Apellis to Present Positive Results from the Phase 2 DISCOVERY Study of Pegcetacoplan in C3 Glomerulopathy (C3G) at ASN Kidney Week

• Results demonstrate a greater than 65% mean reduction in proteinuria at week 48 in C3G patients treated with pegcetacoplan
  
• Sustained improvements were seen across key clinical measures at 48 weeks
• There are no approved medicines for C3G, a rare disease that often leads to kidney failure
  

WALTHAM, Mass., Oct. 09, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Apellis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: APLS), a global biopharmaceutical company and leader in targeted C3 therapies, today announced that positive results from the Phase 2 DISCOVERY study evaluating pegcetacoplan, a targeted C3 therapy, in patients with C3 glomerulopathy (C3G) will be presented at the American Society of Nephrology (ASN) Kidney Week on October 22, 2020. The 48-week results show that patients treated with pegcetacoplan demonstrated sustained improvements across key clinical measures including a greater than 65% mean reduction in proteinuria, which is an important marker of renal damage. C3G is a rare, complement-driven kidney disease with no approved medicines.

In five C3G patients treated with pegcetacoplan, mean (SE) proteinuria decreased from 3.48 (0.82) mg/mg at baseline to 0.93 (0.27) mg/mg at week 48, a decrease of 73.3%, as measured by 24-hour urine protein-to-creatinine ratio (uPCR). Importantly, this reduction in proteinuria was accompanied by a corresponding increase in mean serum albumin. Other biomarkers improved, including an observed increase in mean serum C3 and stabilization of renal function, as measured by mean serum creatinine. No serious or severe adverse events were reported, and pegcetacoplan was well tolerated overall.

“There is an urgent need for treatments for C3G, a disease that ultimately leads to kidney failure for about half of people living with the disease. These positive results highlight the potential of pegcetacoplan to make a meaningful difference for the C3G community and further strengthen our confidence in targeting C3 across multiple complement-driven diseases,” said Federico Grossi, M.D., Ph.D., Chief Medical Officer of Apellis. “We are working quickly to progress a registrational program of our targeted C3 therapy for people living with C3G.”

Earlier this week, Apellis announced that it was advancing Phase 2 and Phase 3 studies of pegcetacoplan in patients with C3G or immune complex membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis (IC-MPGN), another rare, complement-driven kidney disease with no approved medicines.