Full Press Release Details
NewAmsterdam Pharma Company N.V. ( we, us, our or the Company ) is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company
developing oral, non-statin medicines for patients at high risk of cardiovascular disease ( CVD ) with residual elevation of low-density lipoprotein
cholesterol ( LDL-C or LDL ), for whom existing therapies are not sufficiently effective or well-tolerated. There exists a significant unmet need for a potent, cost-effective and
convenient LDL-lowering therapy as an adjunct to statins, a class of lipid-lowering medications that are the current standard of care for high-risk CVD patients with high cholesterol. Our lead product
candidate, obicetrapib, is a next-generation, oral, low-dose cholesteryl ester transfer protein ( CETP ) inhibitor that is currently in four ongoing Phase 3 and Phase 2b clinical trials as both a
monotherapy and a combination therapy with ezetimibe for lowering LDL-C and preventing major adverse cardiovascular events ( MACE ). We believe that CETP inhibition may also play a role in other
indications by potentially mitigating the risk of developing diseases such as Alzheimer s disease or diabetes.
CVD is a leading cause of death
worldwide and the top cause of death in the United States. Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease ( ASCVD ) is primarily caused by atherosclerosis, which involves the build-up of fatty material
within the inner walls of the arteries. Atherosclerosis is the primary cause of heart attacks, strokes and peripheral vascular disease. One of the most important risk factors for ASCVD is hypercholesterolemia, which refers to elevated LDL-C levels within the body, commonly known as high cholesterol.
A significant proportion of patients with high
cholesterol do not achieve acceptable LDL-C levels using statins alone. We estimate that there are more than 35 million patients in the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Spain and Italy and in the United
States who are not achieving LDL-lowering goals on the current standard of care. Existing non-statin treatment options have been largely unable to address the needs of
patients with high cholesterol due to modest efficacy, prohibitive pricing, or an inconvenient and painful injectable administration route. It is estimated that over 75% of ASCVD outpatients prefer oral drugs to injectable therapies.
Our product candidate, obicetrapib, is a next-generation, oral, low-dose CETP inhibitor that we are developing to
potentially overcome the limitations of current LDL-lowering treatments. We believe that obicetrapib has the potential to be a once-daily oral CETP inhibitor for lowering
LDL-C, if approved. In our Phase 2b ROSE trial, obicetrapib demonstrated a 51% lowering of LDL-C from baseline at a 10 mg dose level on top of high-intensity statins. In
three of our Phase 2 trials, TULIP, ROSE and OCEAN, evaluating obicetrapib as a monotherapy or a combination therapy, we observed statistically significant LDL-lowering activity combined with generally
moderate side effects and no drug-related, treatment-emergent serious adverse events ( TESAEs ). Obicetrapib has demonstrated strong tolerability in more than 800 patients with low or elevated lipid levels in our clinical trials to date.
Obicetrapib is also expected to be relatively low in cost to manufacture compared to most other branded LDL-lowering therapies on the market. We believe that the estimated low cost of goods for obicetrapib
will enable favorable pricing and position it to significantly improve patient access compared to existing non-statin treatments. Furthermore, we believe that obicetrapib s oral delivery, demonstrated
activity in low doses, chemical properties and tolerability make it well-suited for combination approaches. We are developing a fixed dose combination of obicetrapib 10 mg and ezetimibe 10 mg, which has been observed to demonstrate even greater
potency in one of our clinical trials to date.
Lowering of LDL-C, and particularly ApoB-containing lipoproteins,
has been associated with MACE benefit in trials of LDL-lowering drugs, including the REVEAL trial with the CETP inhibitor, anacetrapib. We are performing a cardiovascular outcomes trial ( CVOT ) to
reconfirm this relationship.
We have partnered with A. Menarini International Licensing S.A., part of Menarini Group ( Menarini ) to provide
them with the exclusive rights to commercialize obicetrapib 10 mg either as a sole active ingredient product or in a fixed dose combination with ezetimibe in the majority of European countries, if approved. Subject to receipt of marketing approval,
our current plan is to pursue development and commercialization of obicetrapib in the United
States ourselves, and to consider additional partners for jurisdictions outside of the United States and the EU, including in Japan, China and the United Kingdom. In addition to our partnership
with Menarini, we may in the future utilize a variety of types of collaboration, license, monetization, distribution and other arrangements with other third parties relating to the development or commercialization, once approved, of obicetrapib or
future product candidates or indications. We are also continually evaluating the potential acquisition or license of new product candidates.
