This integrated analysis presents the safety profile of upadacitinib, a Janus kinase inhibitor, at 15 mg and 30 mg once daily in patients with moderately to severely active rheumatoid arthritis (RA).
...Treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs) and laboratory data from five randomised, placebo- or active-controlled phase III trials of upadacitinib for patients with RA were analysed and summarised. Exposure-adjusted event rates are shown for placebo (three trials; 12/14 weeks), methotrexate (two trials; mean exposure: 36 weeks), adalimumab (one trial; mean exposure: 42 weeks), upadacitinib 15 mg (five trials; mean exposure: 53 weeks) and upadacitinib 30 mg (four trials; mean exposure: 59 weeks).
3834 patients received one or more doses of upadacitinib 15 mg (n=2630) or 30 mg (n=1204), for a total of 4020.1 patient-years of exposure. Upper respiratory tract infection, nasopharyngitis and urinary tract infection were the most commonly reported TEAEs with upadacitinib. Rates of serious infection were similar between upadacitinib 15 mg and adalimumab but higher compared with methotrexate. Rates of herpes zoster and creatine phosphokinase (CPK) elevations were higher in both upadacitinib groups versus methotrexate and adalimumab, and rates of gastrointestinal perforations were higher with upadacitinib 30 mg. Rates of deaths, malignancies, adjudicated major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs) and venous thromboembolic events (VTEs) were similar across treatment groups.
In the phase III clinical programme for RA, patients receiving upadacitinib had an increased risk of herpes zoster and CPK elevation versus adalimumab. Rates of malignancies, MACEs and VTEs were similar among patients receiving upadacitinib, methotrexate or adalimumab.
SELECT-EARLY: NCT02706873; SELECT-NEXT: NCT02675426; SELECT-COMPARE: NCT02629159; SELECT-MONOTHERAPY: NCT02706951; SELECT-BEYOND: NCT02706847.
Background & Aims The interferon-free regimen of ABT-450 (a protease inhibitor), ritonavir, ombitasvir (an NS5A inhibitor), dasabuvir (a non-nucleoside polymerase inhibitor), and ribavirin has shown ...efficacy in patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotype 1b infection—the most prevalent subgenotype worldwide. We evaluated whether ribavirin is necessary for ABT-450, ritonavir, ombitasvir, and dasabuvir to produce high rates of sustained virologic response (SVR) in these patients. Methods We performed a multicenter, open-label, phase 3 trial of 179 patients with HCV genotype 1b infection, without cirrhosis, previously treated with peginterferon and ribavirin. Patients were assigned randomly (1:1) to groups given ABT-450, ritonavir, ombitasvir, and dasabuvir, with ribavirin (group 1) or without (group 2) for 12 weeks. The primary end point was SVR 12 weeks after treatment (SVR12). We assessed the noninferiority of this regimen to the rate of response reported (64%) for a similar population treated with telaprevir, peginterferon, and ribavirin. Results Groups 1 and 2 each had high rates of SVR12, which were noninferior to the reported rate of response to the combination of telaprevir, peginterferon, and ribavirin (group 1: 96.6%; 95% confidence interval, 92.8%–100%; and group 2: 100%; 95% confidence interval, 95.9%–100%). The rate of response in group 2 was noninferior to that of group 1. No virologic failure occurred during the study. Two patients (1.1%) discontinued the study owing to adverse events, both in group 1. The most common adverse events in groups 1 and 2 were fatigue (31.9% vs 15.8%) and headache (24.2% vs 23.2%), respectively. Decreases in hemoglobin level to less than the lower limit of normal were more frequent in group 1 (42.0% vs 5.5% in group 2; P < .001), although only 2 patients had hemoglobin levels less than 10 g/dL. Conclusions The interferon-free regimen of ABT-450, ritonavir, ombitasvir, and dasabuvir, with or without ribavirin, produces a high rate of SVR12 in treatment-experienced patients with HCV genotype 1b infection. Both regimens are well tolerated, as shown by the low rate of discontinuations and generally mild adverse events. ClinicalTrials.gov number: NCT01674725
In SELECT-COMPARE, a randomised double-blind study, upadacitinib 15 mg once daily was superior to placebo or adalimumab on background methotrexate (MTX) for treating rheumatoid arthritis signs and ...symptoms and inhibited radiographical progression versus placebo at 26 weeks. Here we report 48-week safety and efficacy in patients who continued their original medication or were rescued to the alternative medication for insufficient response.
