A Randomized Placebo-Controlled Trial of Sarilumab in Hospitalized Patients with Covid-19

BACKGROUND Sarilumab (anti-interleukin-6 receptor-alpha; monoclonal antibody) may attenuate the inflammatory response in Covid-19. METHODS We performed an adaptive, phase 2/3, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of intravenous sarilumab 200 mg or 400 mg in adults hospitalized with Covid-19. The phase 3 primary analysis population (cohort 1) was patients with critical Covid-19 receiving mechanical ventilation (MV) randomized to sarilumab 400 mg or placebo. The primary end point for phase 3 was the proportion of patients with ≥1-point improvement in clinical status from baseline to day 22. RESULTS Four-hundred fifty-seven (457) and 1365 patients were randomized and treated in phases 2 and 3, respectively. Among phase 3 critical patients receiving MV (n=289; 34.3% on corticosteroids), the proportion with ≥1-point improvement in clinical status (alive not receiving MV) at day 22 was 43.2% in sarilumab 400 mg and 35.5% in placebo (risk difference [RD] +7.5%; 95% confidence interval [CI], − 7.4 to 21.3; P=0.3261), representing a relative risk improvement of 21.7%. Day 29 all-cause mortality was 36.4% in sarilumab 400 mg versus 41.9% in placebo (RD − 5.5%; 95% CI, −20.2 to 8.7; relative risk reduction 13.3%). In post hoc analyses pooling phase 2 and 3 critical patients receiving MV, the hazard ratio (HR) for death in sarilumab 400 mg compared with placebo was 0.76 (95% CI, 0.51 to 1.13) overall, improving to 0.49 (95% CI, 0.25 to 0.94) in patients receiving corticosteroids at baseline. CONCLUSION In hospitalized patients with Covid-19 receiving MV, numerical benefits with sarilumab did not achieve statistical significance, but benefit may be greater in patients receiving corticosteroids. A larger study is required to confirm this observed numerical benefit.

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Topline Results of the CARE-PWS Phase 3 Study: Intranasal Carbetocin Improves Hyperphagia and Anxiety and Distress Symptoms in Prader-Willi Syndrome (PWS)

Journal of the Endocrine Society ◽

10.1210/jendso/bvab048.1403 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. A689-A689

Author(s):

Davis Ryman ◽

Cheri L Deal

Keyword(s):

Genetic Disorder ◽

Statistical Significance ◽

Prader Willi Syndrome ◽

Obsessive Compulsive ◽

Primary Analysis ◽

Phase 3 ◽

Double Blind ◽

Multiple Endpoints ◽

Behavioral Issues ◽

Secondary Endpoints

Abstract Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) is a complex genetic disorder associated with multiple neuroendocrine abnormalities including significantly decreased hypothalamic oxytocin levels, resulting in symptoms of severe hyperphagia (an unrelenting false sense of starvation) and multiple severe neuropsychiatric and behavioral issues. CARE-PWS, a multi-center, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase 3 study, has evaluated the efficacy, safety, and tolerability of intranasal carbetocin, a selective oxytocin receptor agonist, in participants with PWS. Eligible participants aged 7 through 18 with genetically confirmed PWS were randomized in equal proportions to three treatment arms for the 8-week placebo-controlled period of the study: carbetocin 9.6 mg, carbetocin 3.2 mg, or a matching placebo, administered by nasal spray three times a day with meals. The primary endpoint assessed changes from baseline to week 8 in Hyperphagia Questionnaire for Clinical Trials (HQ-CT) or Children’s Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (CY-BOCS) scores for the carbetocin 9.6 mg arm vs placebo, and the first secondary endpoint assessed changes from baseline to week 8 in HQ-CT or CY-BOCS scores for the carbetocin 3.2 mg arm vs placebo. Additional secondary endpoints included changes from baseline to week 8 in PWS Anxiety and Distress Questionnaire (PADQ) scores, and Clinical Global Impression of Change (CGI-C) scores evaluating the overall change in severity of PWS symptoms at week 8. Due to COVID-19, enrollment was closed early with 119 evaluable participants for the primary analysis. In the carbetocin 9.6 mg arm, trends toward numerically greater improvements in HQ-CT and CGI-C scores relative to placebo were observed but did not reach statistical significance; however, the carbetocin 3.2 mg arm demonstrated a significant improvement in HQ-CT scores (LS mean improvement vs placebo -3.14 points, p=0.016). In the 3.2 mg arm, additional consistent evidence of improvements versus placebo was seen in multiple secondary endpoints, including CGI-C (p=0.027) and PADQ (p=0.027). Numeric trends toward improvement in CY-BOCS scores were observed in each dose arm, but did not reach statistical significance versus placebo. During the subsequent long-term follow-up period of the study, both carbetocin arms have experienced continued numeric improvements from baseline across multiple endpoints. Intranasal carbetocin was generally well-tolerated; the most frequently reported adverse event was flushing, which was generally mild and transient. In conclusion, results of the CARE-PWS study support that intranasal carbetocin appears to be safe and well tolerated, and reduces hyperphagia and anxiety and distress behaviors in PWS.

