The Data Monitoring Committee (DMC) concluded that the pre-specified futility threshold was met and that there was no safety concern.

Clinical phase 3 study to investigate the effect of recAP on 28 day mortality in patients admitted to the ICU with acute kidney injury that is caused by sepsis.

The study has three distinct SA-AKI trial populations:

1. The main trial population: Patients with a pre-AKI reference eGFR ≥45 mL/min/1.73 m2 and no proven or suspected SARS-CoV-2 at time of randomization.
2. A 'moderate' CKD population: Patients with a pre-AKI reference eGFR ≥25 and <45 mL/min/1.73 m2 and no proven or suspected SARS-CoV-2 at time of randomization.
3. A Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) population: Patients with proven or suspected SARS-CoV-2 at time of randomization with or without 'moderate' CKD. For patients in this population, COVID-19 should be the main cause of SA-AKI.

In the main study population approximately 1400 patients will be enrolled and in the two cohorts with moderate CKD and COVID-19 each up to 100 patients.

There are two arms in the study, one with active treatment and one with an inactive compound (placebo). Treatment is by 1 hour intravenous infusion, for three days. Patients are followed up for 28 days to see if there is an improvement on mortality, and followed for 90 and 180 days for mortality and other outcomes e.g. long-term kidney function and quality of life.

Sepsis is the leading cause of acute kidney injury (AKI) and a major cause of death. Patients with SA-AKI have a high mortality and morbidity and are at risk of developing chronic kidney disease. AP is a homodimeric endogenous enzyme present in many cells and organs, e.g., intestines, placenta, liver, bone, kidney, and granulocytes. It exerts detoxifying effects through dephosphorylation of endotoxins; pathogen associated molecular pattern molecules (PAMPS e.g., lipopolysaccharide) and damage-associated molecular pattern molecules (DAMPS e.g., adenosine tri- and di-phosphate). In animal models of sepsis and AKI, administration of AP attenuates the inflammatory response, improves renal function and/or reduces mortality.

AM-Pharma B.V. is developing AP as a novel, recombinant chimeric human AP medicinal product, called recAP, to be used as an intravenous infusion for the treatment of SA-AKI. In the Phase 2 trial STOP-AKI, a survival benefit was observed in the two highest dose groups, 0.8 mg/kg and 1.6 mg/kg groups, compared to the placebo group. There were no safety or tolerability concerns for any of the doses tested (0.4, 0.8 and 1.6 mg/kg). The 1.6 mg/kg recAP dose was selected for this Phase 3 trial based on the significant survival benefit observed. PK/PD simulations also confirmed this dose to have the most pronounced treatment effect.

The primary objective of this Phase 3 trial is to confirm the mortality benefit seen in STOP-AKI by demonstrating a reduction in 28 day all cause mortality in patients with SA-AKI treated with 1.6 mg/kg recAP.

Inclusion Criteria:

1. 18 years or older.

2. In the ICU or intermediate care unit for clinical reasons.

3. Have sepsis requiring vasopressor (norepinephrine, epinephrine, dopamine, phenylephrine, vasopressin, or angiotensin II) therapy, i.e.:

   1. suspected or proven bacterial or viral infection. and
   2. on vasopressor therapy (≥0.1 µg/kg/min norepinephrine or equivalent) for sepsis-induced hypotension for at least one hour despite adequate fluid resuscitation according to clinical judgement. Following the initial one hour on at least 0.1 µg/kg/min norepinephrine or equivalent, any dose of vasopressor counts as vasopressor therapy.

   The combination of a) and b) automatically ensures that patients fulfill the Sepsis 3 criteria as 0.1 µg/kg/min norepinephrine corresponds to a score of +4 on the Cardiovascular sub-score of the SOFA score.

