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ianalumab   Click here for help

GtoPdb Ligand ID: 10656

Synonyms: VAY-736 | VAY736
Immunopharmacology Ligand
Compound class: Antibody
Comment: Ianalumab (VAY736) is an investigtional anti-BAFF receptor (TNFRSF13C) monoclonal antibody (mAb) from Novartis [6]. BLAST analysis of peptide sequences from its INN record reveal identical matches with peptide sequences claimed in Novartis patent WO2010007082A1 [4]. The sequence matches suggest that mAb MORO7347 identified in the patent could be VAY736.
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Ligand Activity Visualisation Charts

These are box plot that provide a unique visualisation, summarising all the activity data for a ligand taken from ChEMBL and GtoPdb across multiple targets and species. Click on a plot to see the median, interquartile range, low and high data points. A value of zero indicates that no data are available. A separate chart is created for each target, and where possible the algorithm tries to merge ChEMBL and GtoPdb targets by matching them on name and UniProt accession, for each available species. However, please note that inconsistency in naming of targets may lead to data for the same target being reported across multiple charts.

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View interactive charts of activity data across species
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Summary of Clinical Use Click here for help
Ianalumab (VAY736) was advanced to clinical trials for primary Sjögren's syndrome [3,5], idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, autoimmune hepatitis, pemphigus vulgaris, rheumatoid arthritis and CLL [6]. The antibody failed to show efficacy in a phase 2 proof-of-concept study for hidradenitis suppurativa, and development for this indication was discontinued (mid-2025). In contrast, Novartis announced in August 2025 that two phase 3 studies (Neptunus-1 and -2) in Sjögren's syndrome met their primary endpoint (improvement in disease activity) at 52 weeks compared to placebo.
Clinical Trials
Clinical Trial ID Title Type Source Comment References
NCT03287414 Study of Pharmacodynamics, Pharmacokinetics, Safety and Tolerability of VAY736 in Patients With Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis Phase 2 Interventional Novartis
NCT03400176 VAY736 in Combination With Ibrutinib in Patients With CLL on Ibrutinib Phase 1 Interventional Novartis
NCT03217422 ADCC Mediated B-Cell dEpletion and BAFF-R Blockade Phase 2/Phase 3 Interventional Novartis
NCT03656562 Study the Efficacy and Safety of VAY736 and CFZ533 in SLE Patients Phase 2 Interventional Novartis
NCT02962895 Safety and Efficacy of VAY736 in Patients With Primary Sjogren's Syndrome (pSS) Phase 2 Interventional Novartis 1
NCT02149420 PD of VAY736 in Patients With Primary Sjögren's Syndrome Phase 2 Interventional Novartis Results from this trial were published in 2019 [3]. These showed that a single infusion of ianalumab produced a significant and sustained depletion of B cells, which was consistent with potential clinical efficacy. The most significant benefit observed in patients who received ianalumab was a reduction in fatigue, a symptom of primary Sjögren's syndrome that is often resistant to other treatments. No major side effects were reported. 2
NCT05349214 Three-arm Study to Assess Efficacy and Safety of Ianalumab (VAY736) in Patients With Active Sjogren's Syndrome Phase 3 Interventional Novartis The NEPTUNUS-2 study.
NCT05350072 Two-arm Study to Assess Efficacy and Safety of Ianalumab (VAY736) in Patients With Active Sjogren's Syndrome Phase 3 Interventional Novartis The NEPTUNUS-1 study.
NCT03827798 Study of Efficacy and Safety of Investigational Treatments in Patients With Moderate to Severe Hidradenitis Suppurativa Phase 2 Interventional Novartis