Tuberculosis and viral hepatitis in patients treated with certolizumab pegol in Asia-Pacific countries and worldwide: real-world and clinical trial data

Abstract Introduction/objectives To evaluate the incidence rate (IR) of tuberculosis (TB) and viral hepatitis B and C (HBV/HCV) during certolizumab pegol (CZP) treatment, worldwide and in Asia-Pacific countries, across clinical trials and post-marketing reports (non-interventional studies and real-world practice). Method CZP safety data were pooled across 49 clinical trials from 1998 to June 2017. Post-marketing reports were from initial commercialization until March 2015 (TB)/February 2017 (HBV/HCV). All suspected TB and HBV/HCV cases underwent centralized retrospective review by external experts. Incidence rates (IRs) were calculated per 100 patient-years (PY) of CZP exposure. Results Among 11,317 clinical trial patients (21,695 PY), 62 TB cases were confirmed (IR 0.29/100 PY) including 2 in Japan (0.10/100 PY) and 3 in other Asia-Pacific countries (0.58/100 PY). From > 238,000 PY estimated post-marketing CZP exposure, there were 31 confirmed TB cases (0.01/100 PY): 5 in Japan (0.05/100 PY), 1 in other Asia-Pacific countries (0.03/100 PY). Reported regional TB IRs were highest in eastern Europe (0.17/100 PY), central Europe (0.09/100 PY), and Mexico (0.16/100 PY). Across clinical trials, there was 1 confirmed HBV reactivation and no HCV cases. From > 420,000 PY estimated post-marketing CZP exposure, 5 HBV/HCV cases were confirmed (0.001/100 PY): 2 HCV reactivations; 1 new HCV; plus 2 HBV reactivations in Japan (0.008/100 PY). Conclusions CZP TB risk is aligned with nationwide TB rates, being slightly higher in Asia-Pacific countries excluding Japan. Overall, TB and HBV/HCV risk with CZP treatment is currently relatively low, as risk can be minimized with patient/physician education, screening, and vigilant treatment, according to international guidelines. Key Points:• TB rates were highest in eastern/central Europe, Mexico, and Asia-Pacific regions.• With the implementation of stricter TB screening and risk evaluations in 2007, especially in high TB incidence countries, there was a notable reduction TB occurrence.• Safety profile of biologics in real-world settings complements controlled studies.• TB and hepatitis (HBV/HCV) risk with certolizumab pegol (CZP) treatment is low.

Download Full-text

Correction to: Tuberculosis and viral hepatitis in patients treated with certolizumab pegol in Asia-Pacific countries and worldwide: real-world and clinical trial data

Clinical Rheumatology ◽

10.1007/s10067-020-05356-1 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 39 (10) ◽

pp. 3161-3161

Author(s):

Chak Sing Lau ◽

Yi-Hsing Chen ◽

Keith Lim ◽

Marc de Longueville ◽

Catherine Arendt ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Clinical Trial ◽

Viral Hepatitis ◽

Real World ◽

Certolizumab Pegol ◽

Clinical Trial Data ◽

Trial Data ◽

Asia Pacific

Download Full-text

Efficacy and Safety of Apremilast Monotherapy for Moderate to Severe Psoriasis: Retrospective Study

Journal of Cutaneous Medicine and Surgery ◽

10.1177/1203475418755982 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 22 (3) ◽

