Amgen presents new data that show blood decreases for adults treated with Krystexxa (pegloticase).

The data was presented at the American Society of Nephrology Kidney Week, taking place Nov. 2-5, in Philadelphia.

"As we seek to address the overall burden of uncontrolled gout, especially in those with coexisting chronic kidney disease, it is critical to further understand the benefits of treatment," said Dr. Brad Marder, medical director, nephrology at Amgen. "Recognizing the high prevalence of hypertension among these patients, we're excited to present data that offers new insight into the potential role of urate reduction with Krystexxa with methotrexate in regulating blood pressure."

In the MIRROR randomized controlled trial , 152 adults were randomized 2:1 to receive Krystexxa with methotrexate (n=100) or Krystexxa with placebo (n=52) for 52 weeks. Treatment groups had similar blood pressure prior to treatment. The decrease in systolic blood pressure during treatment was greater at Week 24 of treatment (-6±16 vs. -1±18 mmHg) and more sustained over the full 52-week treatment period in patients receiving Krystexxa with methotrexate than in those receiving Krystexxa with placebo. Compared to those with pre-treatment CKD (eGFR less than 60 ml/min/1.73 m2), patients without pre-treatment CKD had a more pronounced decrease in blood pressure after Week 24 of treatment, with differences persisting through Week 52 of treatment.

"Given the myriad of comorbidities uncontrolled gout patients live with, it is critical that clinicians understand the systemic connections and potential benefits of urate reduction," said Prof. Richard J. Johnson, Division of Renal Diseases and Hypertension, University of Colorado Denver - Anschutz Medical Campus. "These new data add to prior studies and further support the potential role that both Kyrstexxa urate-lowering and methotrexate administration played in the blood pressure changes observed."

Additional presentations include data from a validated microsimulation model used to project the potential health and economic benefits of effective serum urate reduction in those with both CKD and gout. In patients projected to have oral urate-lowering therapy inefficacy, treatment with Krystexxa was projected to prevent 300,000 cases of uncontrolled gout by 2035 in this vulnerable CKD population.