conducting two Phase 3 pivotal trials, BROADWAY and BROOKLYN, to evaluate obicetrapib as a monotherapy used as an adjunct to maximally tolerated lipid-lowering therapies to potentially enhance LDL-lowering for
high-risk CVD patients. As of June 6, 2023, over 1,700 patients have been randomized in the BROADWAY trial and over 350 patients have been enrolled in the BROOKLYN trial. We expect to complete enrollment in BROADWAY in the middle of 2023, and
we completed enrollment in BROOKLYN in April 2023. We currently expect to report data from both BROADWAY and BROOKLYN in the second half of 2024.
March 2022, we commenced our Phase 3 PREVAIL CVOT, which is designed to assess the potential of obicetrapib to reduce occurrences of MACE, including cardiovascular death, non-fatal myocardial infarction, non-fatal stroke and non-elective coronary revascularization. As of June 6, 2023, over 3,400 patients have been randomized in the PREVAIL trial. We expect to complete
enrollment in PREVAIL in the first quarter of 2024. We currently expect to report data from PREVAIL in 2026.
We also expect to report data from our Phase
2a clinical trial evaluating obicetrapib in patients with early Alzheimer s disease in the second half of 2023.
We strive to protect and enhance our
proprietary inventions and improvements that we consider commercially important to the development of our business, including by seeking, maintaining, and defending U.S. and foreign patent rights. All of the issued patents and pending patent
applications in our patent portfolio are owned by our subsidiary, NewAmsterdam Pharma B.V., Dutch Chamber of Commerce registry number 55971946. As of December 31, 2022, we owned seven issued U.S. patents and nine pending U.S. patent
applications. We also owned 98 granted European patents and three pending European patent applications, two granted Chinese patents and seven pending Chinese patent applications. In addition, we owned 74 granted patents and 31 pending patent
applications in other foreign jurisdictions, including international applications under the Patent Cooperation Treaty, or PCT. Certain of our key second generation patents include U.S. Patent Nos. 10,653,692, 11,013,742, 11,642,344 and 10,300,059.
On June 3, 2023, we announced full results of ROSE2, our Phase 2 clinical trial evaluating obicetrapib in combination with ezetimibe as an
adjunct to high-intensity statin therapy. ROSE2 met its primary and secondary endpoints, with statistically significant and clinically meaningful reductions in LDL-C and ApoB observed. Statistically
significant improvements in non-HDL cholesterol ( non-HDL-C ) and total and small LDL particles ( LDL-P ) were also observed. We also observed significant improvements in lipoprotein(a) ( Lp(a) ). In addition, the combination of obicetrapib and ezetimibe was observed to be well-tolerated,
with a safety profile observed to be comparable to placebo.
ROSE2 was designed as a placebo-controlled, double-blind, randomized Phase 2 clinical trial
to evaluate the efficacy, safety and tolerability of obicetrapib 10 mg in combination with ezetimibe 10 mg as an adjunct to high-intensity statin therapy. Patients were randomized to receive combination therapy, obicetrapib 10 mg or placebo for a 12
week treatment period. A total of 119 patients enrolled in ROSE2, of whom 97 were included in the on-treatment analysis. Certain patients were excluded from the on-treatment population as a result of suspected
non-adherence to the trial protocol. Patients presented at baseline with a fasting LDL-C greater than 70 mg/dL and triglycerides less than 400 mg/dL and all were
receiving a stable dose of high-intensity statin therapy.
The primary endpoint was the percent change from baseline to week 12 in Friedewald-calculated LDL-C for the obicetrapib plus ezetimibe combination treatment group compared with placebo. Secondary efficacy endpoints included the percent changes from baseline to week 12 in
LDL-C for obicetrapib monotherapy compared with placebo and in ApoB for the obicetrapib plus ezetimibe combination compared with placebo and the obicetrapib monotherapy compared with placebo. Exploratory
endpoints included the percent changes from baseline to week 12 in lipoprotein(a), non-HDL-C, HDL-C, total and small LDL-P assessed by NMR, and the proportion of patients at the end of treatment who achieved LDL-C levels below 100 mg/dL, 70 mg/dL and 55 mg/dL for the obicetrapib plus
ezetimibe combination and obicetrapib monotherapy groups compared with placebo.