pp. 290-296 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

Arvin Ighani ◽

Jorge R. Georgakopoulos ◽

Linda L. Zhou ◽

Scott Walsh ◽

Neil Shear ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Clinical Trial ◽

Clinical Trials ◽

Real World ◽

Plaque Psoriasis ◽

Safety Data ◽

Retrospective Chart Review ◽

Oral Drug ◽

Efficacy And Safety ◽

Full Spectrum ◽

Severe Plaque Psoriasis

Background: Apremilast is a new oral drug for the treatment of moderate to severe plaque psoriasis that reduces inflammation by inhibiting phosphodiesterase 4. Its efficacy and safety data are limited; hence, real-world outcomes are important for elucidating the full spectrum of its adverse events (AEs) and expanding generalizability of clinical trial findings. Objective: Assess the efficacy and safety of apremilast monotherapy in real-world practice. Methods: A retrospective chart review was conducted in 2 academic dermatology practices. Efficacy was measured as the proportion of patients achieving a ≥75% reduction from baseline Psoriasis Area and Severity Index score (PASI-75) or a Psoriasis Global Assessment (PGA) score of 0 (clear) or 1 (almost clear) at 16 weeks. Safety was measured as the proportion of patients reporting ≥1 AE at 16 weeks. Results: Thirty-four patients were included. Efficacy: 19 patients (55.9%) achieved PASI-75 or PGA 0/1. Safety: 23 patients (67.6%) experienced ≥1 AEs. Five patients (14.7%) withdrew treatment prior to week 16 due to AEs. One patient withdrew treatment due to mood lability and depression. Common AEs included headache (32.4%), nausea (20.6%), diarrhoea (14.7%), weight loss (8.8%), and loose stool (8.8%). Conclusion: Apremilast monotherapy had higher efficacy with similar safety outcomes in the real world compared to clinical trials. There were higher proportions of reported headaches compared to clinical trials. This study supports the apremilast monotherapy clinical trial findings, suggesting that it has an acceptable safety profile and significantly reduces the severity of moderate to severe plaque psoriasis. Limitations include the retrospective nature of the study.

Download Full-text

The risk of malignancy is not increased in patients with multiple sclerosis treated with subcutaneous interferon beta-1a: analysis of data from clinical trial and post-marketing surveillance settings

Multiple Sclerosis Journal ◽

10.1177/1352458511403642 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 17 (4) ◽

pp. 431-440 ◽

Cited By ~ 17

Author(s):

Magnhild Sandberg-Wollheim ◽

Gabrielle Kornmann ◽

Dorina Bischof ◽

Margaretha Stam Moraga ◽

Brian Hennessy ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Multiple Sclerosis ◽

Clinical Trial ◽

Clinical Trials ◽

Safety Data ◽

Data Set ◽

Safety Database ◽

Post Marketing Surveillance ◽

Risk Of Malignancy ◽

Post Marketing ◽

Medical Dictionary

Background: Risks that are potentially associated with long-term therapies should be assessed. Objective: The present analyses were performed to determine the risk of malignancy in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) receiving subcutaneous (sc) interferon (IFN) beta-1a, using pooled safety data from key clinical trials and data from the Merck Serono Global Drug Safety database. Methods: The standard Medical Dictionary for Regulatory Activities query “malignancies” was used to retrieve relevant cases from each data set. The incidence of malignancies per 1000 patient-years was calculated using the pooled safety data from clinical trials. The reporting rates of malignancy types were calculated for the post-marketing setting based on sales volume. Malignancies were grouped by organ localization and classified as medically confirmed or not medically confirmed according to the source of each report. The number of reported cases of each type was compared with the expected number in the general population. Results: Analysis of pooled safety data from 12 key clinical trials did not show an increased incidence of malignancy per 1000 patient-years with sc IFN beta-1a (4.0; 95% confidence interval (CI): 2.9–5.5) compared with placebo (6.4; 95% CI: 3.3–11.2). Analysis of the database shows that among the medically confirmed cases, reported to expected ratios ranged from 1 : 6 to 1 : 18 for solid tumours and from 1 : 2 to 1 : 9 for lymphohaematopoietic tumours. Conclusion: Safety data from both clinical trial and post-marketing settings suggest that treatment with sc IFN beta-1a does not increase the risk of malignancy in patients with MS.

Download Full-text

AB0649 REAL WORLD EFFICACY OF SECUKINUMAB: A SINGLE CENTRE EXPERIENCE

Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases ◽

10.1136/annrheumdis-2020-eular.4311 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 79 (Suppl 1) ◽

pp. 1619-1620

Author(s):

G. Kasavkar ◽

T. Blake ◽

N. Gullick

Keyword(s):

