Orelabrutinib, an irreversible inhibitor of Bruton’s tyrosine kinase, for the treatment of systemic lupus erythematosus: a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, phase Ib/IIa study

Orelabrutinib is a highly selective, irreversible inhibitor of Bruton’s tyrosine kinase (BTK). It has shown promising results in animal models, indicating potential for treating systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). A multicentre, double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled, phase Ib/IIa trial (NCT04305197) was conducted. Sixty SLE patients were randomised 1:1:1:1 to receive oral orelabrutinib (50, 80, 100 mg) or placebo once daily for 12 weeks. A total of 55 patients completed the trial. In all evaluable patients, the SRI-4 rates at week 12 were 50%, 62%, and 64% for orelabrutinib at 50 mg, 80 mg, and 100 mg, respectively, compared with 36% for placebo. Among patients with baseline SLEDAI-2K > 8, significantly higher SRI-4 responses were noted with orelabrutinib at 50 mg (80%, p  = 0·048), 80 mg (83%, p  = 0·048), and 100 mg (100%, p  = 0·029) compared to placebo (0%). Adverse events were mostly mild or moderate in the study. In summary, orelabrutinib was effective and well-tolerated in SLE patients.