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Venetoclax plus LDAC for newly diagnosed AML ineligible for intensive chemotherapy: a phase 3 randomized placebo-controlled trial

Blood ◽

10.1182/blood.2020004856 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 135 (24) ◽

pp. 2137-2145 ◽

Cited By ~ 42

Author(s):

Andrew H. Wei ◽

Pau Montesinos ◽

Vladimir Ivanov ◽

Courtney D. DiNardo ◽

Jan Novak ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Remission Rate ◽

Controlled Trial ◽

Treatment Options ◽

Intensive Chemotherapy ◽

Newly Diagnosed ◽

Primary Analysis ◽

Phase 3 ◽

Double Blind ◽

Meaningful Improvement ◽

Risk Of Death

Abstract Effective treatment options are limited for patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) who cannot tolerate intensive chemotherapy. Adults age ≥18 years with newly diagnosed AML ineligible for intensive chemotherapy were enrolled in this international phase 3 randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial. Patients (N = 211) were randomized 2:1 to venetoclax (n = 143) or placebo (n = 68) in 28-day cycles, plus low-dose cytarabine (LDAC) on days 1 to 10. Primary end point was overall survival (OS); secondary end points included response rate, transfusion independence, and event-free survival. Median age was 76 years (range, 36-93 years), 38% had secondary AML, and 20% had received prior hypomethylating agent treatment. Planned primary analysis showed a 25% reduction in risk of death with venetoclax plus LDAC vs LDAC alone (hazard ratio [HR], 0.75; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.52-1.07; P = .11), although not statistically significant; median OS was 7.2 vs 4.1 months, respectively. Unplanned analysis with additional 6-month follow-up demonstrated median OS of 8.4 months for the venetoclax arm (HR, 0.70; 95% CI, 0.50-0.98; P = .04). Complete remission (CR) plus CR with incomplete blood count recovery rates were 48% and 13% for venetoclax plus LDAC and LDAC alone, respectively. Key grade ≥3 adverse events (venetoclax vs LDAC alone) were febrile neutropenia (32% vs 29%), neutropenia (47% vs 16%), and thrombocytopenia (45% vs 37%). Venetoclax plus LDAC demonstrates clinically meaningful improvement in remission rate and OS vs LDAC alone, with a manageable safety profile. Results confirm venetoclax plus LDAC as an important frontline treatment for AML patients unfit for intensive chemotherapy. This trial was registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov as #NCT03069352.

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A Phase 2, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial of Rituximab + Galiximab Vs Rituximab + Placebo In Advanced Follicular Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma (NHL)

Blood ◽

10.1182/blood.v116.21.428.428 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 116 (21) ◽

pp. 428-428 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Isabelle Bence-Bruckler ◽

David Macdonald ◽

Patrick J Stiff ◽

Byron McKinney ◽

Katherine L. Ruffner ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Ex Vivo ◽