Clinical Trial ◽

Psoriatic Arthritis ◽

Ankylosing Spondylitis ◽

Adverse Events ◽

Real World ◽

Certolizumab Pegol ◽

Tender Joint Count ◽

Inadequate Response ◽

Technology Appraisal ◽

New Onset

Background:Secukinumab was approved by NICE for patients with active Ankylosing Spondylitis and Psoriatic Arthritis in 2017. Clinical trial data suggests secukinumab is a useful treatment option in both conditions, but often real world experience differs greatly from clinical trial results. In addition, patients with more refractory disease are often excluded from clinical trials.Objectives:To assess the response to secukinumab in patients with seronegative spondyloarthropathy receiving treatment at University Hospital Coventry and WarwickshireMethods:Patients starting secukinumab at UHCW were identified from the Blueteq funding database. Medical notes were reviewed retrospectively to assess response rates using BASDAI responses in Ankylosing spondylitis and PsARC responses in PsA. Patients who had previously had inadequate response to TNF inhibitors (PsA only) and severe psoriasis received 300mg secukinumab monthly; the remainder were prescribed 150mg monthly.Results:146 patients commenced secukinumab between June 2017 and January 2020 and had outcome data recorded. 73 patients (50%) had received previous biologic agents prior to secukinumab exposure. Patients with Ankylosing spondylitis had high BASDAI (6.8±1.4) and spinal pain (7.5±1.4). 48 patients had an initial response to treatment as per outcome measures done before and after Secukinumab inception. Secukinumab was effective in 89 patients (94%), and 87 (91%) continued treatment.In psoriatic arthritis, despite high levels of activity at baseline (mean tender joint count 10±8; swollen joint count 6±3) and 65% prior biologic exposure; high rates of response were seen. The majority of patients have continued treatment. Secukinumab was well tolerated in both patient groups with low rates of discontinuation due to adverse events (8 patients, 5%). Adverse events included recurrent infection (3), rash (1), mouth ulcers (1), vertigo (1), new onset cancer (1) and new onset Crohn’s (1) although rates were low overall. Patients with pre-existing uveitis did not develop exacerbations but low numbers of patients with prior uveitis were treated.PsA (n=51)AS (n=95)Age in years, mean (SD)53 (13)49(12)Male sex, n (%)21 (41)62 (65)Disease duration in years, mean (SD)8 (8)10.9 (9.2)Previous biologic exposure, n (%)30 (65)43 (48)Number of prior biologics, median (range)1 (1-4)1 (1-4)Responder, n (%)37 (72)*89 (93)Discontinuation, n(%)12 (24)8 (8.5)Adverse events62Lack of efficacy64Other02*Response could not be assessed in 3/51 PsA patients due to insufficient clinical data; these patients have been recorded as non respondersConclusion:Secukinumab demonstrates high levels of efficacy even in a cohort of patients with longstanding PSA and AS with high rates of inadequate responses to other biologics.Secukinumab is well tolerated with low rates of discontinuation due to adverse events.References:Certolizumab pegol and secukinumab for treating active psoriatic arthritis after inadequate response to DMARDs Technology appraisal guidance [TA445]Secukinumab for active ankylosing spondylitis after treatment with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or TNF-alpha inhibitors Technology appraisal guidance [TA407]Disclosure of Interests:None declared

Download Full-text

Two-stage Bayesian hierarchical modeling for blinded and unblinded safety monitoring in randomized clinical trials

BMC Medical Research Methodology ◽

10.1186/s12874-020-01097-6 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 20 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Junhao Liu ◽

Jo Wick ◽

Renee’ H. Martin ◽

Caitlyn Meinzer ◽

Dooti Roy ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Clinical Trial ◽

Clinical Trials ◽

Drug Safety ◽

Safety Data ◽

Safety Monitoring ◽

Safety Signal ◽

Two Stage ◽

Bayesian Hierarchical ◽

Potential Safety ◽

Stage 1

Abstract Background Monitoring and reporting of drug safety during a clinical trial is essential to its success. More recent attention to drug safety has encouraged statistical methods development for monitoring and detecting potential safety signals. This paper investigates the potential impact of the process of the blinded investigator identifying a potential safety signal, which should be further investigated by the Data and Safety Monitoring Board with an unblinded safety data analysis. Methods In this paper, two-stage Bayesian hierarchical models are proposed for safety signal detection following a pre-specified set of interim analyses that are applied to efficacy. At stage 1, a hierarchical blinded model uses blinded safety data to detect a potential safety signal and at stage 2, a hierarchical logistic model is applied to confirm the signal with unblinded safety data. Results Any interim safety monitoring analysis is usually scheduled via negotiation between the trial sponsor and the Data and Safety Monitoring Board. The proposed safety monitoring process starts once 53 subjects have been enrolled into an eight-arm phase II clinical trial for the first interim analysis. Operating characteristics describing the performance of this proposed workflow are investigated using simulations based on the different scenarios. Conclusions The two-stage Bayesian safety procedure in this paper provides a statistical view to monitor safety during the clinical trials. The proposed two-stage monitoring model has an excellent accuracy of detecting and flagging a potential safety signal at stage 1, and with the most important feature that further action at stage 2 could confirm the safety issue.

