05891249)
Phase scored for MRKPhase 1
Registered trials 37 across 8 sponsors since Sep 2011

ACE-536 target and mechanism

ModalityMonoclonal antibody

Also known as luspatercept, MK-6143

Success Probability

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Market & Valuation

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Trial Design

RandomizedDouble-BlindPLACEBO_CONTROLLED
Total Trials5
Total Enrollment346

FDA Designations

No designations recorded

ACE-536 clinical trials

ACE-536 · 5 trials · 4 indications

Phase 2 4Phase 1 1
NCT02268409Extension Study to Evaluate the Safety and Efficacy of Luspatercept in Participants With β-Thalassemia Previously Enrolled in A536-04 (A536-06/MK-6143-004)β-Thalassemia
COMPLETED51 Analytics
NCT02268383Extension Study to Evaluate Long-Term Effects of Luspatercept in Patients With Myelodysplastic Syndromes (MDS) (A536-05/MK-6143-003)Myelodysplastic Syndromes
COMPLETED75 Analytics
NCT01749540Study to Evaluate the Safety and Efficacy of Luspatercept (ACE-536) in Participants With Beta-thalassemia (A536-04/MK-6143-002)B-Thalassemia
COMPLETED64 Analytics
NCT01749514Study of Luspatercept for the Treatment of Anemia in Patients With Myelodysplastic Syndrome (MDS) (MK-6143-001)Anemia
COMPLETED116 Analytics
PHASE2COMPLETED
Extension Study to Evaluate the Safety and Efficacy of Luspatercept in Participants With β-Thalassemia Previously Enrolled in A536-04 (A536-06/MK-6143-004)
β-ThalassemiaUnlock trial analytics
PHASE2COMPLETED
Extension Study to Evaluate Long-Term Effects of Luspatercept in Patients With Myelodysplastic Syndromes (MDS) (A536-05/MK-6143-003)
Myelodysplastic SyndromesUnlock trial analytics
PHASE2COMPLETED
Study to Evaluate the Safety and Efficacy of Luspatercept (ACE-536) in Participants With Beta-thalassemia (A536-04/MK-6143-002)
B-ThalassemiaUnlock trial analytics
PHASE2COMPLETED
Study of Luspatercept for the Treatment of Anemia in Patients With Myelodysplastic Syndrome (MDS) (MK-6143-001)
AnemiaUnlock trial analytics

Study Endpoints

Primary Endpoints

Number of Participants Who Experienced an Adverse Event (AE)
Up to approximately 68 months

An adverse event (AE) was any untoward medical occurrence in a participant or clinical investigation participant administered a study drug, which did not necessarily have a causal relationship with the treatment. An AE could therefore have been any unfavorable and unintended sign (including an abnormal laboratory finding), symptom, or disease temporally associated with the use of the study drug whether or not it was considered related to the study drug. The number of participants who experienced an AE is reported.

Number of Participants Who Discontinued Study Treatment Due To an AE
Up to approximately 60 months

An adverse event (AE) was any untoward medical occurrence in a participant or clinical investigation participant administered a study drug, which did not necessarily have a causal relationship with the treatment. An AE could therefore have been any unfavorable and unintended sign (including an abnormal laboratory finding), symptom, or disease temporally associated with the use of the study drug whether or not it was considered related to the study drug. The number of participants who discontinued study treatment due to an AE is reported.

Percentage of Non-transfusion Dependent (NTD) Participants With a Hemoglobin Increase of ≥1.5 g/dL From Baseline for ≥14 Days
Up to approximately 20 weeks

An erythroid response in NTD participants was defined as a mean hemoglobin increase of ≥1.5 g/dL from baseline for ≥14 days in the absence of blood transfusion. Baseline hemoglobin for NTD participants was the average of two or more measurements performed during the screening period. Hemoglobin measurements within 2 weeks following red blood cell (RBC) transfusion or 56 days after the last dose were excluded from analysis. NTD participants were participants who had received \<4 units of RBCs within 8 weeks prior to the first dose of study drug. The percentage of participants with a hemoglobin increase of ≥1.5 g/dL from baseline for ≥14 days is presented.

