Use of a modified Delphi panel to define value of combination therapy in oncology.

2019 ◽  
Vol 37 (15_suppl) ◽  
pp. e18369-e18369
Author(s):  
Michael Broder ◽  
Harshali Patel ◽  
Zac Wessler ◽  
Sarah Gibbs ◽  
Irina Yermilov ◽  
...  

e18369 Background: Treatment regimens involving 2+ novel oncologics have improved health outcomes in several tumor types. These regimens have significantly higher costs than single agents and older treatments (e.g., chemotherapies), which are still widely used to treat different cancers. Our goal was to determine if current concepts of “value,” such as those described by ICER and other frameworks, adequately capture the value of combination therapies. Methods: Using a RAND/UCLA modified Delphi panel, 8 experts from various backgrounds were provided with a review of current concepts of value and asked to rate them on measurability, relevance, and necessity to determine a combination therapy’s value from 4 perspectives (patient, physician, payer, society). After the first round of ratings, panelists met in person and discussed areas of disagreement. Ratings were repeated, and results used to quantitatively summarize group opinion on concepts recommended for inclusion in a value definition. Results: In both rating rounds, experts agreed treatment, clinical evidence, and health outcomes as important domains in determining value. Experts disagreed on whether societal/cultural beliefs, disease factors (i.e., rarity of cancer, unmet need, burden of disease), and other elements of value (e.g., insurance value, reduction in uncertainty, treatment affordability) needed to be incorporated into value assessments of combinations. Responses differed by perspective. Concepts on which there was disagreement decreased post-meeting (23% to 9%). Conclusions: Experts agreed that “value” for 2+ novel oncologics would have a similar definition to value for all high cost oncology therapies. Four key research opportunities to characterize the value of combination therapy emerged: societal context and patient preference may affect value assessments but are not widely considered in current models; some important benefits are not recognized by patients and may be missed by traditional value assessments; given typical patient and societal preferences, cancer treatments may be systematically undervalued vis a vis other health conditions; and combination therapies may present challenges for recently promulgated value frameworks.

2020 ◽  
Vol 41 (Supplement_2) ◽  
Author(s):  
C Borghi ◽  
J.G Wang ◽  
A.V Rodionov ◽  
M Rosas ◽  
I.S Sohn ◽  
...  

Abstract Background It is well established that single pill combination (SPC) therapies have the potential to improve patient adherence versus multi-pill regimens, thereby improving blood pressure control and clinical outcomes in populations with hypertension. Purpose To develop a microsimulation model, capturing different treatment pathways, to project the impact on clinical outcomes of using single pill combination therapies for the management of hypertension in five countries (Italy, Russia, China, South Korea and Mexico). Methods The model was designed to project health outcomes between 2020 and 2030 for populations with hypertension managed according to four different treatment pathways: current treatment practices [CTP], single drug with dosage titration first then sequential addition of other agents [start low and go slow, SLGS], free choice combination with multiple pills [FCC] and combination therapy in the form of a single pill [SPC]. Model inputs were derived from Global Burden of Disease 2017 dataset, including demographics, health status/risk factors, transition probabilities and treatment attributes/healthcare utilization, and the model incorporated real-world challenges to healthcare delivery such as access to care, SBP measurement error, adherence and therapeutic inertia. Simulated outcomes of mortality, incidence of chronic kidney disease (CKD), stroke and ischemic heart disease (IHD), and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) due to these conditions were estimated for population of 1,000,000 simulated patients for each treatment pathway and country. Results SPC therapy was projected to improve health outcomes over SLGS, FCC and CTP over 10 years in all five countries. SPC was forecast to reduce mortality by 5.4% (Italy), 4.9% (Russia), 4.5% (China), 2.3% (South Korea) and 3.6% (Mexico) versus CTP and showed greater projected reductions in mortality than SLGS and FCC. DALYs were projected to be reduced with SPC therapy by between 5.7% (Italy) and 2.2% (South Korea) compared with CTP and reductions in the incidence of clinical events were also projected with SPC therapy, with decreases in the range of 11.5% (Italy) to 4.9% (South Korea) versus CTP. Conclusions Ten-year projections of clinical outcomes associated with different anti-hypertensive treatment pathways in five countries indicated that both combination therapies (FCC and SPC) are likely to reduce the disease burden of hypertension compared with conventional management approaches, with SPC showing the greatest overall benefits due to improved adherence. Funding Acknowledgement Type of funding source: Private company. Main funding source(s): Sanofi, Gentilly, France


Author(s):  
Hossein Mazaherpour ◽  
Masoomeh Sofian ◽  
Elham Farahani ◽  
Alireza Abdi ◽  
Sakine Mazaherpour ◽  
...  

