Study Description
The purpose of this study is to evaluate the efficacy and safety of rapcabtagene autoleucel (administered once following lymphodepletion) versus Standard of Care (SOC) in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) with active, refractory lupus nephritis (LN). This is a Phase 2, adaptive, two-year, randomized, assessor-blinded, active controlled study:
* Part A: Participants suffering from systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) with active, refractory LN will be randomized to Regimen 1, Regimen 2, or SOC.
* Part B: Participants suffering from SLE with active, refractory LN will be randomized to the selected regimen from Part A or SOC.
The study will consist of two periods:
* A screening period lasting up to 6 weeks, and
* A randomized treatment period and primary follow-up period lasting up to 104 weeks.
After end of study (EOS), participants who received rapcabtagene autoleucel infusion will enter a long-term follow-up (LTFU) period lasting up to 15 years after rapcabtagene autoleucel infusion. This LTFU will be described in a separate study protocol.
Interventions
rapcabtagene autoleucel Regimen 1
rapcabtagene autoleucel Regimen 2
Standard of Care
Eligibility Criteria
Key Inclusion Criteria:
* Men and women with SLE, aged \>= 18 years and =\< 65 years at screening, fulfilling the 2019 European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR)/American College of Rheumatology (ACR) classification criteria for SLE at screening.
* Participant must be positive for at least one of the following autoantibodies at screening: antinuclear antibodies (ANA) at a titer of \>= 1:80 (on HEp-2 cells or an equivalent positive test), or anti-dsDNA (above the ULN); or anti-Sm (above the ULN) as determined by a central laboratory.
* Active lupus nephritis without signs of significant chronicity
* SLEDAI-2K Criteria at screening: SLEDAI-2K score \>= 6 points (Gladman et al 2002, Touma et al 2011), excluding points attributed to "fever", "lupus headache", "alopecia", and "organic brain syndrome".
* Inadequate response at screening to at least two LN treatment regimens
Key Exclusion Criteria:
* Any acute, severe lupus related-flare at screening that needs immediate treatment other than pulse GCs and/or makes the immunosuppressive washout impossible and, thus, makes the participant ineligible for CD19 CAR-T therapy
* Inadequate organ function during screening and prior to randomization
* History or current diagnosis of ECG or cardiac abnormalities indicating significant risk of safety for participants prior to randomization
* Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) positivity at screening.
* Acute or chronic infection with hepatitis B (HBV) or hepatitis C (HCV) at screening.
* Evidence of active or latent tuberculosis.
* Grade 2 or higher thromboembolic event in the past 4 weeks prior to screening.
* Vaccination (including with live attenuated vaccines) not completed at least 6 weeks prior to randomization.
Other protocol-defined inclusion/exclusion criteria may apply.
Novartis Investigative Site
Recruiting
Paris 13,75651,France
Novartis Investigative Site
Recruiting
Mainz,55131,Germany
Novartis Investigative Site
Recruiting
Rozzano,MI,20089,Italy
Novartis Investigative Site
Recruiting
Sapporo city,Hokkaido,060 8648,Japan
Novartis Investigative Site
Recruiting
Kyoto,606 8507,Japan
Novartis Investigative Site
Recruiting
Singapore,119074,Singapore
Novartis Investigative Site
Recruiting
Cordoba,Andalucia,14004,Spain
Novartis Investigative Site
Recruiting
Salamanca,Castilla Y Leon,37007,Spain
Novartis Investigative Site
Recruiting
Madrid,28041,Spain
Boston Medical Center
Recruiting
Boston,Massachusetts,02118,United States
Hanni Menn-Josephy
University Of Iowa
Recruiting
Iowa City,Iowa,52242,United States
Hanna Zembrzuska
University of Kentucky
Recruiting
Lexington,Kentucky,40536-0284,United States
Paramarajan Piranavan
Univ Of TX MD Anderson CC
Recruiting
Houston,Texas,77030,United States
Samer Srour
Vivian Al Jahdhami
Northwestern University
Recruiting
Chicago,Illinois,60611,United States
George Georges
Matthew Selle
Worldwide Contacts
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