Controlled Trial ◽

Bone Marrow Involvement ◽

Progression Free Survival ◽

Complete Response ◽

Rank Test ◽

Phase 2 ◽

Phase 3 ◽

Double Blind

Abstract Abstract 428 Background: Galiximab is a primatized chimeric monoclonal antibody directed against CD80, an immunoregulatory protein normally expressed on antigen presenting cells and T cells, as well as in B-cell NHL, Hodgkin lymphoma, multiple myeloma, and certain leukemias. Galiximab directly mediates antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity against tumor cells in vitro. In ex vivo assays, galiximab can act on non-malignant cells to modulate immune signaling within the tumor microenvironment. Methods: Subjects with relapsed or refractory, Grade I-IIIa, follicular NHL in relapse following treatment with at least 1 chemotherapy regimen, and who were not refractory to rituximab were randomized to rituximab (375 mg/m2) plus galiximab (500 mg/m2; R+G) or rituximab plus placebo (R+P) and treated on Days 1, 8, 15, and 22. Randomization and primary efficacy analyses were stratified by age (≤60 vs >60), rituximab exposure (rituximab naïve vs non-naïve), and baseline tumor bulk (diameter of largest lesion ≤7 cm vs >7 cm). Primary endpoint of progression-free survival (PFS) was analyzed using a stratified log-rank test. Results: This study, originally planned as a Phase 3 confirmatory study, was terminated early due to changes in standard of care and converted to a Phase 2 study. Therefore, interpretation of p-values was focused on assessing the potential of these data to support subsequent Phase 2 and Phase 3 studies. At study termination, 337 subjects were randomized (175 R+G and 162 R+P) with median follow-up of 13.8 months. Demographics and disease characteristics were well balanced across the 2 treatment groups (Table 1). The addition of galiximab to rituximab reduced the hazard for disease progression or death by 26% (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.738; 95% confidence interval [CI] [0.543, 1.002]; p = 0.050) compared to the R+P group. Kaplan-Meier median PFS was 12.0 months (95% CI [9.0, 14.7]) for R+G and 9.0 months (95% CI [8.9, 10.5]) for R+P. Overall response rate was 51% for R+G vs 48% for R+P (p = 0.455) and complete response was 20% for R+G and 15% for R+P (p = 0.251). Consistency in treatment effect was seen across patient subgroups (Figure 1). A trend toward a larger PFS effect was observed in patients who were rituximab-naïve, had bulky tumor (largest lesion >7 cm), had lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) >1 × upper limit of normal, or had bone marrow involvement at study entry. There were 10 deaths in R+G vs 17 deaths in R+P; HR = 0.549 based on a stratified log-rank analysis (95% CI [0.248, 1.217]; p = 0.135). No substantial difference was observed between groups for Grade 3/4 adverse events (AEs) or serious AEs, and there were no treatment-related deaths in either group. Incidence of AEs was ≥3% higher in the R+G vs R+P group for the following: pyrexia (18% vs 11%), headache (13% vs 7%), cough (10% vs 6%), upper respiratory infection (8% vs 4%), insomnia (8% vs 4%), neutropenia (6% vs 3%), muscle spasms (5% vs <1%), and oropharyngeal pain (4% vs 1%). Anti-galiximab antibodies were not detected in 169 subjects treated with galiximab who were tested while on study. Conclusions: Galiximab in combination with rituximab demonstrated a trend toward an improved PFS compared with rituximab alone and was well tolerated in subjects with relapsed or refractory follicular NHL. Disclosure: McKinney: Biogen Idec: Employment. Ruffner:Biogen Idec: Employment. Wilson:Biogen Idec: Employment. Whiteley:Biogen Idec: Employment.

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IMerge: A phase 3 study to evaluate imetelstat in transfusion-dependent subjects with IPSS low or intermediate-1 risk myelodysplastic syndromes that are relapsed/refractory to erythropoiesis-stimulating agent treatment.

Journal of Clinical Oncology ◽

10.1200/jco.2021.39.15_suppl.tps7056 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 39 (15_suppl) ◽

pp. TPS7056-TPS7056

Author(s):

Uwe Platzbecker ◽

Rami S. Komrokji ◽

Pierre Fenaux ◽

Amer Methqal Zeidan ◽

Mikkael A. Sekeres ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Myelodysplastic Syndromes ◽

