Oral Sabizabulin for High-Risk, Hospitalized Adults with Covid-19: Interim Analysis
Ph.D K Gary Barnette, M.D Michael S Gordon, M.D Domingo Rodriguez, T Gary Bird, M.D Alan Skolnick, M.D Michael Schnaus, M.D Paula K Skarda, M.D Suzana Lobo, M.D Eduardo Sprinz, M.D Georgi Arabadzhiev, M.D Petar Kalaydzhiev, M.D Mitchell Steiner
NEJM Evidence, doi:10.1056/evidoa2200145
BACKGROUND Sabizabulin is an oral, novel microtubule disruptor that has dual antiviral and anti-inflammatory activities in preclinical models. METHODS A randomized, multicenter placebo-controlled phase 3 clinical trial was conducted with hospitalized patients with moderate to severe Covid-19 who were at high risk for acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and death. Patients were randomly assigned (2:1) to 9 mg of oral sabizabulin or placebo daily (up to 21 days). The primary end point was all-cause mortality up to day 60. Key secondary end points were days in the intensive care unit (ICU), days on mechanical ventilation, and days in the hospital. RESULTS A total of 204 patients were randomly assigned to treatment: 134 to sabizabulin and 70 to placebo. Baseline characteristics were similar. Sabizabulin superiority was demonstrated by a planned interim analysis for the first 150 randomized patients. Sabizabulin treatment resulted in a 24.9 percentage point absolute reduction and a 55.2% relative reduction in deaths compared with placebo (odds ratio, 3.23; 95% CI confidence interval, 1.45 to 7.22; P50.0042). The mortality rate was 20.2% (19 of 94) for sabizabulin versus 45.1% (23 of 51) for placebo. For the key secondary end points, sabizabulin treatment resulted in a 43% relative reduction in ICU days (P50.0013), a 49% relative reduction in days on mechanical ventilation (P50.0013), and a 26% relative reduction in days in the hospital (P50.0277) versus placebo. Adverse and serious adverse events were lower in the sabizabulin group compared with the placebo group. CONCLUSIONS Sabizabulin treatment resulted in a 24.9% absolute reduction in deaths compared with placebo in hospitalized patients with moderate to severe Covid-19 at high risk for ARDS and death, with a lower incidence of adverse and serious adverse events compared with placebo. (Funded by Veru, Inc.; ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT04842747.)
Author Affiliations 1 Veru, Inc., Miami 2 HonorHealth Research Institute, Scottsdale, AZ 3 Memorial Hermann, Memorial City Medical Center, Houston
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