# Abatacept for the treatment of Common Variable Immunodeficiency with Interstitial Lung Disease (ABCVILD)  IND #152820 9/2/20

> **NIH FDA R01** · CINCINNATI CHILDRENS HOSP MED CTR · 2021 · $815,329

## Abstract

Common variable immunodeficiency (CVID) affects approximately 10,000 people in the USA and is
caused by an expanding array of genetic lesions. It is defined by international consensus criteria that may be
summarized as loss of B cell function developing after infancy with or without a well-described constellation of
autoimmune or lymphoproliferative complications. The development of a distinctive form of interstitial lung dis-
ease, termed granulomatous-lymphocytic interstitial lung disease (GLILD), is particularly problematic in CVID
because it is relatively common, associated with significant mortality and morbidity, and has an unmet need for
adequate treatments. We found that the biologic drug abatacept showed good efficacy for reversal of severe,
often refractory GLILD in a small series of patients with CVID. Abatacept is a recombinant fusion protein incor-
porating CTLA-4 (cytotoxic T lymphocyte–associated protein 4) that blocks T cell activation by binding to
CD80/CD86, thereby preventing CD28 engagement. Our findings suggest that abatacept would be an effec-
tive therapy for GLILD in CVID. However, rigorous clinical trials are needed to prospectively define the risks
and benefits of abatacept as a therapy for GLILD.
 To fill this critical gap, we have designed the ABCVILD trial. In this trial, we plan to treat with either pla-
cebo or abatacept in a double-blinded fashion. Following a six-month blinded treatment phase, patients will
enter a six-month open-label phase in which they will start or continue abatacept. On the basis of our clinical
experience to date, we hypothesize that 6 months of abatacept therapy (compared to placebo) will clinically
improve GLILD (as assessed by objective and QOL measures) across CVID genotypes and improve sCD25
and other exploratory biomarkers of T cell activation. We will test this hypothesis by pursuing these aims:
 Aim 1: Determine the response rate of GLILD after six months of abatacept therapy (versus placebo).
Our readouts for the ABCVILD trial include quantitative assessment of chest CT scans, pulmonary function
tests, quality of life measures, and radiation-free measure 129Xe magnetic resonance image (MRI).
 Aim 2: Determine whether genotype and/or lung histology predict GLILD responsiveness to abatacept
therapy. As CD4+ T cells are often the most prominent infiltrating cells in GLILD and T follicular helper (Tfh)
cells have been shown experimentally to be sensitive to CD28/CTLA4 manipulation, we hypothesize that
GLILD is largely a disease of Tfh cells and that responsiveness will correlate with these cells in lesions.
 Aim 3: Define the utility of sCD25, abatacept pharmacokinetics, or exploratory biomarkers of T cell acti-
vation for predicting response to therapy. We will serially assess sCD25, various exploratory biomarkers, and
abatacept levels to test the predictive value of each, understand the effects of our adaptive dosing regimen on
these parameters, and further test our hypothesize that G...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10281394
- **Project number:** 1R01FD007267-01
- **Recipient organization:** CINCINNATI CHILDRENS HOSP MED CTR
- **Principal Investigator:** Michael Jordan
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** FDA
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $815,329
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2021-09-10 → 2026-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10281394

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10281394, Abatacept for the treatment of Common Variable Immunodeficiency with Interstitial Lung Disease (ABCVILD)  IND #152820 9/2/20 (1R01FD007267-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-28 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10281394. Licensed CC0.

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