Background: Many treatments for COVID-19 are currently under studying, such as combination therapies with hydroxychloroquine plus antiviral drugs. In this study, we compared the efficacy and side effects of two types of combination therapy including atazanavir /ritonavir (ATV/r) or lopinavir /ritonavir (LPV/r) plus hydroxychloroquine among COVID-19 patients. Methods: In a non-randomized clinical trial, 108 eligible patients with moderate and severe form of COVID-19 were divided into two groups. Each group consisted of 54 patients. One group received ATV/r plus hydroxychloroquine and the other group received hydroxychloroquine plus LPV/r. Then, the two groups were evaluated and compared for clinical symptoms, recovery rates and complications of treatment regimens. Results: The findings of this research showed a significant increase in bilirubin in ATV/r receiving group compared to LPV/r receivers (p<0.001). there was also a significant increase in arrhythmias in the LPV/r group compared to ATV/r group during the treatment period (p=0.019). Other findings including length of hospital stay, outcome, and treatment complications were not statistically significant. Conclusions: There is not statistically significant difference between protease inhibitor drugs including ATV/r and LPV/r in the treatment of COVID-19 regarding to progress and clinical outcomes. However, some side effects such as hyperbilirubinemia and arrhythmia was significantly different by application of atazanavir or lopinavir.


Author(s):  
Nassir Azimi ◽  
Freddy Caldera ◽  
Stan Cohen ◽  
James Conners ◽  
Timothy Fernandes ◽  
...  

Cells ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (7) ◽  
pp. 1715
Author(s):  
Macus Hao-Ran Bao ◽  
Carmen Chak-Lui Wong

Hypoxia, low oxygen (O2) level, is a hallmark of solid cancers, especially hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), one of the most common and fatal cancers worldwide. Hypoxia contributes to drug resistance in cancer through various molecular mechanisms. In this review, we particularly focus on the roles of hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF)-mediated metabolic reprogramming in drug resistance in HCC. Combination therapies targeting hypoxia-induced metabolic enzymes to overcome drug resistance will also be summarized. Acquisition of drug resistance is the major cause of unsatisfactory clinical outcomes of existing HCC treatments. Extra efforts to identify novel mechanisms to combat refractory hypoxic HCC are warranted for the development of more effective treatment regimens for HCC patients.


2020 ◽  
Vol 79 (Suppl 1) ◽  
pp. 247.2-248
Author(s):  
D. Ruelas ◽  
R. LI ◽  
C. Franci ◽  
V. Lira ◽  
D. Lopez ◽  
...  

Background:Patients showing inadequate or no response to current therapies represent a key unmet need in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). To address this, novel or combination therapies are of high clinical interest. Identification of novel therapeutic targets requires a greater understanding of the pathogenic molecular drivers in the RA synovium. However, our current knowledge of human molecular patterns that emerge as a result of disease progression is complicated by patient-to-patient heterogeneity and access to synovial tissue.Objectives:Here we use the current knowledge of human synovial heterogeneity to conduct a longitudinal study of global molecular responses in the rat collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) model to better understand synovial biology, improve the preclinical modeling of human disease, and discover novel targets for RA.Methods:A rat CIA model was performed as previously described.1RNA-Seq was performed on 56 knee synovial tissues collected at multiple time points throughout the course of disease. Differential gene expression was determined at each individual time point and longitudinally with disease progression. Published human synovial datasets were used to categorize these genes into myeloid, lymphoid, fibroid, and low inflammatory signatures.2Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) at each time point were compared to human synovial datasets of RA patients before and after treatment. In addition, we compared disease-driven genes in CIA to genes in RA patients that are unchanged following therapy to identify possible combination therapies.Results:Disease pathology in the rat CIA natural history study progressed as expected: significant decreases were seen in body weight, as well as increases in ankle diameter, paw weight, and histopathology scores of joints in collagen-injected vs noninjected rats. There were 1900 DEGs identified between diseased and naïve rats over the course of disease, representing disease-induced gene signatures (Fig. 1). Comparing these DEGs to reported human RA synovial signatures, both the lymphoid and myeloid signatures were found to be highly upregulated. Interestingly, there were no significant DEGs representing the human fibroid and low inflammatory synovial signatures identified in the CIA rat model. This suggests that the rat CIA model most closely models RA patients with an immune synovial phenotype. In addition, we examined the overlap between disease-driven genes in CIA and genes in RA patients that are unchanged following therapy to identify signaling pathways that may be of utility in combination therapy. Of genes that were upregulated in CIA, 94% of genes that mapped to extracellular matrix-receptor pathways remained unchanged in the synovial tissue of RA patients following tocilizumab treatment.Conclusion:Previous studies have shown that nearly 30% of treatment-naïve early RA patients exhibit a strong fibroid phenotype that correlates with less severe disease and a relatively poor response to disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs.3These data indicate that the synovial biology associated with such patients (fibroid or pauci-immune) is not well captured in CIA, the most common preclinical RA model. To assess potential new therapies targeting these patients, it will be necessary to develop alternative animal models with more intact fibroid signatures. In addition to these findings, we also characterized the global molecular changes that occur with disease progression in the CIA rat and made a comparison to RA patients on treatment, providing an overall understanding of disease-relevant pathways in the synovium that may point to possible combination therapies.References:[1]Trentham DE, et al.J Exp Med. 1977;146(3):857-868.[2]Dennis G Jr, et al.Arthritis Res Ther. 2014;16(2):R90.[3]Humby F, et al.Ann Rheum Dis. 2019;78(6):761-772.Disclosure of Interests:Debbie Ruelas Employee of: Gilead, Ruidong Li Employee of: Gilead, Christian Franci Employee of: Gilead, Victor Lira Employee of: Gilead, David Lopez Employee of: Gilead, Li Li Employee of: Gilead, Gundula Min-Oo Employee of: Gilead, Julie A. Di Paolo Employee of: Gilead