Controlled Trial ◽

Treatment Options ◽

Current Treatment ◽

International Prognostic Scoring System ◽

Phase 2 ◽

Phase 3 ◽

Double Blind ◽

The Impact ◽

Rbc Transfusion

TPS7056 Background: Current treatment options for red blood cell (RBC) transfusion-dependent (TD) patients (pts) with lower risk (LR) myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) relapsed after or refractory to erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (ESAs) have limited efficacy and durability; new approaches are needed. Imetelstat is a first-in-class telomerase inhibitor that targets cells with short telomeres and active telomerase, characteristics observed in MDS pts across all disease stages. IMerge (MDS3001) is a Phase 2/3 global study of imetelstat for TD pts with non-del(5q) LR MDS post ESA therapy. The results from Phase 2 part indicated that imetelstat achieved durable RBC transfusion independence (RBC-TI) and the most frequently reported adverse events were manageable and reversible grade ≥3 cytopenias. Among 38 pts with median follow-up of 24 months, 8-week, 24-week and 1-year TI rates were 42%, 32% and 29%, respectively; these responses were seen across different LR MDS subtypes. Median TI duration was 20 months and the longest TI was 2.7 years. A high and durable hematologic improvement-erythroid (HI-E) rate of 68% for a median duration of 21 months were also achieved. Reduction of variant allele frequency of mutations by imetelstat treatment was observed in some pts and correlated with clinical benefits (Platzbecker et al EHA 2020; Steensma et al JCO 2020). These results support the Phase 3 part of the trial. Methods: IMerge is two-part, Phase 2/3 study (ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT02598661). The Phase 3 part of the study is open for enrollment to adult pts with International Prognostic Scoring System (IPSS) low or intermediate-1 risk, non-del(5q) MDS who are TD, are relapsed after or refractory to ESAs, and have not received treatment with lenalidomide or hypomethylating agents. The study is a randomized (2:1) double-blind, placebo-controlled trial to compare efficacy of imetelstat vs placebo that will enroll approximately 170 pts and will be conducted at approximately 120 centers in North America, Europe, Asia and Middle East. Imetelstat is administered as 2-hour IV infusion every 4 weeks at 7.5 mg/kg. The primary endpoint of the study is to assess the rate of RBC-TI lasting ≥8 weeks. Secondary endpoints include safety, rate of RBC-TI ≥24 weeks, time to RBC-TI start, RBC-TI duration, rate of HI-E, the amount and relative change in RBC transfusions, rate of CR or PR, overall survival, progression of MDS, pharmacokinetics, and quality of life. Biomarkers relevant to the mechanism of action of imetelstat will be assessed to demonstrate target inhibition and their association with clinical responses. Cytogenetics and mutation analyses will be performed to evaluate the impact of imetelstat on reduction/depletion of malignant clones leading to disease modification. The study is currently recruiting pts. Clinical trial information: NCT02598661.

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Favipiravir In Adults with Moderate to Severe COVID-19: A Phase 3 Multicentre, Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial.

10.1101/2021.11.08.21265884 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Srinivas Shenoy ◽

Sagar Munjal ◽

Sarah Al Youha ◽

Mohammad Alghounaim ◽

Sulaiman Almazeedi ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Placebo Group ◽

Median Time ◽

Group Treatment ◽

Controlled Trial ◽

Clinical Status ◽

Phase 3 ◽

Serious Adverse Events ◽

Double Blind ◽

Clinical Risk ◽

To Receive

Aim: To assess the efficacy and safety of favipiravir in adults with moderate to severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Methods: In this randomized, double-blind, multicenter, phase 3 trial, adults (21 80 years) with real-time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (rRT-PCR) confirmed SARS CoV 2 infection and presenting with moderate to severe COVID-19 and requiring hospitalization were randomized 1:1 to oral favipiravir (day 1: 1800 mg BID and days 2-10: 800 mg BID) (FPV) plus standard supportive care (SoC) versus placebo plus SoC (placebo). The primary endpoint was time to resolution of hypoxia. Results: In total, 353 patients were randomized to receive either FPV or placebo (175 and 178 in the FPV and placebo groups, respectively). Overall, 76% of the patients (240/315, 78% in FPV vs. 75% in placebo group) reached resolution of hypoxia on or before day 28. The median time to resolution of hypoxia was 7 days in the FPV group and 8 days in the placebo group. Treatment effect was not significant [Hazard ratio (HR) (95% CI): 0.991 (0.767, 1.280) (p=0.94)]. Patients in the lower NEWS-2 clinical risk subgroup were more likely to achieve shorter time to resolution of hypoxia with the median time to resolution of hypoxia of 6 days in FPV and 7 days in placebo group [HR (95% CI): 1.21 (0.847, 1.731) (p=0.29)]; shorter time to hospital discharge with a median time to discharge of 8 and 10 days in the FPV and placebo group, respectively [HR (95% CI): 1.47 (1.081, 1.997) (p=0.014)]; and shorter time to improvement by 1-point improvement over baseline in WHO 10-point clinical status score with the median time to improvement by 1-point from baseline of 6 and 7 days in the FPV and placebo group, respectively [HR (95% CI): 1.16 (0.830, 1.624) (p=0.38)] than higher NEWS-2 clinical risk subgroup. Treatment emergent adverse event (TEAEs) were experienced by 62/334 (19%) patients [35/168 (21%) patients in FPV and 27/166 (16%) in placebo group]. Hyperuricaemia/increased blood uric acid was reported in 9 (3%)/2 (1%) patients [8 (5%)/1(1%) patients in FPV and 1 (1%)/1(1%) in placebo group] ,which were of mild intensity and transient. Overall, 36 serious adverse events (SAEs) were reported, 20 in FPV and 16 in placebo group. Conclusion: The trial did not find favipiravir to be effective in moderate to severe, hospitalized COVID-19 patients; favourable clinical trends were observed in patients with lower NEWS-2 risk when early administration of favipiravir could be achieved.

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