Two Arm, Double-blind, Phase III Study Assessing Efficacy and Safety of Ianalumab Versus Placebo, in Participants With Sjögren's Disease With High Symptom Burden
A Randomized, Double-blind, Placebo-controlled, 2-arm Multicenter Phase III Study to Assess the Efficacy and Safety of Ianalumab in Participants With Sjogren's Disease With High Symptom Burden (THALASSA)
Who can join
As published by the study on ClinicalTrials.gov. "Not stated" means the study hasn't said — ask the study team.
- Age
- 18 Years and older
- Sex
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Compensation
- Not stated
Other requirements are listed under Eligibility below. Only the study team can confirm whether you can join.
What to expect
No one can promise a trial will help you personally — that is what the research is trying to find out.
What participation involves
Not stated in the study description — ask the study team about visits and procedures.
- Compensation
- Not stated
- Study-related exams and procedures are typically provided at no cost. This is how many trials work in general — confirm the details for this study with the study team.
- Participants are monitored closely by the research team throughout the study.
- Some participants may receive access to an investigational treatment, which is still being studied.
- Your participation helps researchers learn whether this approach could help future patients.
About this study
In plain language
This study tests how well ianalumab works and how safe it is for adults with Sjögren’s disease and a high level of symptoms. Participants receive either 300 mg of ianalumab or a placebo (a treatment with no active drug) as a shot under the skin each month for 52 weeks.
The purpose of this study is to demonstrate the efficacy and safety of ianalumab (VAY736) 300 mg administered subcutaneously (s.c.) monthly for 52 weeks in adult participants with Sjögren's disease who have high symptom burden.
Compensation is read from the study's own description and may be missing — always confirm with the study team.
Eligibility
Who can join
- Be at least 18 years old, or the legal adult age in your country if higher.
- Have Sjögren’s disease that meets the study’s medical standards.
- Have anti-Ro/SSA antibodies, which are immune system proteins, on a screening blood test.
- Have mouth dryness and overall symptom scores of at least 5 on the study’s SSSD survey, recorded over 14 days in a row.
- Have blood or lab changes linked to Sjögren’s disease that score above 0 on the study’s ESSDAI measure.
- Make more than 0.3 mL of saliva per minute during a test that stimulates saliva flow.
- If taking hydroxychloroquine, take no more than 400 mg a day. The dose must be unchanged for at least 4 weeks before screening and stay the same during the 52-week treatment period.
- Prednisone or prednisolone up to 5 mg a day, or an equal dose of a similar drug, is allowed for up to 16 weeks after treatment assignment.
Who can't join
- Have another active immune disease affecting joints or connective tissues that is your main illness, such as systemic sclerosis.
- Have another active connective tissue disease that needs immune-suppressing treatment outside this study and would interfere with checks of how Sjögren’s affects your organs.
- Have or have had fibromyalgia, a condition that causes widespread pain, or overlapping diseases that cause inflammation.
- Received treatment that lowers B cells (a type of immune cell) within 36 weeks before treatment assignment, or still have B-cell counts below the study’s required level.
- Have ever received ianalumab.
- Recently received certain immune-targeting treatments, including iscalimab, belimumab, abatacept, TNF blockers, immune proteins, plasma exchange, or other experimental biologic drugs for Sjögren’s. The waiting period depends on how long the drug stays in the body.
- Used medicines that weaken the immune system, such as methotrexate, cyclophosphamide, mycophenolate, azathioprine, cyclosporine, or JAK inhibitors, within at least 4 weeks before screening. Some drugs require a longer wait.
- Have had an allergic reaction to a study drug, its ingredients, or a similar type of drug.
Simplified for readability. The official criteria below are what the study team uses.
Official eligibility criteria
Inclusion Criteria: * Male or female participants ≥ 18 years of age or as per country-specific legal adult age, whichever is higher * Classification of Sjögren's disease according to ACR/EULAR 2016 criteria. * Seropositive for anti-Ro/SSA antibodies at screening * SSSD oral dryness score ≥ 5 and overall SSSD summary score ≥5 collected over 14 consecutive days during the Screening 2 period * Screening ESSDAI biologic and/or hematologic domain \> 0 Note: laboratory abnormalities for scoring must be confirmed as associated with Sjögren's disease and not be due to other underlying conditions. * Stimulated whole salivary flow (sSF) rate \> 0.3 mL/min at screening * Participants taking hydroxychloroquine (≤ 400 mg/day) are allowed to continue their medication, and must have been on a stable dose for at least 4 weeks prior to screening, which should be maintained throughout the 52 weeks of the blinded treatment period. * Predniso(lo)ne ≤ 5 mg/day or equivalent are allowed for up to 16 weeks post-randomization. Exclusion Criteria: * Presence of another autoimmune rheumatic disease that is active and constitutes the principal illness, specifically: * Systemic sclerosis (SSc) * Any other associated connective tissue disease (e.g., lupus nephritis (LN), large vessel vasculitis (LVV), Sharp syndrome (mixed connective tissue disease)) that is active and requires immunosuppressive treatment outside the scope of this trial and would impede on Sjögren's disease organ domain assessments. * Concurrent diagnosis or history of fibromyalgia or overlapping inflammatory diseases * Prior treatment with B-cell-depleting therapy (e.g., rituximab, other anti-CD20 mAb, anti-CD22 mAb, or anti-CD52 mAb) within: * 36 weeks prior to randomization, or * As long as B-cell count is less than the lower limit of normal (LLN) or baseline value prior to receipt of previous B-cell-depleting therapy (whichever is lower) at Screening. * Prior treatment with ianalumab * Prior treatment with any of the following within the given period prior to Screening: * Within 5 half-lives prior to Screening: iscalimab (anti-CD 40 mAb), belimumab (anti-BAFF mAb), abatacept (CTLA4-Fc Ig), anti-tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFα) biologic agents, immunoglobulins (i.v./s.c.), plasmapheresis, any other investigational biologic medicines under investigation for Sjögren's disease * Within 4 weeks OR drug-specific 5 half-lives elimination period (if longer than 4 weeks) prior to screening: i.v. or oral cyclophosphamide, mycophenolate mofetil (MMF), methotrexate, azathioprine, i.v. or oral cyclosporine A or any other immunosuppressants (e.g., JAK inhibitors or other kinase inhibitors). * History of hypersensitivity to any of the study drugs or their excipients, or to drugs of similar chemical classes (e.g., mAb of IgG1 class) or to any of the constituents of the study drug formulation (sucrose, L-histidine hydrochloride/L-histidine, polysorbate 20).
