High-Dose Dexamethasone (HD-DXM) Plus Oseltamivir Versus High-Dose Dexamethasone for Treatment of Adult Primary Immune Thrombocytopenia: Interim Analysis of a Prospective, Multicenter, Randomized, Controlled Trial

Introduction: Primary immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) is an acquired hemorrhagic disorder caused by immune-mediated platelet destruction and insufficient platelet production. As the first-line treatment of ITP, corticosteroids enable the recovery of platelet count in 60% to 80% of cases. However, a large proportion of patients would relapse during steroid tapering or withdrawal. Recently, sporadic studies reported successful treatment of ITP with oseltamivir which decreased platelet destruction through inhibition of platelet desialylation, a possible mechanism leading to Fc-independent platelet phagocytosis by hepatocytes. We hypothesize that corticosteroids and oseltamivir might complement each other in terms of mechanisms and induce a better response in ITP. Therefore, a prospective randomized controlled trial was conducted to compare the efficacy and safety of high-dose dexamethasone (HD-DXM) plus oseltamivir with HD-DXM monotherapy in adult ITP. Here we report the interim analysis of this study. Methods: From February 2016 to May 2018, 80 newly diagnosed treatment-naïve ITP patients from 5 tertiary medical centers in China were screened in the trial (NCT01965626). Dexamethasone was administered orally at 40 mg daily to both arms for 4 days (days 1 - 4). If platelet counts remained < 30 × 109/L or there were bleeding symptoms by day 10, another course of HD-DXM was given (days 11 -14). For the combination arm, oral oseltamivir was given concomitantly at a dosage of 75 mg twice daily for the first 10 days (days 1 - 10). The primary endpoints were initial response and sustained response (SR). Platelet counts should be confirmed on two separate occasions at least 7 days apart when defining responses (CR: platelet count ≥ 100×109/L and absence of bleeding; R: platelet count ≥ 30 × 109/L but < 100 × 109/L and at least a doubling of baseline and absence of bleeding). Initial responses were assessed by day 14. Responders underwent follow-up for at least 12 months or until relapse. Response lasting for at least 6 consecutive months without additional ITP-specific intervention was regarded as SR. Secondary endpoints included time to response (TTR), bleeding scores, duration of response and adverse events (AEs). Platelet transfusion was permitted in patients with severe bleeding symptoms and recorded. Requirements for any additional ITP-specific intervention were considered as treatment failure. Results: Fifty-nine patients were enrolled, of whom 28 were randomly to receive HD-DXM plus oseltamivir and 31 to HD-DXM monotherapy. Demographics and baseline characteristics were balanced between the 2 arms (Table 1). Results showed that HD-DXM plus oseltamivir achieved a higher incidence of initial response than HD-DXM alone at day 14 (82.1% vs. 58.1%, P = 0.045). At the end of 6 months, SR rate in the HD-DXM plus oseltamivir arm was higher than that in the HD-DXM monotherapy arm even though it did not reach statistical significance (42.8% vs. 25.8%, P = 0.167). Relapse-free survival in the HD-DXM plus oseltamivir arm was significantly improved compared with the HD-DXM monotherapy arm during follow-up period (HR 1.96, Log Rank P =0.043), as estimated by the Kaplan-Meier analysis. There was no statistical difference in median TTR between the two arms (P > 0.05). Bleeding was well controlled in both arms, with comparable post-treatment bleeding events (7.1% vs.19.3%, P> 0.05) and lower bleeding scores in the HD-DXM plus oseltamivir arm (0 vs. 0, P = 0.036). Incidence of AEs was similar between the 2 arms (P > 0.05). A slight increase in gastrointestinal reactions was observed in the HD-DXM plus oseltamivir arm but it did not reach statistical significance. Most of the AEs were mild to moderate (grade 1 to 2) and usually resolved spontaneously after medication was completed. No previously undescribed AEs was observed. Conclusions: The combination of HD-DXM with oseltamivir significantly improved the initial response in newly diagnosed ITP patients. However, due to the limitation of sample size, the conclusion of SR superiority can hardly be drawn at the moment. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare. OffLabel Disclosure: Oseltamivir, a sialidase inhibitor which is extensively used in the treatment of or prophylaxis against influenza virus A and B. It has been reported that the treatment of oseltamivir could concomitantly increase platelet counts, which was independent whether influenza was diagnosed. Along those lines, several studies showed successful treatment of ITP patients with oseltamivir. We hypothesize that HD-DXM and oseltamivir might complement each other in terms of the mechanisms and achieve better response rates in ITP patients.