A summary of key observations from the ROSE2 trial is set forth below.
p-value for the LS mean for each endpoint presented in the table below compared to placebo was <0.0001. The table below shows the median percent change from baseline in patients receiving the combination of
obicetrapib and ezetimibe, obicetrapib monotherapy and placebo.
| Median percent change from baseline | Placebo (n=40) | Obicetrapib 10 mg (n=26) | Obicetrapib 10 mg + Ezetimibe 10 mg (n=31) | |||||||||
| Friedewald-calculated LDL-C | -6.4 | -43.5 | -63.4 | |||||||||
| ApoB | -2.1 | -24.2 | -34.4 | |||||||||
| Non-HDL-C | -5.6 | -37.5 | -55.6 | |||||||||
| Total LDL particles | -5.7 | -54.8 | -72.1 | |||||||||
| Small LDL particles | -8.3 | -92.7 | -95.4 | |||||||||
| LDL particle size | -0.5 | 1.5 | 1.8 |
In addition, we observed median reduction in Lp(a) of 47.2% and 40.2% in the monotherapy and combination arms, respectively.
Percent Change from Baseline to 12 Weeks in Lipid Biomarkers
| Friedewald- calculated | Placebo | Obicetrapib 10 mg | Obicetrapib 10 mg / Ezetimibe 10 mg | |||||
| LDL-C | Baseline: | |||||||
| n | 40 | 26 | 31 | |||||
| Median (min, max) | 95.5 (60, 211) | 100.0 (35, 189) | 87.0 (62, 152) | |||||
| Percent Change: | ||||||||
| Median (min, max) | -6.4 (-36.4, 96.7) | -43.5 (-78.4, 22.6) | -63.4 (-83.7, -29.7) | |||||
| LS Mean (SE)1 | -0.85 (3.47) | -39.20 (4.13) | -59.2 (3.79) | |||||
| p-value vs. placebo | <0.0001 | <0.0001 | ||||||
| ApoB | Baseline: | |||||||
| n | 40 | 26 | 31 | |||||
| Median (min, max) | 89.0 (52, 146) | 85.0 (33, 130) | 85.0 (56, 130) | |||||
| Percent Change: | ||||||||
| Median (min, max) | -2.1 (-30.9, 76.9) | -24.2 (-44.8, 27.1) | -34.4 (-54.3, -14.7) | |||||
| LS Mean (SE)1 | 0.72 (2.57) | -21.6 (3.10) | -35.0 (2.80) | |||||
| p-value vs. placebo | <0.0001 | <0.0001 | ||||||
| HDL-C | Baseline: | |||||||
| n | 40 | 26 | 31 | |||||
| Median (min, max) | 42.5 (31,68) | 47.0 (28, 111) | 46.0 (28, 76) | |||||
| Percent Change: | ||||||||
| Median (min, max) | 0.75 (-33.3, 45.0) | 142 (34.9, 311) | 136 (46.5, 261) | |||||
| LS Mean (SE)1 | -0.32 (6.71) | 151 (8.15) | 144 (7.27) | |||||
| p-value vs. placebo | <0.0001 | <0.0001 | ||||||
| non-HDL-C | Baseline: | |||||||
| n | 40 | 26 | 31 | |||||
| Median (min, max) | 126 (73, 227) | 122 (57, 209) | 116 (77, 189) | |||||
| Percent Change: | ||||||||
| Median (min, max) | -5.6 (-34.9, 83.6) | -37.5 (-59.2, 20.0) | -55.6 (-76.2, -30.8) | |||||
| LS Mean (SE)1 | -0.84 (2.99) | -33.8 (3.55) | -54.0 (3.25) | |||||
| p-value vs. placebo | 0.0005 | <0.0001 | ||||||
| Lp(a)2 | Baseline: | |||||||
| n | 24 | 31 | ||||||
| Median (min, max) | 44.0 (0.8, 372.4) | 27.6 (0.2, 479.9) | ||||||
| Percent Change: | ||||||||
| Median (min, max) | -47.2 (-97.5, 214.5) | -40.2 (-92.4, 702.0) |
In addition, the combination of obicetrapib plus ezetimibe resulted in significantly more patients achieving
LDL-C levels of less than 100 mg/dL, 70 mg/dL and 55 mg/dL than the placebo group (100%, 93.5% and 87.1% compared to 66.7%, 16.7% and 0.0%, respectively) (p<0.05 compared to placebo for combination
therapy). These results are presented in further detail below:
Overall, obicetrapib alone and in combination with ezetimibe was observed to be well-tolerated compared to placebo.