Study sites (20)
AZ
- Sun Valley Arthritis Center Ltd · Peoria, AZ 85381Jessica Peters · Study contact · +1 623 825 5591 · jessica.peters@sclamanagement.comJoy Schechtman · Principal investigatorMore trials in Peoria
FL
- Clinical Res Of W Florida · Clearwater, FL 33765Bridget Ben-Hayon · Study contact · +1 727 466 0078 · bben@crwf.comRodney Daniel · Principal investigatorMore trials in Clearwater
- Clinical Research of West Florida Inc · Tampa, FL 33606Sydney K Mullen · Study contact · +1 813 870 1292 · smullen@crwf.comJohn Carter · Principal investigatorMore trials in Tampa
IL
- Willow Rheumatology Wellness · Willowbrook, IL 60527Avni Singh · Study contact · +1 630 794 8649 · asingh@willowrheum.comAngela R Crowley · Principal investigatorMore trials in Willowbrook
MA
- Tufts Medical Center · Boston, MA 02111Elizabeth Tzavaras · Study contact · +1 504 427 7001 · Elizabeth.Tzavaras@tufts.eduAthena Papas · Principal investigatorMore trials in Boston
MI
- Clinical Research Inst of MI · Saint Clair Shores, MI 48081Amelia Laurence · Study contact · +1 586 777 7577 · alaurence@researchmi.comAndrew Sulich · Principal investigatorMore trials in Saint Clair Shores
NC
- On Site Clinical Solutions Llc · Charlotte, NC 28202Roshini Narayanaswamy · Study contact · rnara@onsiteclinical.comRakesh C Patel · Principal investigatorMore trials in Charlotte
- Carolina Arthritis Associates · Wilmington, NC 28401Jodi Daniel · Study contact · +1 910 762 1182 · study@carolinaarthritis.comMark Harris · Principal investigatorMore trials in Wilmington
NJ
- Arthritis Rheumatology and Bone Disease Associates PA · Voorhees Township, NJ 08043Shannon Chalginow · Study contact · +1856 424 5005 · schalginow@arbda.comNadishani Dissanayaka · Principal investigatorMore trials in Voorhees Township
NY
- St Lawrence Health System · Potsdam, NY 13676Mckailey Lyndaker · Study contact · +1 315 261 5611 · mckailey.lyndaker@rochesterregional.orgEyal Kedar · Principal investigatorMore trials in Potsdam
OK
- RAO Research LLC · Oklahoma City, OK 73116Mary Turner · Study contact · +1 405 608 8060 · mturner@raoklahoma.comJohn Goetzinger · Principal investigatorMore trials in Oklahoma City
TN
- West Tennessee Research Institute · Jackson, TN 38305Judith Padilla · Study contact · +1 731 664 0002 · jpadilla@arthritisclinic.orgJacob A Aelion · Principal investigatorMore trials in Jackson
- Shelby Research LLC · Memphis, TN 38119Subhash Eedarapalli · Study contact · +1 901 681 9670 · shelbyres261@outlook.comRamesh C Gupta · Principal investigatorMore trials in Memphis
TX
- Novel Research LLC · Bellaire, TX 77401Hassan Khan · Study contact · +1 281 944 3610 · khan@novelresearch.netWajeeha Yousaf · Principal investigatorMore trials in Bellaire
- Arthritis Care of Texas · Corpus Christi, TX 78415Tatum Trevino · Study contact · +1 361 400 7700 · tatum.trevino@sclamanagement.comEric Ping Chiang · Principal investigatorMore trials in Corpus Christi
- Precision Comprehensive Clinical Research Solutions · Euless, TX 76040Akshay Shetty · Study contact · ashetty@pccrsolutions.comRenuka Basavaraju · Principal investigatorMore trials in Euless
- Abigail Neiman MD PA · Houston, TX 77024Hina Arshad · Study contact · +1 832 834 5627 · hina@novelresearch.netAbigail Neiman · Principal investigatorMore trials in Houston
- Accurate Clinical Research · League City, TX 77573David Batista · Study contact · +1 281 422 7179 · dbatista@accurateclinicalresearch.comSabeen Najam · Principal investigatorMore trials in League City
- TEKTON · Leander, TX 78641Michael Helms · Study contact · +1 512 388 5717 · michael.helms@tektonresearch.comPaul K Pickrell · Principal investigatorMore trials in Leander
WA
- Arthritis Northwest PLLC · Spokane, WA 99216Corine Nguyen · Study contact · +1 509 838 6500 · cnguyen@arthritisnw.comMichael C Coan · Principal investigatorMore trials in Spokane