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Combination of ATRA and High-Dose Dexamethasone As First-Line Treatment in Adult Immune Thrombocytopenia:a Randomized, Phase 2, Open-Label Trial

Blood ◽

10.1182/blood-2019-125242 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 134 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. 899-899 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Qiu-Sha Huang ◽

Yi Liu ◽

Jing-Bo Wang ◽

Jun Peng ◽

Ming Hou ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Platelet Count ◽

Combination Group ◽

High Dose ◽

First Line ◽

Open Label ◽

Platelet Counts ◽

High Dose Dexamethasone ◽

First Line Therapy ◽

Treatment Naïve

Introductions Immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) is an acquired thrombocytopenia caused by immune-mediated platelet destruction and impaired platelet production. As the immunosuppressive therapy, high-dose dexamethasone (HD-DXM) has been recommended as the standard first-line treatment. Nevertheless, approximately half of ITP patients relapse within 6 months and require further therapies. All-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) is a derivative of vitamin A that has an immunomodulatory effect on hemopoiesis. Our previous study demonstrated that ATRA could induce a more rapid and long-lasting response in patients with corticosteroid-resistant or relapsed ITP (Lancet haematology, 2017). In addition, we found that ATRA corrected impaired platelet production by regulating the complement-IL-1β loop and TNFAIP3/NF-κB/SMAD7 signaling pathway in ITP (Br J Haematol, 2018; Haematologica, 2019). These findings suggested that the addition of ATRA to HD-DXM in treatment-naive patients could improve sustained response rate based on the synergetic function. Here, we present the results of the first prospective, multicenter, randomized, controlled trial with the largest cohort to date comparing the efficacy and safety of HD-DXM plus ATRA vs HD-DXM as first-line therapy in newly diagnosed adult primary ITP patients. Methods In this open-label, randomized, phase 2 trial, we enrolled adult ITP patients from 6 different tertiary medical centers in China. Eligible subjects had confirmed newly-diagnosed, treatment-naive ITP; platelet counts <30×109/L or platelet counts < 50×109/L and significant bleeding symptoms (WHO bleeding scale 2 or above).Eligible patients were randomly assigned 1:1 with an interactive web-based response system to receive either oral ATRA (10 mg twice daily) plus HD-DXM or HD-DXM monotherapy for 12 weeks. DXM was administered orally at 40 mg daily for 4 consecutive days to both arms. The 4-day course of dexamethasone was repeated on days 11 to 14 in the case of lack of response by day 10(Figure 1). The primary endpoint was 6-month sustained response (SR) defined as platelet counts maintained > 50×109/L without any additional ITP-modifying therapy at the 6-month follow up. Key secondary endpoints were initial response by day 14 (OR: platelet count ≥30×109/L and at least 2-fold increase of the baseline platelet count and absence of bleeding; CR: platelet count ≥100×109/L), duration of response (DOR), bleeding scores, and adverse events (AEs). Results Between June 2015, and July 2018, 300 patients were randomly allocated into either ATRA plus HD-DXM (n=150) or HD-DXM monotherapy (n=150). At the 6-month follow-up, the proportion of patients with SR was significantly higher in the ATRA plus HD-DXM group than in the HD-DXM monotherapy group (61% vs 37%, p= 0.009). So far, the increase of almost one quarter is very encouraging. The combination of ATRA and HD-DXM resulted in a higher incidence of early OR at day 14 compared with HD-DXM monotherapy (83% vs 67%, P=0.031), and the CR rate was 60.0% (ATRA+HD-DXM) vs 40.6% (HD-DXM) (P=0.015). Throughout the follow-up period, overall DOR was greater in the combination group, estimated by the Kaplan-Meier analysis. Fewer patients in the combination group than in the monotherapy group relapsed during follow-up (p< 0.001), and the median time to relapse was 75 days (ATRA+HD-DXM) vs 48 days (HD-DXM). Bleeding was more effectively controlled in the ATRA plus HD-DXM arm, with fewer bleeding events and lower bleeding scores. There was no difference between the 2 groups in terms of rescue treatments. All subjects tolerated the treatment well, and no grade 4 adverse events or treatment-related death were reported. No statistically significant differences were observed in the incidence of treatment-related AEs between the two groups. Conclusions ATRA plus HD-DXM is an effective and safe treatment for ITP as a first-line therapy that can provide a sustained prolonged response in adults. This therapy could be a new treatment option for ITP subjects. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

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Eltrombopag and High-Dose Dexamethasone As First Line Treatment For ITP

Blood ◽

10.1182/blood.v122.21.3544.3544 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 122 (21) ◽

pp. 3544-3544

Author(s):

David Gomez-Almaguer ◽

Miguel Angel Herrera-Rojas ◽

Andres Gomez-de Leon ◽

Olga Graciela Cantú-Rodríguez ◽

Cesar H Gutiérrez-Aguirre ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Platelet Count ◽

