Novartis' Ianalumab Wins Breakthrough Therapy Tag for Sjogren's Disease

Core Insights - Novartis' ianalumab received Breakthrough Therapy designation from the FDA for treating adult patients with Sjogren's disease, a chronic autoimmune disorder [1][6] - Ianalumab is a monoclonal antibody that targets the BAFF receptor to deplete B-cells and inhibit their activation and survival [1] - The Breakthrough Therapy designation is based on positive results from phase III NEPTUNUS-1 and NEPTUNUS-2 studies, which showed significant improvements in disease activity compared to placebo [2][6] Clinical Data - The NEPTUNUS studies demonstrated clinically meaningful reductions in ESSDAI scores, a measure of systemic disease activity in Sjogren's syndrome [2] - Ianalumab exhibited a favorable safety profile, with tolerable side effects reported [3] - If approved, ianalumab would be the first targeted therapy for Sjogren's disease [3] Regulatory and Market Outlook - Novartis plans to submit regulatory applications for ianalumab to global health authorities, including the FDA, starting in early 2026 [3][6] - Over the past year, Novartis shares have increased by 48%, outperforming the industry average rise of 24.1% [3] Pipeline Expansion - Ianalumab is also being investigated for other B-cell-driven autoimmune diseases, including immune thrombocytopenia, systemic lupus erythematosus, and lupus nephritis [8] - Positive results from the phase III VAYHIT2 study indicated that ianalumab combined with eltrombopag extended disease control in ITP patients by 45% [9] - In the VAYHIT2 study, 62% of patients treated with ianalumab achieved sustained platelet response compared to 39% in the placebo group [10]