Download Full-text

The impact of patient-reported outcome (PRO) data from clinical trials: a systematic review and critical analysis

Health and Quality of Life Outcomes ◽

10.1186/s12955-019-1220-z ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 17 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 12

Author(s):

Samantha Cruz Rivera ◽

Derek G. Kyte ◽

Olalekan Lee Aiyegbusi ◽

Anita L. Slade ◽

Christel McMullan ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Clinical Trial ◽

Clinical Trials ◽

Case Studies ◽

Real World ◽

Clinical Trial Data ◽

Research Impact ◽

Trial Data ◽

Patient Reported ◽

The Impact

Abstract Background Patient-reported outcomes (PROs) are commonly collected in clinical trials and should provide impactful evidence on the effect of interventions on patient symptoms and quality of life. However, it is unclear how PRO impact is currently realised in practice. In addition, the different types of impact associated with PRO trial results, their barriers and facilitators, and appropriate impact metrics are not well defined. Therefore, our objectives were: i) to determine the range of potential impacts from PRO clinical trial data, ii) identify potential PRO impact metrics and iii) identify barriers/facilitators to maximising PRO impact; and iv) to examine real-world evidence of PRO trial data impact based on Research Excellence Framework (REF) impact case studies. Methods Two independent investigators searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL+, HMIC databases from inception until December 2018. Articles were eligible if they discussed research impact in the context of PRO clinical trial data. In addition, the REF 2014 database was systematically searched. REF impact case studies were included if they incorporated PRO data in a clinical trial. Results Thirty-nine publications of eleven thousand four hundred eighty screened met the inclusion criteria. Nine types of PRO trial impact were identified; the most frequent of which centred around PRO data informing clinical decision-making. The included publications identified several barriers and facilitators around PRO trial design, conduct, analysis and report that can hinder or promote the impact of PRO trial data. Sixty-nine out of two hundred nine screened REF 2014 case studies were included. 12 (17%) REF case studies led to demonstrable impact including changes to international guidelines; national guidelines; influencing cost-effectiveness analysis; and influencing drug approvals. Conclusions PRO trial data may potentially lead to a range of benefits for patients and society, which can be measured through appropriate impact metrics. However, in practice there is relatively limited evidence demonstrating directly attributable and indirect real world PRO-related research impact. In part, this is due to the wider challenges of measuring the impact of research and PRO-specific issues around design, conduct, analysis and reporting. Adherence to guidelines and multi-stakeholder collaboration is essential to maximise the use of PRO trial data, facilitate impact and minimise research waste. Trial registration Systematic Review registration PROSPERO CRD42017067799.

Download Full-text

A Distribution-based Method for Assessing The Differences between Clinical Trial Target Populations and Patient Populations in Electronic Health Records

Applied Clinical Informatics ◽

10.4338/aci-2013-12-ra-0105 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 05 (02) ◽

pp. 463-479 ◽

Cited By ~ 30

Author(s):

P. Ryan ◽

Y. Zhang ◽

F. Liu ◽

J. Gao ◽

J.T. Bigger ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Type 2 Diabetes ◽