Immune Thrombocytopenia ◽

High Dose ◽

Line Treatment ◽

Front Line ◽

First Line ◽

High Dose Dexamethasone ◽

Line Therapy ◽

First Line Treatment

Abstract Introduction Primary immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) is an acquired autoimmune disorder that involves antibody and cell mediated destruction of platelets as well as suppression of their production. Prednisone is the initial standard therapy in adults1. High-dose dexamethasone as front-line therapy given as pulses of 40 mg per day for 4 consecutive days, was effective in 85% of patients, nevertheless, 50% relapsed within six months2. The prices of ITP drugs for 1 month of treatment in an adult range from prednisone; $16, eltrombopag; $5,934, intravenous immune globulin (IVIG) (80 g); $9,648, to rituximab (2 g); $15,5963. Only prednisone/dexamethasone and eltrombopag are available in oral presentation, for this reason, ambulatory treatment is an alternative for these patients. The trombopoietin receptor agonists are effective for the treatment of patients with chronic ITP, although response is dependent on continued administration. Eltrombopag is a small molecule agonist of the c-mpl (TpoR) receptor, which is the physiological target of thrombopoietin. This drug effectively raises the platelet count in adult patients (aged 18 years and over) as second/third line therapy, that is for patients refractory to corticosteroids and IVIG who have had their spleen removed or when splenectomy is not an option4. Our group, as well as others, has previously sought to improve response rates in these patients, particularly with the use of rituximab5, 6. To our knowledge neither eltrombopag nor romiplostim have been used as front line therapy in ITP, therefore the purpose of this study was to assess the efficacy of eltrombopag and dexamethasone in this setting. Patients and Methods This was a prospective, phase 2 study, using the combination of eltrombopag (50 mg PO once a day for 4 weeks) and high-dose dexamethasone (40 mg PO days 1,2,3,4) in untreated adult patients with immune thrombocytopenia or in patients with less than 7 days of treatment with corticosteroids. Complete response (CR) was defined as an increase in platelet count >100×109/L. Partial response (PR) was defined as an increase in the platelet count greater to 30 ×109/L according to standard criteria. Duration of response was considered from the day of initial administration to the first time of relapse (platelet count <30×109/L). Results Twelve consecutive patients were enrolled from June 2012 to June 2013, 6 women and 6 men. The median age at diagnosis was 50 years (range, 20 - 80 years). The median platelet count at diagnosis was 7 x 109/L (range, 2 - 29 x 109/L). Patients were followed for a median of 2.5 months (range 1.1 - 13). After steroid treatment at day +5, ten patients had responded (83.3%), five had achieved CR (41.7%), and five PR. After completing treatment with eltrombopag at day +34, all patients responded (100%), nine patients achieved CR (75%) and three PR (25%). Two patients relapsed in a median time of 39.5 days (range, 30.1 - 49), both regaining CR after treatment with another high-dose dexamethasone course and low-dose rituximab (4 doses of 100 mg every week). At 3 months follow-up 66.7% remained in CR and 33.3% in PR (n=6). At 6 months follow-up two patients remained in CR and two in PR (n=4). Time to best response achieved was 34 days from diagnosis (range, 19 – 64.1). At the end of follow-up 9 patients (75%) remained in CR and 3 patients in PR (25%). Total treatment cost per patient was $1,640 approximately. Conclusion Currently the initial treatment of ITP patients is based on prednisone or high dose dexamethasone with or without IVIG. This approach is associated with high cost and high relapse rate. The results from our pilot study suggest that high dose dexamethasone and eltrombopag are very effective as first line treatment for acute ITP in adults. This treatment is ambulatory, affordable and well tolerated; however, we still don't know if this approach will have a favorable impact on the relapse rate of this disease. Disclosures: Off Label Use: Eltrombopag as first line treatment for ITP.

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Novel Management of Immune Thrombocytopenia in Gaucher Disease Patients

Blood ◽

10.1182/blood.v124.21.5006.5006 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 124 (21) ◽

pp. 5006-5006

Author(s):

Hanna Rosenbaum

Keyword(s):

