The first cases of totally drug-resistant (TDR) tuberculosis (TB) were reported in Italy 10 years ago; more recently, cases have also been reported in Iran, India and South Africa. Although there is no consensus on terminology, it is most commonly described as 'resistance to all first- and second-line drugs used to treat TB'. Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M.tb) acquires drug resistance mutations in a sequential fashion under suboptimal drug pressure due to monotherapy, inadequate dosing, treatment interruptions and drug interactions. The treatment of TDR-TB includes antibiotics with disputed or minimal effectiveness against M.tb, and the fatality rate is high. Comorbidities such as diabetes and infection with human immunodeficiency virus further impact on TB treatment options and survival rates. Several new drug candidates with novel modes of action are under late-stage clinical evaluation (e.g., delamanid, bedaquiline, SQ109 and sutezolid). 'Repurposed' antibiotics have also recently been included in the treatment of extensively drug resistant TB. However, because of mutations in M.tb, drugs will not provide a cure for TB in the long term. Adjunct TB therapies, including therapeutic vaccines, vitamin supplementation and/or repurposing of drugs targeting biologically and clinically relevant molecular pathways, may achieve better clinical outcomes in combination with standard chemotherapy. Here, we review broader perspectives of drug resistance in TB and potential adjunct treatment options.

Objective and design The aim of this double-blind, placebo-controlled, phase III CORONA clinical trial was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of IL-6 receptor inhibitor levilimab (LVL) in subjects with severe COVID-19. Subjects The study included 217 patients. The eligible were men and non-pregnant women aged 18 years or older, hospitalized for severe COVID-19 pneumonia. Treatment 206 subjects were randomized (1:1) to receive single subcutaneous administration of LVL 324 mg or placebo, both in combination with standard of care (SOC). 204 patients received allocated therapy. After the LVL/placebo administration in case of deterioration of symptoms, the investigator could perform a single open-label LVL 324 mg administration as the rescue therapy. Methods The primary efficacy endpoint was the proportion of patients with sustained clinical improvement on the 7-category ordinal scale on Day 14. All efficacy data obtained after rescue therapy administration were considered missing. For primary efficacy analysis, all subjects with missing data were considered non-responders. Results 63.1% and 42.7% of patients in the LVL and in the placebo groups, respectively, achieved sustained clinical improvement on Day 14 (P = .0017). The frequency of adverse drug reactions was comparable between the groups. Conclusion In patients with radiologically confirmed SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia, requiring or not oxygen therapy (but not ventilation) with no signs of other active infection administration of LVL + SOC results in an increase of sustained clinical improvement rate. Trail registration The trial is registered at the US National Institutes of Health (ClinicalTrials.gov; NCT04397562).

BackgroundBCD-089 is a fully human monoclonal antibody targeting membrane-bound and soluble forms of IL-6Rα, thereby blocking of IL-6 classic and trans- signalling. IL-6, a proinflammatory cytokine, plays a central role in the pathogenesis of many chronic inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. Thereby inhibition of IL-6 signalling is a promising approach in the treatment of immune-mediated pathology.ObjectivesTo assess safety, immunogenicity, pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of a single administration of BCD-089.MethodsThis was a phase I, open label, single ascending dose clinical study in healthy male volunteers, aged 22–37 years (n=19). In 1 st cohort, one «sentinel» volunteer received 0.006 mg/kg of BCD-089. Volunteers in cohorts 2–7 received single doses of BCD-089 0.3, 0.625, 1.0, 1.6, 2.2 and 2.9 mg/kg, respectively. Every next cohort was included after completed safety evaluation for the previous one. Safety, PK/PD and immunogenicity were assessed during 71 days follow up.ResultsAll enrolled subjects have completed follow up period of 71 days. No withdrawals occurred. Single SC administration of BCD-089 was well tolerated and showed good safety profile at all tested doses: no grade 3/4 AEs, SAEs, DLTs or allergic reactions were reported in any cohort. None of the volunteers developed ADA to BCD-089. The only AEs reported were grade 1 or 2 laboratory abnormalities.Abstract SAT0040 – Table 1Subjects with abnormal test results, n (%). Table shows only cohorts where at least one abnormal test result was reported.Adverse events0.3 mg/kg(n=3)0.625 mg/kg(n=3)1.0 mg/kg (n=3)2.2 mg/kg(n=3)2.9 mg/kg (n=3) Grade 1 WBC decrease--1 (33.3%)2 (66.6%)1 (33.3%)Grade 1 neutropenia--1 (33.3%)1 (33.3%)-Grade 2 neutropenia---1 (33.3%)1 (33.3%)Grade 2 t.bilirubin increase-1 (33.3%)---Grade 1 AST decrease1 (33.3%)----Grade 1 Creatinine decrease-1 (33.3%)---Single SC administration of BCD-089 had a dose-dependent PK: the drug became detectable in the serum within the first 12 hour after injection for all tested doses (2–8 hour for doses>1.0 mg/kg). Serum concentration dose-proportionally increased and reached maximum at day 3 after administration, then gradually decreased. Elimination half-life showed significant inter-personal variability and dose-dependency, reflecting non-linear PK typical for drugs with target-mediated disposition.Abstract SAT0040 – Figure 1BCD-089(A), sIL6R(B), IL6(C) and CRP(D) serum concentration (Median and IQR).The concentration of soluble IL-6 receptor increased after BCD-089 administration in a dose-dependent manner. A raise in the concentration of IL-6 was seen at doses>1.0 mg/kg. Membrane IL-6R saturation of 90%>100% was seen at doses≥0.6 mg/kg. Regardless to the dose, serum CRP decreased below the limit of detection in most volunteers within the first week after injection. All tested PD markers returned to baseline at the end of the follow-up.ConclusionsSingle SC administration of BCD-089 was well tolerated, showed favourable safety profile and low immunogenicity at all tested doses in healthy vo...