Clinical Trial ◽

Clinical Trials ◽

Electronic Health Records ◽

Real World ◽

World Population ◽

Health Records ◽

Target Populations ◽

Electronic Health

SummaryObjective: To improve the transparency of clinical trial generalizability and to illustrate the method using Type 2 diabetes as an example.Methods: Our data included 1,761 diabetes clinical trials and the electronic health records (EHR) of 26,120 patients with Type 2 diabetes who visited Columbia University Medical Center of New-York Presbyterian Hospital. The two populations were compared using the Generalizability Index for Study Traits (GIST) on the earliest diagnosis age and the mean hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) values.Results: Greater than 70% of Type 2 diabetes studies allow patients with HbA1c measures between 7 and 10.5, but less than 40% of studies allow HbA1c<7 and fewer than 45% of studies allow HbA1c>10.5. In the real-world population, only 38% of patients had HbA1c between 7 and 10.5, with 12% having values above the range and 52% having HbA1c<7. The GIST for HbA1c was 0.51. Most studies adopted broad age value ranges, with the most common restrictions excluding patients >80 or <18 years. Most of the real-world population fell within this range, but 2% of patients were <18 at time of first diagnosis and 8% were >80. The GIST for age was 0.75. Conclusions: We contribute a scalable method to profile and compare aggregated clinical trial target populations with EHR patient populations. We demonstrate that Type 2 diabetes studies are more generalizable with regard to age than they are with regard to HbA1c. We found that the generalizability of age increased from Phase 1 to Phase 3 while the generalizability of HbA1c decreased during those same phases. This method can generalize to other medical conditions and other continuous or binary variables. We envision the potential use of EHR data for examining the generaliz-ability of clinical trials and for defining population-representative clinical trial eligibility criteria.Citation: Weng C, Li Y, Ryan P, Zhang Y, Liu F, Gao J, Bigger JT, Hripcsak G. A distribution-based method for assessing the differences between clinical trial target populations and patient populations in electronic health records. Appl Clin Inf 2014; 5: 463–479 http://dx.doi.org/10.4338/ACI-2013-12-RA-0105

Download Full-text

The Safety Profile of Vedolizumab in Ulcerative Colitis and Crohn’s Disease: 4 Years of Global Post-marketing Data

Journal of Crohn s and Colitis ◽

10.1093/ecco-jcc/jjz137 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 14 (2) ◽

pp. 192-204 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Russell D Cohen ◽

Fatima Bhayat ◽

Aimee Blake ◽

Simon Travis

Keyword(s):

Ulcerative Colitis ◽

Adverse Event ◽

Crohn’S Disease ◽

Crohn's Disease ◽

Real World ◽

Safety Profile ◽

Safety Data ◽

Real World Data ◽

Safety Database ◽

Post Marketing

Abstract Background and Aims Vedolizumab is a gut-selective antibody to α 4 β 7 integrin, approved to treat moderate-to-severe ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease in adults. Clinical trial data on patients meeting protocol-specified criteria may not reflect real-world clinical practice. This is a descriptive analysis of 4 years of post-marketing safety data on vedolizumab. Methods The Vedolizumab Global Safety Database contains all adverse event reports collated by Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Ltd since vedolizumab approval [May 20, 2014]. Adverse event reports received between approval and May 19, 2018 were identified using Medical Dictionary for Regulatory Activities version 21.0 Preferred Terms. Adverse event frequencies were calculated and categorised. Results In approximately 208 050 patient-years of vedolizumab exposure, 32 752 patients reported 80 218 events. In patients with Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis, 37 662 and 34 259 events occurred in 14 191 and 14 042 patients, respectively, and 8297 events occurred in 4519 individuals with other [off-label] or unreported indications. Overall, 5230 [14%; Crohn’s disease] and 3580 [10%; ulcerative colitis] events were serious. Most frequently reported were gastrointestinal events (Crohn’s disease, 6156 [16%]; ulcerative colitis, 5701 [17%]). Patients with Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis reported 251 malignancies [<1%], 402 hepatobiliary events [<1%], and 5876 infections (1137 serious [19%], 301 opportunistic [5%]). Patients aged ≥70 years [2326 patients] reported <10% of events. Conclusions Adverse event patterns were consistent with clinical trials, with no new safety concerns. Most reported events were non-serious and event frequency was low, considering patient-years of exposure. Although limitations of post-marketing safety reports require acknowledgement, these real-world data support a favourable safety profile of vedolizumab.

Download Full-text

Survival among metastatic colorectal patients in clinical trials compared to the real world.

Journal of Clinical Oncology ◽

10.1200/jco.2015.33.3_suppl.673 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 33 (3_suppl) ◽

pp. 673-673

Author(s):

Ziwei Wang ◽

Lindsay Hwang ◽

James Don Murphy

Keyword(s):