Bone Marrow ◽

Platelet Count ◽

Avascular Necrosis ◽

Gaucher Disease ◽

Immune Thrombocytopenia ◽

High Dose ◽

Type I ◽

Platelet Counts ◽

Skeletal Complications

Abstract Type I Gaucher disease (GD) the is characterized by hepatosplenomegaly, pancytopenia and skeletal complications due to the accumulation of glucocerebroside in macrophages. Thrombocytopenia is usually related to hypersplenism and infiltration of bone marrow by lipid-laden macrophages namely Gaucher cells. Enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) restores the hemoglobin and platelet count in GD patients. In GD ERT treated patients, manifesting persistent low platelet counts, immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) should be considered.Treatment of GD with concomitant ITP is a challenge. Splenectomy may worsen bone manifestations in GD patients and is controversial. Steroids should be used with caution because of possible induction of osteopenia and joints avascular necrosis. Thrombopoietin receptor analogues (TPO-RA) are therapeutic option in GD patients with ITP. Beneficial use of TPO-RA is reported in 2 cases. Patient 1: 39 YO male with new onset of purpura and low platelet count failed treatment with 1 mg/kg of Prednisone. Bone marrow biopsy (BM) showed Gaucher cells infiltration, numerous atypical megakaryocytes, normal erythropoiesis and myelopoiesis with no fibrosis. Low level of ß-glucocerebrosidase activity with compound heterozygosity for 84GG /R495H mutations, established the diagnosis of Type I GD. Low C4 and detection of IgG platelet antibodies added to the diagnosis of concomitant immune thrombocytopenia. ERT with taliglucerase alfa (ElelysoTM) 60 Units/kg/month was given with Prednisone for six weeks. Occurrence of retinal bleeding and purpura, with decrease of platelet count necessitated addition of high-dose IVIG with no response regarding platelet counts. Splenectomy was not considered due to known bony complication risk in splenectomised GD patients. Rituximab was given to prevent wet purpura recurrence with short response regarding platelet count. Romiplostim was initiated raising platelet count from 29,000/µL to 60,000/µL after 3 wks. and to 90,000/µL after 8 wks. enabling corticosteroids withdrawal. Same dose Romiplostim is maintained for the last 30 months with platelet counts of 90,000 - 110,000/µL with no bleeding events. Repeated BMB showed no increase in collagen fibrosis. Patient 2: 63 YO female patient diagnosed with Gaucher at age 33 with a history of purpura, ecchymosis, and occasional vaginal bleeding episodes. At age 53 the platelet count dropped to < 20,000/µL with presence of Anti Platelets Ab (IgG). BMB revealed megakaryocytic hyperplasia with atypical forms, focal infiltration by Gaucher cells and no fibrosis. Combined therapy by ERT (Imiglucerase® followed by Velaglucerase Alfa®), Prednisone (1mg/kg/d for 2 months) and one course of IVIG yielded no increase in platelet count. The patient refused Rituximab®. Romiplostim was initiated increasing platelet count to100,000/µL maintained throughout a year of follow up. Repeated BMB showed slight increase of fibrosis and marked hyperplasia of atypical megakaryocytes. Discussion: Thrombocytopenia is often present in GD and may be severe in approximately 15% of the patients. Persistent cytopenias may be caused by other underlying pathologies such as autoimmune disorders and are important to be recognized and addressed. Before ERT era GD patients with hypersplenism and severe cytopenia were splenectomised. Risks of splenectomy include serious bacterial infection and vascular complications limiting its use in chronic refractory ITP. Splenectomy is avoided in Gaucher patients, due to risk of exacerbating skeletal complications (bone infarcts, avascular necrosis). Stable bone marrow results regarding fibrosis in our patients are consistent with data from a recent 2-year follow-up of 100 ITP patients receiving Romiplostim treatment with no evidence of BM fibrosis. Conclusion: In patients with type I Gaucher disease and concomitant ITP, adjunctive treatment with Romiplostim was successful in maintaining haemostatic platelet counts with no adverse effects. Traditional treatment regimens of corticosteroids and splenectomy should be used with caution or avoided in GD patients due to possible aggravation of Gaucher skeletal disease and the risk of osteopenia and avascular necrosis resulting in increased morbidity in this cohort of patients. Use of TPO-RA should be considered in GD patients with ITP. Disclosures Off Label Use: Romiplostim in gaucher patients.

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Tacrolimus Plus High-Dose Dexamethasone Versus High-Dose Dexamethasone Alone As First-Line Treatment for Adult Immune Thrombocytopenia: The Phase 2, Open Label, Randomized Trial (TARGET 020)

Blood ◽

10.1182/blood-2021-152111 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 138 (Supplement 1) ◽

pp. 13-13

Author(s):

Zhuo-Yu An ◽

Ye-Jun Wu ◽

Yun He ◽

Xiao-Lu Zhu ◽

Hong-Xia Shi ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Platelet Count ◽

