Biogen Inc. (BIIB), a biotechnology company, and UCB SA (UCB.BR), a biopharmaceutical company, on Thursday released clinical data from the PHOENYCS GO program, including Phase 3 PHOENYCS results, for dapirolizumab pegol in treating systemic lupus erythematosus. Data was presented at the European Alliance of Associations for Rheumatology (EULAR) 2026 congress.
Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic autoimmune disease that effects the skin, joints, kidneys, and associated organ systems in affected individuals. Patients experience periodic flares characterized by a transient worsening of disease activity, leading to increased morbidity and even early mortality. The disease is often treated with glucocorticosteroids, which can cause significant cumulative toxicity.
Severity of the disease is measured using BILAG-2004 and SLE-Responder Index 4 (SRI-4) scores, developed to assess disease activity in SLE. The BILAG-Based Composite Lupus Assessment (BICLA) is another global validated composite scale to measure lupus progression.
Daprolizumab pegol (DZP) is a novel investigational humanized Fc-free polyethylene glycol conjugated with a fragment antigen-binding (Fab) region, that reduces B-cell activation, autoantibody production and attenuates T-cell activation. The drug is being advanced for the treatment of SLE under a collaboration between Biogen and UCB.
The post-hoc analyses of the PHOENYCS GO program suggested that patients on DZP therapy, while tapering use of the glucocorticoid steroid prednisone, showed a durable disease control by week 48. Patients on 7.5 mg of prednisone a day were treated with DZP and a standard-of-care therapy, showing sustained glucocorticoid tapering while achieving a BICLA and SRI-4 response, or remaining free from moderate-to-severe BILAG-2004 flares.
Additional results indicated the stabilization of immunological markers that showed abnormal levels at the baseline, noting significant reductions in anti-dsDNA antibodies, while complement proteins like C3 and C4 increased. A deeper insight into the assessment of flares and other symptoms was also gained, as burdensome symptoms like fatigue are often inadequately recorded in clinical trials.
BIIB closed Wednesday at $195.96, up 3.78%. In the pre-market, shares are trading at $190.75, down 2.66%.
UCB.BR is currently trading on Euronext Brussels at EUR 258.60, up 2.66%.
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