Safety, pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of single rising doses of BI 655064, an antagonistic anti-CD40 antibody in healthy subjects: a potential novel treatment for autoimmune diseases

Purpose The CD40–CD40L pathway is a promising treatment target for autoimmune diseasessuch as rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosusand lupus nephritis. The safety, pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamicsof BI 655064, a novel humanised antagonistic anti- CD40monoclonal antibody, were investigated in this first-in-human trial.