Amylyx Pharmaceuticals has announced positive topline results from the phase 3 LUCIDITY trial evaluating avexitide in adults with post-bariatric hypoglycemia (PBH) following Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) surgery.1
The trial met its primary endpoint as agreed with the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), with the investigational glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor antagonist reducing the composite rate of Level 2 and Level 3 hypoglycemic events by 55% compared with placebo (P = .000003). LUCIDITY also met all secondary endpoints, according to the company.1
Frequently Asked Questions
What is avexitide?
Avexitide is an investigational, first-in-class GLP-1 receptor antagonist being studied for post-bariatric hypoglycemia and congenital hyperinsulinism.
How does avexitide work?
Avexitide binds to the GLP-1 receptor on pancreatic islet beta cells, blocking the exaggerated GLP-1-driven insulin response driving hypoglycemia in PBH.
What did the LUCIDITY trial show?
LUCIDITY met its primary endpoint, with avexitide reducing composite Level 2 and Level 3 hypoglycemic events by 55% versus placebo (P = .000003), and met all secondary endpoints.
“PBH is a chronic metabolic condition that causes recurrent and often debilitating hypoglycemia, which has a significant negative impact on patients’ safety and quality of life,” Marilyn Tan, MD, clinical professor at the Stanford School of Medicine and principal investigator of the LUCIDITY trial, said in a statement. “Preventing even one Level 2 or Level 3 event is medically meaningful.”1
No FDA-approved therapies currently exist for PBH, a condition Amylyx estimates affects roughly 8% of patients following sleeve gastrectomy or RYGB surgery, or about 160,000 individuals in the United States. Avexitide already holds Breakthrough Therapy and Orphan Drug designations from the FDA. Amylyx plans to submit a new drug application (NDA) by the end of 2026.1
LUCIDITY (NCT06747468) is a 78-participant, multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase 3 trial conducted at 21 sites in the United States. Investigators randomized participants 3:2 to receive 90 mg of subcutaneous avexitide once daily or placebo. Design elements included:
- Up to a six-week screening period with a three-week run-in
- A 16-week double-blind treatment period
- A 32-week open-label extension1,2
Avexitide produced the 55% reduction in composite Level 2 and Level 3 hypoglycemic events through week 16, meeting the FDA-agreed primary endpoint. Level 2 events reflect clinically significant hypoglycemia requiring intervention, while Level 3 events involve severe cognitive impairment requiring assistance from another person. Amylyx reported the effect size as consistent with results from two earlier phase 2 trials of avexitide in PBH.1,2