Colorectal Cancer ◽

Clinical Trial ◽

Clinical Trials ◽

Metastatic Colorectal Cancer ◽

Median Survival ◽

Real World ◽

Randomized Clinical Trials ◽

Phase Iii ◽

The Real ◽

Clinical Trial Results

673 Background: Randomized clinical trials play a central role in clinical research though only a small fraction of patients partake in clinical studies. Questions thus arise regarding the generalizability of clinical trial results to the remainder of the population. This study evaluated whether patient survival from randomized clinical trials in metastatic colorectal cancer reflects real world outcomes. Methods: A Pubmed search was used to identify randomized phase III clinical trials of first-line treatment for metastatic colorectal cancer published between 2005 and 2010. We excluded secondary or pooled analyses, second-line treatments, non-metastatic patients, non-English language, and non-randomized studies. Thirty-one clinical trials met these criteria, comprised of 79 distinct clinical trial arms. Overall survival among clinical trial patients was compared to metastatic colorectal cancer patients within the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) program. Within SEER, we restricted the analysis time-period and age of patients to match the enrollment period and age of patients within each individual clinical trial. Results: The clinical trials enrolled a total of 16,614 patients. Among all clinical trial arms the median survival ranged from 6.7-62 months, 1-year survival ranged from 30-97%, and 2-year survival ranged from 6-88%. Compared to SEER, the median survival was higher in 95% of the individual clinical trial arms by an average of 5.4 months (p<0.0001). The 1-year survival was higher in 94% of the clinical trial arms by an average of 16.7% (p<0.0001). The 2-year survival was higher in 71% of the clinical trial arms by an average of 7.2% (p<0.0001). Conclusions: This study found substantially improved survival among clinical trial participants compared to patients in the SEER database suggesting that survival estimates from clinical trials may not generalize to the “real world.” Potential patient factors such as differences in underlying comorbidity, performance status, disease burden, as well as variation in treatment could not be addressed in this study, though these factors likely explain some of the observed survival differences.

Download Full-text

The rate of tumor growth, g, as a biomarker for overall survival (OS) in prostate cancer (PC) in clinical trials as well as in real-world data from the Veterans Administration Medical Centers (VAMCs).

Journal of Clinical Oncology ◽

10.1200/jco.2019.37.15_suppl.5074 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 37 (15_suppl) ◽

pp. 5074-5074

Author(s):

Harshraj Leuva ◽

Mengxi Zhou ◽

Julia Wilkerson ◽

Keith Sigel ◽

Ta-Chueh Hsu ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Prostate Cancer ◽

Clinical Trial ◽

Overall Survival ◽

Clinical Trials ◽

Tumor Growth ◽

Real World ◽

Clinical Trial Data ◽

Trial Data ◽

Real World Data ◽

World Data

5074 Background: Novel assessments of efficacy are needed to improve determination of treatment outcomes in clinical trials and in real-world settings. Methods: Cancer treatments usually lead to concurrent regression and growth of the drug-sensitive and drug-resistant fractions of a tumor, respectively. We have exploited novel methods of analysis that assess these two simultaneous processes and have estimated rates of tumor growth ( g) and regression ( d) in over 30,000 patients (pts) with diverse tumors. Results: In prostate cancer (PC) we have analyzed both clinical trial and real-world data from Veterans. Using clinical trial data from 6819 pts enrolled in 15 treatment arms we have established separately and by combining all the data that g correlates highly (p<0.0001) with overall survival (OS) – slower g associated with better OS. In PC, abiraterone (ABI) and docetaxel (DOC) are superior to placebo, prednisone and mitoxantrone. ABI (median g =0.0017) is superior to DOC ( g=0.0021) in first line (p=0.0013); and ABI in 2nd line ( g=0.0034) is inferior to ABI in 1st line ( g=0.0017; p<0.0001). Finally, using combined clinical trial data as a benchmark we could assess the efficacy of novel therapies in as few as 30-40 patients. Amongst 7457 Veterans, the median g on a taxane ( g=0.0022) was similar to that from clinical trials ( g=0.0012). Although only 258 Veterans received cabazitaxel (CAB), g values for CAB ( g=0.0018) and DOC ( g=0.0023) were indistinguishable (p=0.3) consistent with their identical mechanism of action. Finally, outcomes with DOC in African American (AA) ( g=0.00212) and Caucasian ( g=0.00205) Veterans were indistinguishable (p=0.9) and comparable across all VAMCs. Conclusions: The rate of tumor growth, g, is an excellent biomarker for OS both in clinical trials and in real-world settings. g allows comparisons between trials and for large trial data sets to be used as benchmarks of efficacy. Real-world outcomes in the VAMCs are similar to those in clinical trials. In the egalitarian VAMCs DOC efficacy in PC is comparable in AA and Caucasian Veterans -- indicating inferior outcomes reported in AAs are likely due to differential health care access, not differences in biology.

Download Full-text