The COVID-19 mortality is associated with an increase in interleukin-6 (IL-6) levels. Levilimab is an anti–IL-6 receptor antibody with proven clinical efficacy in patients with severe COVID-19.The aim of the study was to assess the association of COVID-19 severity and levilimab effectiveness with IL-6 levels and to explore the potential for using levilimab in other conditions accompanied by cytokine release syndrome.Materials and methods: the subgroup analysis was based on the data of COVID patients with known baseline IL-6 levels from the CORONA clinical study. Subgroups were formed according to baseline IL-6 levels: ≤5 pg/mL (normal) and >5 pg/mL (elevated). The subgroup analysis included descriptive statistics of the patients and time courses of their clinical and laboratory findings (at screening, on the day of investigational product administration, and further until day 14). In order to compare the percentages of patients who had required rescue therapy, the authors used Fisher's exact test.Results: the subgroup analysis included 91 patients (47 from the levilimab group and 44 from the placebo group). At baseline, the authors observed elevated levels of IL-6 in 31/47 (66%) subjects in the levilimab group and 29/44 (48.4%) subjects in the placebo group. The subjects with elevated IL-6 demonstrated more pronounced clinical signs of pneumonia and abnormalities in inflammatory markers. Elevated baseline IL-6 levels were associated with the need for rescue therapy (OR=3.714; 95% CI: 1.317–9.747; p=0.0183); this association was stronger in the placebo group (OR=8.889; 95% CI: 2.098–33.31; p=0.0036). Also, the placebo group showed long-term abnormalities in the clinical and laboratory findings.Conclusions: IL-6 is one of the key elements in the pathogenesis of cytokine release syndrome related to COVID-19 and other conditions. Elevated IL-6 levels are associated with the severity of COVID-19. Inhibition of IL-6 receptors by levilimab leads to clinical improvement in patients with severe COVID-19, suggesting the effectiveness of levilimab in pathogenesis-oriented therapy for cytokine release syndrome of other aetiologies.

Background. Previously, 24-week results of phase III double-blind, placebo-controlled randomized clinical study (SOLAR) of levilimab in subjects with active rheumatoid arthritis (RA) proved a superiority of levilimab over placebo. Here we present 1-year efficacy and safety data of the SOLAR study.Objective – to evaluate the efficacy and safety of levilimab in combination with methotrexate (MTX) in subjects with MTX resistant active RA.Methods. The study was conducted at 21 clinical sites in Russia and Belarus. All randomized subjects have completed the study between November 2019 and October 2021.154 adults, aged ≥18 years with confirmed diagnosis of RA were randomly assigned (2:1) to receive either levilimab (162 mg, SC, QW) + MTX (n=102) or placebo + MTX (n=52).After W24 of the study all subjects continued to receive open label levilimab. Subjects who have achieved DAS28-CRP≤2.6 at W24 were switched to maintenance (Q2W) regimen of levilimab at W28 (LVL QW/Q2W and PBO/LVL Q2W arms). Those with DAS28-CRP>2.6 at W28 continued with QW regimen (LVL QW and PBO/LVL QW arm). The PBO/LVL Q2W arm contained only one subject, thus not included in the analysis. The efficacy analysis was done in a population of all randomized subjects. Those with missing data due to study discontinuation or rescue therapy prescription were considered non-responders. Otherwise, the analysis was performed on complete cases.Safety was assessed through monitoring of adverse events (AEs) in a population of those, who received at least on dose of LVL (n=152).Results. Better response to treatment was observed in LVL QW/Q2W as it composed of those who reach DAS28-CRP≤2.6 at W24. At this time point 15/27 (55.6%) of them achieved ACR70; 23/27 (85.2%) achieved DAS28-CRP remission (<2.6) and 7/27 (25.9%) achieved ACR/EULAR 2011 remission of RA. After switching to LVL Q2W, rates of ACR70 and DAS28-CRP<2.6 did not significantly changed until W52: 17/27 (63.0%) and 21/27 (77.8%), respectively, yet the proportion of subject with ACR/EULAR 2011 remission further increased and reached 12/27 (44.4%).LVL QW arm was diminished by subjects who achieved high response to treatment at W24 and composed LVL QW/Q2W arm. Thus, ACR70, and remissions rate in this arm was close to zero at W24. However, continuation of LVL QW in those who not achieved DAS28-CRP≤2.6 at W24 induced ACR70 response in 37/75 (36.0%), DAS28-CRP remission in 35/75 (46.7%) and ACR/EULAR 2011 remission in 8/75 (10.7%) at W52.The most common adverse events (reported in ≥5% of subjects) were blood cholesterol increase (30.3%), ALT increase (23.0%), lymphocyte count decrease (17.1%), ANC decrease (16.4%). blood triglycerides increase (13.8%), bilirubin increase (11.2%), AST increase (9.9%), WBC decrease (9.9%), IGRA with Mycobacterium tuberculosis antigen positive (7.2%) and injection site reactions (5.9%). No deaths were occurred.Conclusions. Open label period confirmed the lasting efficacy and safety of levilimab in combination with MTX in subjects with MTX resistant active RA and suggested the possibility of switching to maintenance (Q2W) regimen in those who achieved remission of RA at week 24.