Leprosy

Leprosy, also known as Hansen’s Disease, is a chronic infectious disease which may cause skin lesions and nerve damage. It is caused by slow-growing Mycobacterium leprae bacteria.  

Around 30 to 50 per cent of leprosy patients develop leprosy type 2 reactions (also known as erythema nodosum leprosum). This condition is an immune-mediated and severe complication of leprosy, which can affect people with active leprosy infection, as well as those that have been effectively cured with multidrug therapy, even many years later. Patients usually present with painful nodules, often distributed between existing lesions, and moderate to high fever. Leprosy and leprosy reactions patients have been stigmatized and discriminated against since time immemorial, and at least 17 countries still allow discrimination based on this disease (WHO).

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Leprosy type 2 reactions are currently treated mainly with corticosteroids, which are often required for extended periods of time, leading to serious adverse effects. The inflammatory responses of leprosy type 2 reactions can cause morbidity and mortality if not treated in a timely manner.

CC-11050 has completed a Phase 2a clinical trial and is about to be evaluated in a Phase 2b study in Nepal, sponsored by the Leprosy Mission and funded by Amgen, Inc.