2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (11) ◽  
pp. 400
Author(s):  
Arnold G. Vulto ◽  
Jackie Vanderpuye-Orgle ◽  
Martin van der Graaff ◽  
Steven R. A. Simoens ◽  
Lorenzo Dagna ◽  
...  

Introduction: Biosimilars have the potential to enhance the sustainability of evolving health care systems. A sustainable biosimilars market requires all stakeholders to balance competition and supply chain security. However, there is significant variation in the policies for pricing, procurement, and use of biosimilars in the European Union. A modified Delphi process was conducted to achieve expert consensus on biosimilar market sustainability in Europe. Methods: The priorities of 11 stakeholders were explored in three stages: a brainstorming stage supported by a systematic literature review (SLR) and key materials identified by the participants; development and review of statements derived during brainstorming; and a facilitated roundtable discussion. Results: Participants argued that a sustainable biosimilar market must deliver tangible and transparent benefits to the health care system, while meeting the needs of all stakeholders. Key drivers of biosimilar market sustainability included: (i) competition is more effective than regulation; (ii) there should be incentives to ensure industry investment in biosimilar development and innovation; (iii) procurement processes must avoid monopolies and minimize market disruption; and (iv) principles for procurement should be defined by all stakeholders. However, findings from the SLR were limited, with significant gaps on the impact of different tender models on supply risks, savings, and sustainability. Conclusions: A sustainable biosimilar market means that all stakeholders benefit from appropriate and reliable access to biological therapies. Failure to care for biosimilar market sustainability may impoverish biosimilar development and offerings, eventually leading to increased cost for health care systems and patients, with fewer resources for innovation.


2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 204589401881629 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sean Studer ◽  
Michael Hull ◽  
Janis Pruett ◽  
Eleena Koep ◽  
Yuen Tsang ◽  
...  

Several new medications for pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) have recently been introduced; however, current real-world data regarding US patients with PAH are limited. We conducted a retrospective administrative claims study to examine PAH treatment patterns and summarize healthcare utilization and costs among patients with newly diagnosed PAH treated in US clinical practice. Patients newly treated for PAH from 1 January 2010 to 31 March 2015 were followed for ≥12 months. Patient characteristics, treatment patterns, healthcare resource utilization, and costs were described. Adherence (proportion of days covered), persistence (months until therapy discontinuation/modification), and the probability of continuing the index regimen were analyzed by index regimen cohort (monotherapy versus combination therapy). Of 1637 eligible patients, 93.8% initiated treatment with monotherapy and 6.2% with combination therapy. The most common index regimen was phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitor (PDE-5I) monotherapy (70.0% of patients). A total of 581 patients (35.5%) modified their index regimen during the study. Most patients (55.4%) who began combination therapy did so on or within six months of the index date. Endothelin receptor agonists (ERAs) and combination therapies were associated with higher adherence than PDE-5Is and monotherapies, respectively. Healthcare utilization was substantial across the study population, with costs in the combination therapy cohort more than doubling from baseline to follow-up. The majority of patients were treated with monotherapies (most often, PDE-5Is), despite combination therapies and ERAs being associated with higher medication adherence. Index regimen adjustments occurred early and in a substantial proportion of patients, suggesting that inadequate clinical response to monotherapies may not be uncommon.


