Everest therapy shows promise in nephropathy trial

Data highlights effectiveness of EVER001 in treating pMN

Everest Medicines has announced promising results from the Phase 1b/2a clinical trial of EVER001, a novel Bruton’s tyrosine kinase (BTK) inhibitor, for treating primary membranous nephropathy (pMN).

The data, available as of September 13, 2024, shows that 81.8% of patients in the low-dose cohort and 85.7% in the high-dose cohort achieved overall clinical remission.

“These encouraging results from our preliminary analysis highlight the potential of EVER001 as a next-generation BTK inhibitor for treating autoimmune renal diseases,” said Rogers Yongqing Luo, Chief Executive Officer of Everest Medicines. “We look forward to sharing detailed data in future conferences and publications.”

The study included 31 patients with biopsy-proven pMN in China. EVER001 was generally safe and well-tolerated, with no significant adverse events associated with earlier-generation BTK inhibitors reported.

In the low-dose cohort, 91% achieved immunological complete remission, while the high-dose cohort saw a 100% rate by week 24.

EVER001 offers potentially best-in-class characteristics, including improved selectivity and high potency, compared to covalent irreversible BTK inhibitors. Everest Medicines holds global rights to EVER001 for the treatment of renal diseases.

The trial’s success marks the first disclosure of results from Everest Medicines’ global pipeline, emphasising the company’s commitment to addressing urgent clinical needs in nephrology.

Everest Medicines continues to drive the clinical development of EVER001 to improve remission rates and reduce relapse in patients with pMN, a condition affecting millions worldwide.

Membranous nephropathy, prevalent in China and other regions, lacks approved drugs for its treatment.

Current treatment goals focus on improving remission rates and minimising chronic toxicity risks from available therapies.