Combination Group ◽

High Dose ◽

Line Treatment ◽

Monotherapy Group ◽

First Line ◽

Open Label ◽

High Dose Dexamethasone ◽

First Line Treatment

Abstract Introduction Immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) is an acquired, organ-specific, autoimmune disease and one of the most common bleeding disorders seriously endangering human health. Glucocorticoids and intravenous immunoglobulin are first-line treatments recommended by guidelines for patients with ITP. However, approximately 50%-85% of patients relapse during the first year of treatment. In addition, long-term use of glucocorticoids increases the risk for dose- and time-dependent glucocorticoid-related complications and serious side effects. Therefore, in-depth studies investigating new solutions for the first-line treatment of ITP are urgently needed. Tacrolimus is a calcineurin inhibitor, which forms a complex by binding to FK506-binding protein. It is currently widely used in the prevention of graft-versus-host disease for organ transplantation as well as for the treatment of autoimmune diseases. In addition to recent retrospective studies and case reports demonstrating its effectiveness in ITP, tacrolimus has been shown to improve anti-platelet antibody-mediated thrombocytopenia in mice, suggesting it may be a potential treatment for ITP. The aim of this study was to compare two first-line treatment options for ITP-a standard glucocorticoid-only regimen versus tacrolimus in combination with a standard glucocorticoid regimen-to determine which could help patients achieve stable platelet counts faster and experience a longer duration of remission. Methods This open-label, randomized, phase 2 trial, enrolled adult ITP patients from seven different tertiary medical centers in China. Elderly patients had confirmed, newly diagnosed, treatment-naive ITP, platelet counts <30×10 9/L, or < 50×10 9/L and significant bleeding symptoms (World Health Organization bleeding scale ≥ 2). Eligible patients were randomly assigned 1:1 with an interactive web-based response system to receive either oral tacrolimus (initial 0.03 mg/kg/day and maintain blood concentration at 3-5 ng/mL for 12 weeks) plus high-dose dexamethasone (HD-DXM) or HD-DXM monotherapy for 12 weeks. DXM (40 mg) was administered orally daily for 4 consecutive days to both study arms. The 4-day course of DXM was repeated on days 11-14 in patients who lacked response by day 10. The primary endpoint was 6-month sustained response (SR), defined as platelet count maintained >50×10 9/L without any additional ITP-modifying therapy at the 6-month follow-up. Key secondary endpoints included initial response by day 14 (OR, platelet count ≥30×10 9/L and at least 2-fold increase in baseline platelet count and absence of bleeding; and CR, platelet count ≥ 100×10 9/L), duration of response, bleeding scores, and adverse events (AEs). This trial was registered with ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT04747080). Results Total 140 patients newly diagnosed with ITP were randomly assigned to either the tacrolimus plus HD-DXM (n=72) or HD-DXM monotherapy (n=68) groups. At the 6-month follow-up, the proportion of patients exhibiting SR was significantly higher in the tacrolimus plus HD-DXM group than in the HD-DXM monotherapy group (65.3% vs 42.6%, p= 0.007). Of the 140 patients with ITP (males accounted for 48.6%), the mean age was 32.8 years, the mean platelet count was 16.7×10 9/L. The combination group exhibited a higher 14-day early remission rate than the monotherapy group (76.4% vs 55.9%, P=0.001). Significantly fewer treatment failures occurred in patients randomly assigned to the combination group(19.4% vs 38.2%, P=0.0014). During the follow-up period, fewer patients in the combination group experienced relapse than in the monotherapy group; the median time to relapse was 77 days (Tacrolimus+HD-DXM) vs 36 days (HD-DXM). The combination group exhibited a lower proportion of bleeding events and a lower bleeding score. The incidence of serious AEs, rescue therapy, and treatment side effects were similar between the two groups, and treatment was well tolerated by all patients, with no grade 4 AEs or treatment-related deaths reported. There was no statistically significant difference in the incidence of treatment-related AEs between the two groups. Conclusions Low-dose tacrolimus plus HD-DXM was an effective and safe treatment for ITP as first-line therapy and elicited a sustained prolonged response in adults. This therapy may be a new treatment option for adult patients with ITP. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare. OffLabel Disclosure: It includes information or discussion of off-label drug use of tacrilimus.

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Romiplostim, Low-Dose Rituximab and High-Dose Dexamethasone Combination in Newly Diagnosed Immune Thrombocytopenia: Another "Total Therapy" Pilot Study

Blood ◽

10.1182/blood-2021-149769 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 138 (Supplement 1) ◽

pp. 1014-1014

Author(s):

Perla R. R. Colunga-Pedraza ◽

Mónica Bustillos Muñoz ◽

Fernando De La Garza ◽

Andres Gomez-De Leon ◽

Edgar Ulises Coronado-Alejandro ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Immune Thrombocytopenia ◽