Percentage of Transfusion Dependent (TD) Participants With a ≥20% Reduction in Red Blood Cell (RBC) Transfusion Burden From Baseline During a Rolling 12-week Interval
Any 12-week interval during the study (up to approximately 20 weeks)

Transfusion burden for TD participants was defined as the ratio of RBC transfusion units (or milliliters) transfused during a 12-week interval divided by the duration of that interval compared to the ratio of RBC transfusion units 12 weeks prior to the start of treatment (baseline). The interval during the pretreatment period was defined as the 12 weeks prior to the first dose of study drug. An interval during the treatment plus follow-up period was defined as any 12-week interval after the first dose of study drug. TD participants were participants who had received ≥4 units of RBCs every 8 weeks (confirmed over 6 months prior to the first dose of study drug). The percentage of participants with a ≥20% reduction in RBC transfusion burden from baseline is presented.

Percentage of Low Transfusion Burden (LTB) Participants With Modified Erythroid Response (mHI-E)
Any consecutive 2 weeks during the study (up to approximately 75 weeks)

The mHI-E for LTB participants was defined as a hemoglobin increase of ≥1.5 g/dL from baseline for ≥14 days or rolling 2 weeks (in the absence of red blood cell \[RBC\] transfusions). Hemoglobin measurements within 7 days following RBC transfusion were excluded from analysis. LTB participants were those who received \<4 units of RBCs within 8 weeks prior to baseline. Rolling 2 weeks was defined as any consecutive 2 weeks during the study. The percentage of LTB participants with mHI-E were reported.

Percentage of High Transfusion Burden (HTB) Participants With mHI-E
Any consecutive 8 weeks during the study (up to approximately 75 weeks)

The mHI-E for HTB participants was defined as a ≥4 units or ≥50% reduction in RBC transfusion burden during any rolling 8-week window compared to baseline. HTB participants were those who required ≥4 units of RBC transfusions within 8 weeks prior to baseline. Rolling 8 weeks was defined as any consecutive 8 weeks during the study. The percentage of HTB participants with mHI-E were reported.

Number of participants with Adverse Events as a measure of safety and tolerability.
22 weeks

Secondary Endpoints

Percentage of Non-transfusion Dependent (NTD) Participants With a Hemoglobin Increase of ≥1.0 g/dL From Baseline Over a Rolling 8-week Interval
Any 8-week interval during the study (up to approximately 68 months)
Percentage of Non-transfusion Dependent (NTD) Participants With a Hemoglobin Increase of ≥1.0 g/dL From Baseline Over a Rolling 12-week Interval
Any 12-week interval during the study (up to approximately 68 months)
Percentage of Non-transfusion Dependent (NTD) Participants With a Hemoglobin Increase of ≥1.0 g/dL From Baseline During Weeks 13 to 24
Weeks 13 to 24
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Study Design & Arms

