Sotatercept Safety and Effects on Hemoglobin, Bone, and Vascular Calcification

INTRODUCTION: Patients with end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) exhibit anemia, chronic kidney disease‒mineral bone disorder (CKD–MBD), and cardiovascular disease. The REN-001 and REN-002 phase II, multicenter, randomized studies examined safety, tolerability, and effects of sotatercept, an ActRIIA-IgG1 fusion protein trap, on hemoglobin concentration; REN-001 also explored effects on bone mineral density (BMD) and abdominal aortic vascular calcification. METHODS: Forty-three patients were treated in REN-001 (dose range: sotatercept 0.3‒0.7 mg/kg or placebo subcutaneously [s.c.] for 200 days) and 50 in REN-002 (dose range: 0.1‒0.4 mg/kg i.v. and 0.13‒0.5 mg/kg s.c. for 99 days). RESULTS: In REN-001, frequency of achieving target hemoglobin response (>10 g/dl [6.21 mmol/l]) with sotatercept was dose-related and greater than placebo (0.3 mg/kg: 33.3%; 0.5 mg/kg: 62.5%; 0.7 mg/kg: 77.8%; 0.7 mg/kg [doses 1 and 2]/0.4 mg/kg [doses 3‒15]: 33.3%; placebo: 27.3%). REN-002 hemoglobin findings were similar (i.v.: 16.7%−57.1%; s.c.: 11.1%‒42.9%). Dose-related achievement of ≥2% increase in femoral neck cortical BMD was seen among only REN-001 patients receiving sotatercept (0.3‒0.7 mg/kg: 20.0%‒57.1%; placebo: 0.0%). Abdominal aortic vascular calcification was slowed in a dose-related manner, with a ≤15% increase in Agatston score achieved by more REN-001 sotatercept versus placebo patients (60%‒100% vs. 16.7%). The most common adverse events during treatment were hypertension, muscle spasm, headache, arteriovenous fistula site complication, and influenza observed in both treatment and placebo groups. CONCLUSION: In patients with ESKD, sotatercept exhibited a favorable safety profile and was associated with trends in dose-related slowing of vascular calcification. Less-consistent trends in improved hemoglobin concentration and BMD were observed.