Low Dose ◽

Initial Response ◽

High Dose ◽

Newly Diagnosed ◽

Front Line ◽

High Dose Dexamethasone ◽

Line Therapy ◽

Total Therapy

Abstract Background: Primary immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) is an acquired autoimmune disorder that results from accelerating platelet clearance, destruction, and production. Front-line therapy for newly diagnosed ITP includes corticosteroids, intravenous immune globulin, or anti-D immunoglobulin. However, after these single-agent therapies, relapses will occur in half of patients. We previously reported the safety, feasibility, and efficacy of the combination of dexamethasone, low-dose rituximab, and the thrombopoietin receptor agonist (TPO-Ra) eltrombopag as front-line treatment in newly diagnosed ITP. Romiplostim, another TPO-Ra is approved by the FDA for patients with chronic ITP. However, the safety, tolerability, and efficacy of romiplostim combined with low-dose rituximab, and high-dose dexamethasone in newly diagnosed ITP remain unknown. Objective: Our primary objectives were safety, and tolerability. Secondary objectives were initial response and relapse incidence. Methods: An open-label, single-arm study was performed in Hospital Universitario "Dr. José Eleuterio González" in Monterrey, Mexico (Clinical trials.gov NCT04588194). Eligible patients were newly diagnosed ITP patients, treatment-naïve, ≥18 years, with a platelet count ≤30×10 9/L. Patients were excluded if they had an active infection, pregnancy, or malignant disease. The treatment regimen was romiplostim (2 mcg/kg weekly, four doses), low-dose rituximab (100 mg weekly, four doses) and high-dose dexamethasone (40 mg PO, days 1-4). Dexamethasone was allowed up to 3 cycles. Partial (PR) and complete responses (CR) were defined as an increase in platelet counts ≥30×10 9/L (at least a doubling of the baseline count) and ≥100×10 9/L, respectively. Results: We included ten consecutive patients. The median age was 34.5 years (range, 17-63). Seven patients were men (70%). The median platelet account at diagnosis was 6x10 9/L (range 0-23), and median follow-up was 180 days (range 30-270). The median number of romiplostim doses was 3.5 (range 1-4), and three (30%) patients required dose adjustment due to thrombocytosis. All but one patient achieved response (CR or PR) at a median of 7 days (range 7-28). Five patients (50%) achieved CR at 28 days of treatment, and four patients (40%) PR. No significant adverse effects have occurred during treatment; one patient presented grade 1 myalgia and the other a grade 2 soft tissue infection. Five patients (50%) relapsed during follow-up. Recently, four (40%) patients remain in CR and three (30%) in PR. Conclusion: The combination of romiplostim, low-dose rituximab, and high-dose dexamethasone was safe and effective. This "total therapy" approach was associated with minimum side effects and rapid initial response. Prospective validation in a larger sample is needed. Figure 1 Figure 1. Disclosures Gomez-Almaguer: Janssen: Honoraria, Speakers Bureau; Roche: Honoraria, Speakers Bureau; Bristol-Myers-Squibb: Honoraria, Speakers Bureau; Takeda: Honoraria, Speakers Bureau. OffLabel Disclosure: Romiplostim in firs-line therapy for immune thrombocytopenia

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The Feasibility of High-Dose Dexamethasone (HD-DEX) in Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura (ITP) in Adults; a Multi-Center Study in Korea.

Blood ◽

10.1182/blood.v106.11.4009.4009 ◽

2005 ◽

Vol 106 (11) ◽

pp. 4009-4009

Author(s):

Yeo-Kyeoung Kim ◽

Je-Jung Lee ◽

Moo-Rim Park ◽

Sung-Hwa Bae ◽

Hyo Jung Kim ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Initial Response ◽

Hypoglycemic Agents ◽

Ulcer Bleeding ◽

High Dose ◽

Success Rates ◽

Platelet Counts ◽

High Dose Dexamethasone ◽

Significant Difference ◽

Group 2 ◽

Group 1

Abstract Short term use of HD-DEX has shown less adverse effects (AEs) than PDS maintenance but its success rates reported differently by several studies. The objective of this study was to determine HD-DEX effectiveness in adult ITP with newly diagnosed (group 1) and relapsed after other treatments(Tx) (group 2). 71 (median age; 45, 20~82) with ITP with a platelet counts (PC) 20,000/uL or less than 50,000/uL and clinically significant bleeding were enrolled. DEX a dose of 40 mg/day for 4 consecutive days was tried. A response was defined as an increase in the PC of at least 30,000/uL, PC of more than 50,000/uL by day 10 (D10) after DEX. A maintenance was defined as a PC of more than 50,000/uL 6 ms after Tx. The number of group 1 and 2 were 54, 17, retrospectively. In group 2, previous regimens included;oral PDS and/or IVIG (16)and splenectomy (4). Median PC before Tx were 8,500(1,000~45,000/uL) and 9,000(100~33,000/uL) in group 1 and 2, retrospectively (p=0.80). 27(50%) and 6(35.3%) in group 1, 2 showed good initial response to 1st course of DEX, retrospectively (p=0.40). After 1st course of DEX, 11(20.3%) in group 1 and 1(5.9%) in group 2 could maintain response for 3 ms (p=0.27). By 6 ms, 8 (14.8%) in group 1 and 1 (5.9%) in group 2 kept first response (p=0.68). Among 33 patients bearing initial response, 12 (44.4%)and 2 (33.3%) in group 1, 2 relapsed (p=1.0). Good correlation revealed between PC (D10) and response rate (RR) (p<0.05). Of 21 with PC (D10) above 100,000/uL, 6(28.6%) experienced relapse. On the other hand, nine of 11 patients (81.8%) in whom PC (D10) were less than 100,000/uL relapsed after all. There was no significant difference in relapse-free survival (RFS) after 1st DEX between 2 groups (p=0.9). 13 of 14 relapsed received 2nd DEX and then maintained PDS without interruption. After several weeks of maintenance, PDS tapered according to the PC. 9(75.0%) in group 1 and 2(100%) in group 2 showed response in 2nd DEX. Of these 11 patients, 2 in group 1 relapsed 10 ms after receiving 2nd DEX. After 1st DEX, 12 (16.9%), 5(7%) and 6 (8.5%) temporarily suffered from vague generalized sx., facial edema, and mild liver function abnormality, retrospectively. During the 2nd DEX and consecutive oral PDS, 4(30.7%), 3(23.1%) and 1(7.7%) experienced same AEs, retrospectively. Additionally, of these 13, overt DM requiring hypoglycemic agents appeared in 2(15.4%) and 1(7.7%) experienced duodenal ulcer bleeding. In conclusion, 1 course of HD-DEX revealed good initial response in group 1 but in group 2, the RR was lower than in historical results of oral PDS. However, it has an advantage for the patients to have a good compliance to the Tx because of few AEs and no need to maintain long-term daily medication. Furthermore, although the 2nd DEX and PDS maintenance showed good response, it revealed no benefit compared as a previously established oral PDS regimen because of frequently occurrence of AEs and poor compliance. Therefore, the proper DEX schedule remained to be determined according to the early achieved platelet counts (eg. D10) with 1st course DEX or to the presence of previous Tx.