Treatment-emergent adverse events ( TEAEs ) were reported by 11 subjects in the combination group, eight subjects in the monotherapy group and 16 subjects in the placebo group. Adverse events were generally mild to moderate, with the most
prevalent TEAEs being nausea (two subjects in the placebo group and two subjects in the combination group), urinary tract infection (two subjects in the placebo group and one subject in the combination group) and headache (two subjects in the
placebo group and one subject in the monotherapy group). One TESAE was observed in each of the placebo (nervous system disorder) and monotherapy groups (cardiac disorder), neither of which was considered by the investigator to be related to trial
treatment. Overall, no drug-related, TESAEs were observed, and there were no TEAEs leading to death. One subject in the combination group had a TEAE leading to discontinuation of the trial drug, compared to two in the monotherapy group and two in
the placebo group. There were two severe TEAEs in the placebo group (both nervous system disorders) and one in the monotherapy group (a cardiac disorder).
We believe that the stronger observed LDL-C lowering among patients
receiving the combination therapy as compared with those receiving ezetimibe in combination with statins is potentially due to the synergistic mechanisms of action for each of obicetrapib and ezetimibe. While obicetrapib is designed to promote the
expression of LDL receptors in the liver, there is evidence that CETP inhibition also promotes cholesterol excretion into the intestines, where ezetimibe is designed to block cholesterol reabsorption into the body. Therefore, the combined mechanism
is expected to synergistically enhance fecal sterol removal of cholesterol, as shown in the figure below.
As suggested by the calculations below, we believe that LDL-C lowering effects of
ezetimibe can be enhanced by introducing obicetrapib to help facilitate this synergistic mechanism of action.
Source for all figures on the left: Davidson MH, et al. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2002 December 18; 40(12): 2125-34.
The calculations above are not based on a
head-to-head comparison or clinical study and are hypothetical calculations. These calculations are based on the findings in our ROSE2 trial with respect to the figures
on the bottom right and the findings of source noted above with respect to the figures on the bottom left, and assume one patient was treated with each drug independently.
With the data and learnings from our ROSE2 trial, we have selected a formulation for a fixed-dose combination tablet of obicetrapib and ezetimibe and plan to
advance the compound into a Phase 3 trial in the first quarter of 2024, with the goal of submitting an NDA for the combination shortly after submission of an NDA for the obicetrapib monotherapy. We are designing the trial as a randomized,
double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial with the primary efficacy endpoint of percent change from baseline in LDL-C compared to placebo. We plan to enroll 400 adults with a fasting LDL-C greater than 70 mg/dL with ASCVD or heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia. An End-of-Phase 2 meeting has been granted by FDA
and scheduled for June 2023 to review the design of our Phase 3 trial. If this Phase 3 trial is commenced on schedule, we currently expect to report data in the first half of 2025.
LDL-P is believed to one of the most robust predictors of CVD risk. High LDL-P levels typically signify that a patient has a higher proportion of small dense LDL-P compared to larger-sized LDL-P, and small dense LDL-Ps are more likely to become trapped
in the arterial wall than larger-sized LDL-P, putting the patient at higher risk of CVD. Therefore, where LDL-P and LDL-C levels are discordant, low LDL-P has been observed to confer a lower risk, even in patients with high LDL-C, and high LDL-P confers a higher risk, even in patients with low LDL-C as shown in the graph below.
Source: Cromwell WC, et al. Clin Lipidol. 2007 December 1; 1(6): 583 592
In the ROSE2 trial, we observed significant reductions in total and small LDL-P, bringing patients who had baseline
elevated LDL-P to optimal parameters, as shown in the figures below. The LS mean reductions in both total and small LDL-P were statistically significant.
Even though all LDL particles contain only one ApoB protein, small dense LDL particles have a less massive ApoB protein. As
such, in patients who have a higher proportion of small dense LDL particles relative to total LDL particles, we have observed a discordance between total particle number and ApoB level. We believe this is particularly relevant in assessing future
CVD risk, and we believe it is important to observe both total LDL particle numbers as well as small dense LDL particles in both treatment arms of the ROSE2 trial.
Blood Pressure Observations
A summary of the blood
pressure data from our Phase 2 trials of obicetrapib is contained in the figures below.
To date, in all three of our ongoing Phase 3 trials, PREVAIL, BROADWAY and BROOKLYN, aggregate blood pressure has been
observed to be stable over time.