4. Have AKI according to at least one of the below KDIGO criteria, a to d:

   1. An absolute increase in serum or plasma creatinine (CR) by ≥0.3 mg/dL (≥26.5 µmol/L) within 48 hours.

      or

   2. A relative increase in CR to ≥1.5 times the pre-AKI reference CR value which is known or presumed to have occurred within prior 7 days.

      or

   3. A decrease in urinary output to <0.5 mL/kg/hour for a minimum of 6 hours following adequate fluid resuscitation.

   or d) If the patient does not have a known history of CKD and there is no pre-AKI reference CR value available from the past 12 months available from the past 12 months: a CR value greater or equal to the levels presented in Table 1, with the increase in CR presumed to have occurred within prior 7 days.

5. Provision of signed and dated ICF in accordance with local regulations.

Exclusion Criteria:

1. a) At sites where enrolment of 'moderate' CKD patients is allowed, patients with 'severe' CKD defined as a pre-AKI reference eGFR <25 mL/min/1.73 m2 are excluded.

   • For patients with known CKD, the most recent eGFR prior to index hospitalization needs to be documented as ≥25 mL/min/1.73 m2.

   • For patients with known CKD but no known eGFR prior to hospitalization, presentation eGFR between 25-60 mL/min/1.73 m2 can also be used to rule out 'severe' CKD.

     b) At sites where enrolment of 'moderate' CKD patients is NOT allowed, patients with 'moderate' and 'severe' CKD defined as a pre-AKI reference eGFR <45 mL/min/1.73 m2 are excluded.

   • For patients with known CKD, the most recent eGFR prior to index hospitalization needs to be documented as ≥45 mL/min/1.73 m2.

   • For patients with known CKD but no known eGFR prior to hospitalization, presentation eGFR between 45-60 mL/min/1.73 m2 can also be used to rule out 'moderate' and 'severe' CKD.

2. Advanced chronic liver disease, defined as a Child-Pugh score of 10 to 15 (Class C).

3. Acute pancreatitis without proven infection.

4. Urosepsis related to suspected or proven urinary tract obstruction.

5. Main cause of AKI not sepsis.

6. Proven or suspected SARS-CoV-2 infection. NOTE: This exclusion criterion does not apply to patients in the COVID-19 population, in which COVID-19 should be the main cause of SA-AKI.

7. Severe burns requiring ICU treatment.

8. Severely immunosuppressed, e.g. due to:

   • hematopoietic cell transplantation within past 6 months prior to Screening or acute or chronic graft-versus-host disease
   • solid organ transplantation
   • leukopenia not related to sepsis, i.e., preceding sepsis
   • Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)/Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS)
   • receiving chemotherapy within 30 days prior to Screening.

9. At high risk of being LTFU, e.g., due to known current or recent (within the last 6 months) IV drug abuse or known to be homeless.

10. Limitations to use of mechanical ventilation (MV), RRT or vasopressors and inotropes (NOTE: limitation of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) only is not an exclusion criterion).

11. Previous administration of recAP.

12. Use of a non-marketed drug within the last month or concurrent or planned participation in a clinical trial for a non-marketed drug or device. (NOTE: Co-enrollment or concurrent participation in observational, non-interventional trials using no protocolized treatments or procedures are always allowed. Co-enrollment or concurrent participation in trials using protocolized treatments or procedures, e.g. blood draws, requires pre-approval by the TSC).

13. Current or planned extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO).

14. On RRT >24 hours before start of trial drug.

15. No longer on vasopressor therapy at time of randomization.

16. On continuous vasopressor therapy for >72 hours before start of trial drug.

17. Estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) >60 mL/min/1.73 m2 based on the most recent available CR sample at time of screening (NOTE: will often be the sample used to diagnose AKI). eGFR should be calculated using the Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiology Collaboration (CKD-EPI) formula. In Japan, the CKD-EPI formula with Japanese coefficient should be used. If local regulations prohibit correcting for race in the calculation of eGFR, it is acceptable to use the formula without correcting for race.

18. Not feasible to start trial drug within:

    1. 48 hours from AKI diagnosis, when AKI diagnosis precedes start of vasopressor therapy.

       or

    2. 24 hours from AKI diagnosis, when AKI is diagnosed after start of vasopressor therapy.

19. Pregnant or nursing women.