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Rituximab in Refractory Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura (ITP).

Blood ◽

10.1182/blood.v108.11.3979.3979 ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 108 (11) ◽

pp. 3979-3979

Author(s):

Cristina Santoro ◽

Francesca Biondo ◽

Gioia De Angelis ◽

Mariastefania De Propris ◽

Annalisa De Vellis ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Flow Cytometry ◽

Platelet Count ◽

Side Effects ◽

Peripheral Blood ◽

Complete Response ◽

Early Response ◽

High Dose ◽

High Dose Dexamethasone ◽

Anti Cd20

Abstract Background. Rituximab, a chimeric anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody effective in B-cell depletion, may be useful in autoimmune disorders by interfering with the production of auto-antibodies. Aims. To investigate the efficacy of Rituximab in patients with resistant ITP. Patients and Methods. Fourteen adult ITP patients (3 males, 11 females; median age 44.5 years [21.1–67.6]) were treated with Rituximab (375 mg/m2/weekly for four doses). The median time between diagnosis and start of Rituximab was 2 years (0.2–33.1 months). All patients had already received at least two lines of therapy (median 3; 2–6): prednisone, pulsed high-dose dexamethasone, azathioprine, immunoglobulins, interferon or splenectomy. At the start of Rituximab, the median platelet count was 10 x 109/L (3–20 x 109/L). Response definitions: complete response (CR), platelet count ≥150 x 109/L; partial response (PR), >50 <150 x 109/L; minimal response (MR), >20 ≤50 x 109/L; no response (NR) ≤20 x 109/L. After completing therapy, patients were evaluated for platelet count after 1 and 3 months, and thereafter every 3 months until relapse or start of a different treatment. Peripheral blood B lymphocytes were evaluated by flow-cytometry as CD19+ cells before treatment, 1 and 3 months after stopping therapy, and then every 3 months up to recovery. Results. One month after Rituximab therapy, 7 responses (2 CR, 4 PR, 1 MR; 50%) and 7 NR (50%) were observed. Two relapses occurred 5 and 18 months after response. The median follow-up of all treated patients is 6 months (1.8–34.6), while the median follow-up of all responsive patients is 6.1 months (2–18.7). Before starting therapy, 11/14 cases were evaluable for flow-cytometry studies. The median baseline value of peripheral blood CD19+ B cells was 137 x 106/L (58–476). One month after completing therapy, 7/9 evaluable cases showed absence of CD19+ cells and 2/9 showed a count of 9 and 4.4 x 106/L CD19+ cells, respectively. At the last available control (median follow-up of 6.8 months; 1.9–32.5), 11/14 evaluable patients had still not recovered the baseline CD19+ cell count (median value: 5.5 x 106/L; 0–287). The following side effects were observed: 1 case of papulosquamous dermatitis, 2 cases of fever. Conclusions. Seven out of 14 (50%) ITP patients had an early response to Rituximab (2 CR, 4 PR, 1 MR), that persisted in 5 cases. No late responses were observed. The response was independent of the post-therapy CD19+ cell numbers. No serious infections were observed during the clinical follow-up. No patient had to stop therapy because of severe side effects.