AllocationNA
MaskingNONE
ModelSINGLE_GROUP
PurposeTREATMENT

Treatment Arms

ArmTypeDescription
Luspatercept Extension PopulationEXPERIMENTALParticipants receive luspatercept 0.6, 0.8, 1.0, or 1.25 mg/kg administered by subcutaneous injection on Day 1 of each 21-day cycle for up to 87 cycles (up to approximately 5 years). Participants will receive the highest tolerated dose level of luspatercept that they were assigned in the base study unless a dose modification was required.
Luspatercept 0.2 mg/kgEXPERIMENTALParticipants receive luspatercept 0.2 mg/kg as a subcutaneous (SC) injection every 3 weeks (Q3W) on Day 1 of each cycle for up to 5 cycles (each cycle length = 21 days).
Luspatercept 0.4 mg/kgEXPERIMENTALParticipants receive luspatercept 0.4 mg/kg as an SC injection Q3W on Day 1 of each cycle for up to 5 cycles (each cycle length = 21 days).
Luspatercept 0.6 mg/kgEXPERIMENTALParticipants receive luspatercept 0.6 mg/kg as an SC injection Q3W on Day 1 of each cycle for up to 5 cycles (each cycle length = 21 days).
Luspatercept 0.8 mg/kgEXPERIMENTALParticipants receive luspatercept 0.8 mg/kg as an SC injection Q3W on Day 1 of each cycle for up to 5 cycles (each cycle length = 21 days).
Luspatercept 1.0 mg/kgEXPERIMENTALParticipants receive luspatercept 1.0 mg/kg as an SC injection Q3W on Day 1 of each cycle for up to 5 cycles (each cycle length = 21 days).
Luspatercept 1.25 mg/kgEXPERIMENTALParticipants receive luspatercept 1.25 mg/kg as an SC injection Q3W on Day 1 of each cycle for up to 5 cycles (each cycle length = 21 days).
Expansion CohortEXPERIMENTALParticipants receive an initial dose of luspatercept 0.8 mg/kg as an SC injection on Day 1 of Cycle 1 (Cycle length = 21 days). For each subsequent cycle (up to 5 cycles), the dose was titrated up to a maximum dose of 1.25 mg/kg based on the safety review team (SRT) recommendations.
Luspatercept 0.125mg/kg (Cohort 1)EXPERIMENTALParticipants receive luspatercept 0.125mg/kg as a subcutaneous (SC) injection every 3 weeks (Q3W) on Day 1 of each cycle for up to 5 cycles (each cycle length = 21 days).
Luspatercept 0.25mg/kg (Cohort 2)EXPERIMENTALParticipants receive luspatercept titrated up to 0.25mg/kg via Fibonacci scheme, SC injection Q3W on Day 1 of each cycle for up to 5 cycles (each cycle length = 21 days).
Luspatercept 0.50mg/kg (Cohort 3)EXPERIMENTALParticipants receive luspatercept titrated up to 0.50mg/kg via Fibonacci scheme, SC injection Q3W on Day 1 of each cycle for up to 5 cycles (each cycle length = 21 days).
Luspatercept 0.75mg/kg (Cohort 4)EXPERIMENTALParticipants receive luspatercept titrated up to 0.75mg/kg via Fibonacci scheme, SC injection Q3W on Day 1 of each cycle for up to 5 cycles (each cycle length = 21 days).
Luspatercept 1.00mg/kg (Cohort 5)EXPERIMENTALParticipants receive luspatercept titrated up to 1.00mg/kg via Fibonacci scheme, SC injection Q3W on Day 1 of each cycle for up to 5 cycles (each cycle length = 21 days).
Luspatercept 1.33mg/kg (Cohort 6)EXPERIMENTALParticipants receive luspatercept titrated up to 1.33mg/kg via Fibonacci scheme, SC injection Q3W on Day 1 of each cycle for up to 5 cycles (each cycle length = 21 days).
Luspatercept 1.75mg/kg (Cohort 7)EXPERIMENTALParticipants receive luspatercept titrated up to 1.75mg/kg via Fibonacci scheme, SC injection Q3W on Day 1 of each cycle for up to 5 cycles (each cycle length = 21 days).
ACE-536EXPERIMENTALSubjects assigned to 1 of 5 possible dosing groups.
PlaceboPLACEBO_COMPARATOR -

Interventions

NameTypeDescription
luspaterceptDRUGsubcutaneous injection
ACE-536BIOLOGICALSubjects receive a total of 2 subcutaneous doses of ACE-536 on Day 1 and Day 15.
PlaceboOTHERSubjects receive a total of 2 subcutaneous doses of placebo on Day 1 and Day 15.
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Eligibility Criteria

Age Range18 Years to N/A
SexALL
Healthy VolunteersNo
Study Sites7

The main inclusion and exclusion criteria include but are not limited to the following: Inclusion Criteria: * Completion of the treatment period in the base study A536-04. * Females of child- bearing potential (defined as sexually mature women who have not undergone hysterectomy or bilateral oopho...

Countries:GreeceItalyGermanyUnited States
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Frequently asked questions about ACE-536

What is ACE-536 used for?

ACE-536 is an investigational monoclonal antibody being developed for the treatment of anemia. It is currently in Phase 1 clinical development, meaning it has not yet been approved by regulatory authorities. The drug is being studied in the therapeutic area of hematology.

Who makes ACE-536?

ACE-536 is being developed by Merck & Company, Inc., a pharmaceutical company traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol MRK. The drug is currently in Phase 1 clinical development for the treatment of anemia.

What phase is ACE-536 in?

ACE-536 is in Phase 1 clinical development. It is an investigational drug, meaning it has not been approved by regulatory authorities. The drug is being studied for the treatment of anemia, and its Phase 1 trial has been completed.

What clinical trials is ACE-536 in?

ACE-536 has one completed Phase 1 clinical trial with the identifier NCT01432717, titled 'Study of ACE-536 in Healthy Postmenopausal Women.' This trial enrolled 40 participants in the United States and was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study.

Is ACE-536 FDA approved?

ACE-536 is not FDA approved. It is an investigational drug currently in Phase 1 clinical development for the treatment of anemia. The drug has completed one Phase 1 trial, but it has not yet received regulatory approval.