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Drug Trial Snapshot: WINLEVI

HOW TO USE THIS SNAPSHOT
The information provided in Snapshots highlights who participated in the clinical trials that supported the FDA approval of this drug, and whether there were differences among sex, race and age groups. The “MORE INFO” bar shows more detailed, technical content for each section. The Snapshot is intended as one tool for consumers to use when discussing the risks and benefits of the drugs.

LIMITATIONS OF THIS SNAPSHOT:
Do not rely on Snapshots to make decisions regarding medical care. Always speak to your health provider about the risks and benefits of a drug. Refer to the  WINLEVI Package Insert for complete information.

WINLEVI (clascoterone)
(Win-levē)
Cassiopea SpA
Approval date: August 26, 2020


DRUG TRIALS SNAPSHOT SUMMARY:

What is the drug for?

WINLEVI is used on the skin to treat acne vulgaris in patients 12 years and older.

Acne vulgaris is a skin disease characterized by oily skin, blackheads or whiteheads, pimples, and sometimes scarring.

How is this drug used?

WINLEVI is a cream. It should be applied to the affected skin area twice a day.

What are the benefits of this drug?

More patients achieved a reduction in the number of acne and clear, or almost clear, skin after 12 weeks of treatment with WINLEVI in comparison to those who were treated with vehicle cream (placebo).

Were there any differences in how well the drug worked in clinical trials among sex, race and age?

  • Sex: WINLEVI worked similarly in males and females.
  • Race: The majority of patients were White. The number of patients in other races was limited; therefore, differences in how WINLEVI worked among races could not be determined.
  • Age: WINLEVI worked similarly in patients 12-17 years of age and 18 years and older.

What are the possible side effects?

WINLEVI may cause local skin irritation, adrenal gland suppression and elevated serum potassium.

The most common side effect of WINLEVI are reddening, itching, and scaling or dryness of the skin being treated.

Were there any differences in side effects among sex, race and age?

  • Sex: The occurrence of side effects was similar in males and females.
  • Race: The majority of patients were White. The number of patients in other races was limited; therefore, differences in the occurrence of side effects among races could not be determined.
  • Age: The occurrence of side effects was similar in patients 12-17 years of age and 18 years and older.

WHO WAS IN THE CLINICAL TRIALS?

Who participated in the clinical trials?

The FDA approved WINLEVI based on evidence from two clinical trials (Trial 1/NCT02608450 and Trial 2/NCT02608476) of 1440 patients with acne vulgaris. The trials were conducted at 99 sites in the United States, Poland, Romania, Bulgaria, Ukraine, Georgia, and Serbia.

Figure 1 summarizes how many males and females were in the clinical trials.

Figure 1. Demographics by Sex

Pie chart summarizing how many men and women were in the clinical trial. In total, 900 women (63%) and 540 men (37%) participated in the clinical trial.

FDA Review

Figure 2 summarizes the percentage of patients by race in the clinical trials.

Figure 2. Demographics by Race

Pie chart summarizing the percentage of patients by race enrolled in the clinical trial. In total, 1300 White (90%), 82 Black or African American  (6%), 23 Asian (2%) and 18 Other (1%)

FDA Review

Figure 3 summarizes the percentage of patients by age in the clinical trials.

Figure 3. Demographics by Age

Pie charts summarizing how many individuals of certain age groups were enrolled in the clinical trial. In total,  19 (1%) were 9 – 11 years, 641 patients were 12-17 years (45%) and 780 (54%) were 18 – 58 years.

FDA Review

Figure 4 summarizes the percentage of patients by ethnicity in the clinical trials.

Figure 4. Baseline Demographics by Ethnicity

Pie charts summarizing ethnicity of patients enrolled in the clinical trial. In total,  203 patients were Hispanic or Latino (14%) and 1237 patients were not Hispanic or Latino (86%).

FDA Review

 

How were the trials designed?

The benefit and side effects of WINLEVI were evaluated in two clinical trials of patients 9 to 58 years of age with acne vulgaris.

Patients applied WINLEVI or vehicle (placebo) cream twice daily for 12 weeks. Neither the patients nor the health care providers knew which treatment was being given until after the trial was completed. The benefit of WINLEVI in comparison to placebo was assessed after 12 weeks of treatment using the Investigator’s Global Assessment (IGA) score that measures the severity of disease (on a scale from 0 to 4) and a decrease in the number of acne lesions.

GLOSSARY

CLINICAL TRIAL: Voluntary research studies conducted in people and designed to answer specific questions about the safety or effectiveness of drugs, vaccines, other therapies, or new ways of using existing treatments.
COMPARATOR: A previously available treatment or placebo used in clinical trials that is compared to the actual drug being tested.
EFFICACY: How well the drug achieves the desired response when it is taken as described in a controlled clinical setting, such as during a clinical trial.
PLACEBO: An inactive substance or “sugar pill” that looks the same as, and is given the same way as, an active drug or treatment being tested. The effects of the active drug or treatment are compared to the effects of the placebo.
SUBGROUP: A subset of the population studied in a clinical trial. Demographic subsets include sex, race, and age groups.

PRESCRIBING INFORMATION

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