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Low-Dose Rituximab and High-Dose Dexamethasone As Front-Line Therapy in Adult Patients with Primary Immune Thrombocytopenia

Blood ◽

10.1182/blood.v120.21.3332.3332 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 120 (21) ◽

pp. 3332-3332

Author(s):

David Gomez-Almaguer ◽

Luz C. Tarin-Arzaga ◽

Brizio Moreno-Jaime ◽

Jose C. Jaime-Pérez ◽

Adrián A. Ceballos-López ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Platelet Count ◽

Immune Thrombocytopenia ◽

Low Dose ◽

Complete Response ◽

High Dose ◽

Newly Diagnosed ◽

Front Line ◽

High Dose Dexamethasone ◽

Line Therapy ◽

Primary Immune Thrombocytopenia

Abstract Abstract 3332 Introduction Corticosteroids are the initial standard therapy for primary immune thrombocytopenia (ITP). A short course of high-dose dexamethasone as initial therapy is an alternative to prednisone with high initial responses, but about half of the patients relapse. Low dose rituximab has been used in the treatment of relapsed ITP, showing a similar activity to the standard dose. The aim of this prospective study was to evaluate the efficacy, safety and response duration of low-dose rituximab plus short pulses of high-dose dexamethasone as front-line therapy in newly diagnosed ITP adults. Methods Patients ≥18 years old with newly diagnosed received dexamethasone, 40 mg/day/i.v. for 4 consecutive days (+1, +2, +3, +4), rituximab was administered at a fixed dose of 100 mg as an i.v. infusion weekly for 4 consecutive doses (days +1, +8+, +15 and +22). The use of rescue therapy was allowed, using the same schedule of dexamethasone, before day 30, but only if the platelet count was < 20×109/L. A complete blood cell count was performed at enrollment, weekly for the first 28 days, monthly until month 6 and then every 3 months. The degree of response was defined as follows: a complete response (CR) was a platelet count ≥ 100 × 109/L; a complete sustained response (CSR) was considered if it was maintained for six months. Partial response (PR) was defined as a platelet level between 50 and 100 × 109/L; an overall response (OR) was defined as partial or complete response. Patients with a platelet count <30 × 109/L were considered non-responders (NR). Time-to-response (TTR) and time-to-complete response (TCR) were also assessed, as well as the safety profile and side effects incidence according to the National Cancer Institute Common Toxicity Criteria version 3.0. Results Twenty-one consecutive patients were enrolled from December 2009 to December 2011 (17 women and 4 men); median age was 51 years (range, 18–82). The median platelet count at baseline was 5.19 × 109/L (range, 0.3–24.2 × 109/L). Patients were followed for a median of 12 months (range, 1–25). At day +28, sixteen patients (76.2%) had CR, three patients had PR (14.3%), with the OR being 90.5%. At month six, 16 of 21 patients (76.2%) had achieved CSR. Seven patients received a second course of dexamethasone (one at day +8 and six at day+15) (Table 1). The median duration of response was 12 months (range, 7–25 months). The median time to reach TTR and TCR was 8 days (range, 4–28). Partial response was achieved in two patients who were further treated with danazol and prednisone, being subsequently splenectomized. The relapse rate was 15.8%. The 6- and 12- month cumulative RFS were both 84%; the 6- and 12-month cumulative TFS probabilities were 94% and 87%, respectively (Fig. 1). Overall, combination therapy in our group was well tolerated with a lower incidence of adverse effects during infusion in this trial according to the data reported in previous studies. Conclusions The combination of low-dose rituximab and high-dose dexamethasone as front-line therapy for adults with ITP was effective and safe with a high OR rate and a low incidence of relapse. These data need to be confirmed in a prospective randomized clinical trial including a sample size with enough power to reach statistically significant conclusions. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

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Extended follow-up of a phase 3 trial in relapsed multiple myeloma: final time-to-event results of the APEX trial

Blood ◽

10.1182/blood-2006-08-036947 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 110 (10) ◽

pp. 3557-3560 ◽

Cited By ~ 386

Author(s):

Paul G. Richardson ◽

Pieter Sonneveld ◽

Michael Schuster ◽

David Irwin ◽

Edward Stadtmauer ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Multiple Myeloma ◽

Single Agent ◽

Response Duration ◽

Proteasome Inhibition ◽

Initial Response ◽

Complete Response ◽

High Dose ◽

High Dose Dexamethasone ◽

Protein Reduction

AbstractInitial analysis of the Assessment of Proteasome Inhibition for Extending Remissions (APEX) trial of relapsed multiple myeloma patients showed significantly longer time to progression, higher response rate, and improved survival with single-agent bortezomib versus high-dose dexamethasone. In this updated analysis (median follow-up: 22 months), survival was assessed in both arms, and efficacy updated for the bortezomib arm. Median survival was 29.8 months for bortezomib versus 23.7 months for dexamethasone, a 6-month benefit, despite substantial crossover from dexamethasone to bortezomib. Overall and complete response rates with bortezomib were 43% and 9%, respectively; among responding patients, 56% improved response with longer therapy beyond initial response, leading to continued improvement in overall quality of response. Higher response quality (100% M-protein reduction) was associated with longer response duration; response duration was not associated with time to response. These data confirm the activity of bortezomib and support extended treatment in relapsed multiple myeloma patients tolerating therapy. This study is registered at http://clinicaltrials.gov (Study ID NCT00048230).

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