Author(s):  
Moumita Hazra

Background: Topical adapalene and tretinoin, are comedolytic, anti-comedogenic and anti-inflammatory, on RAR (α, β, γ) receptors binding. Adapalene enables quicker follicular penetration, by lesser anti-AP-1 (c-Jun, c-Fos) and no CRBPII mRNA actions, causing chemical stability, lipophilicity and less photo-lability, producing lesser photosensitivity and no skin irritation, unlike tretinoin; wherein reducible by overnight application and combination therapy, slow-release polymers or emollients, respectively. Topical nadifloxacin is bactericidal, anti-inflammatory and comedolytic, with inhibitory effect on DNA gyrase, DNA topoisomerase IV and IL-1α, IL-6, IL-8. The Global Alliance to Improve Outcomes in Acne Guidelines recommend synergistic and additive combination therapies, which enhance therapeutic efficacy and reduce adverse effects. Due to inadequacy of data, this study was conducted, to compare the safety among topical anti-acne monotherapies and combination therapies, and to easily detect any adverse effect producing component in the topical combination therapy.Methods: In this multi-centre, prospective, randomised, open-labelled, comparative study, groups A, B, C, D and E (20 patients each), applied topical 1% nadifloxacin monotherapy, 0.1% adapalene monotherapy, 0.025% tretinoin monotherapy, 1% nadifloxacin and 0.1% adapalene combination therapy and 1% nadifloxacin and 0.025% tretinoin combination therapy, respectively, over their facial mild to moderate acne lesions, once daily overnight; and adverse effects, like erythema, scaling, dryness, prutitus, burning, or stinging, were assessed on 0, 15, 30, 60, 90 days and follow-ups, by Local Irritation Scale.Results: In all 5 groups, no adverse effects were observed, with no statistically significant difference among the observations.Conclusions: The therapies were well tolerated and safe among all 5 groups.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Scott B. Biering ◽  
Erik Van Dis ◽  
Eddie Wehri ◽  
Livia H. Yamashiro ◽  
Xammy Nguyenla ◽  
...  

AbstractSevere acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the causative agent of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), has emerged as a major global health threat. The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in over 80 million cases and 1.7 million deaths to date while the number of cases continues to rise. With limited therapeutic options, the identification of safe and effective therapeutics is urgently needed. The repurposing of known clinical compounds holds the potential for rapid identification of drugs effective against SARS-CoV-2. Here we utilized a library of FDA-approved and well-studied preclinical and clinical compounds to screen for antivirals against SARS-CoV-2 in human pulmonary epithelial cells. We identified 13 compounds that exhibit potent antiviral activity across multiple orthogonal assays. Hits include known antivirals, compounds with anti-inflammatory activity, and compounds targeting host pathways such as kinases and proteases critical for SARS-CoV-2 replication. We identified seven compounds not previously reported to have activity against SARS-CoV-2, including B02, a human RAD51 inhibitor. We further demonstrated that B02 exhibits synergy with remdesivir, the only antiviral approved by the FDA to treat COVID-19, highlighting the potential for combination therapy. Taken together, our comparative compound screening strategy highlights the potential of drug repurposing screens to identify novel starting points for development of effective antiviral mono- or combination therapies to treat COVID-19.


2000 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nathan E. Hoffmann ◽  
Bo H. Chao ◽  
John C. Bischof

Abstract Combination therapies have been investigated as a mean to increase efficacy of disease treatment. For example, combinations such as radiation and chemotherapy, surgery and chemotherapy, and two different chemotherapies have become standard treatment for most cancers. Current theories suggest that vascular-mediated injury is an important mechanism of cryosurgical (reviewed in Gage and Baust (1998)) and hyperthermic destruction (Badylak et al., 1985; Dudar and Jain, 1984) in the treatment of solid tumors. These techniques appear complementary. Freezing creates vascular damage and promotes stasis within the vessels (Rabb et al., 1974), whereas hyperthermia creates cell and vascular destruction more effectively with a compromised vasculature (Shakil et al., 1999). Thus, in this study, we investigated the effect of combining these therapies on the vascular and tissue injury from the two therapies. We chose the dorsal skin flap chamber (DSFC) implanted in the Copenhagen rat as the cryosurgical model for this study. This in vivo freezing model allowed us to monitor thermal history and investigate both vascular and tissue injury in response to the combination therapy.


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