Patients on MTX received upadacitinib 15 mg, placebo or adalimumab for 48 weeks. Rescue without washout, from placebo or adalimumab to upadacitinib or upadacitinib to adalimumab occurred if patients had <20% improvement in tender joint count (TJC) or swollen joint count (SJC) (weeks 14/18/22) or Clinical Disease Activity Index (CDAI) >10 (week 26); remaining placebo patients were switched to upadacitinib at week 26. Efficacy was analysed by randomised group (non-responder imputation), as well as separately for rescued patients (as observed). Treatment-emergent adverse events per 100 patient-years were summarised.
Consistent with responses through week 26, from weeks 26 to 48, responses by randomised group including low disease activity, clinical remission and improvements in pain and function remained superior for upadacitinib versus adalimumab; radiographical progression remained lower for upadacitinib versus placebo (linear extrapolation). Although both switch groups responded, a higher proportion of patients rescued to upadacitinib from adalimumab achieved CDAI ≤10 at 6 months postswitch versus patients rescued from upadacitinib to adalimumab. Safety at week 48 was comparable to week 26.
Upadacitinib+MTX demonstrated superior clinical and functional responses versus adalimumab+MTX and maintained inhibition of structural damage versus placebo+MTX through week 48. Patients with an insufficient response to adalimumab or upadacitinib safely achieved clinically meaningful responses after switching to the alternative medication without washout.
Background. This phase 2, randomized, active-controlled, 48-week study assessed the noninferiority of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) integrase inhibitor elvitegravir to comparator ...ritonavir-boosted protease inhibitor (CPI/r) in treatment-experienced subjects. Methods. Subjects had HIV RNA levels ⩾1000 copies/mL and ⩾1 protease resistance mutation. Subjects received nucleoside or nucleotide reverse-transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs) with or without T-20 and either CPI/r or once-daily elvitegravir at a dose of 20 mg, 50 mg, or 125 mg (blinded to dose) with ritonavir. After week 8, the independent data monitoring committee stopped the elvitegravir 20 mg arm and allowed subjects in the elvitegravir 50 mg and 125 mg arms to add protease inhibitors. The primary end point was the time-weighted average change from baseline in HIV RNA level through week 24 (DAVG24). Results. A total of 278 subjects with a median of 11 protease and 3 thymidine analog mutations were randomized and treated. One-half of subjects received NRTIs without expected antiviral activity. Compared with the DAVG24 for the CPI/r arm (−1.19 log10 copies/mL), the elvitegravir 50 mg arm was noninferior (−1.44 log10 copies/mL), and the elvitegravir 125 mg arm was superior (−1.66 log10 copies/mL; P=.021). Efficacy was impacted by activity of background agents. There was no relationship between elvitegravir dosage and adverse events. Conclusions. Elvitegravir was well-tolerated and produced rapid virologic suppression that was durable with active background therapy. Trial registration. ClinicalTrials.gov identifier number: NCT00298350.
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BFBNIB, NMLJ, NUK, PNG, SAZU, UL, UM, UPUK
To evaluate the inhibition of progression of structural joint damage through week 48 in patients with moderately to severely active rheumatoid arthritis (RA) receiving upadacitinib as monotherapy or ...in combination with methotrexate.
Radiographic progression was assessed in two phase 3 randomized-controlled trials. Methotrexate-naïve patients were randomized to upadacitinib 15 or 30 mg once daily (QD) or methotrexate monotherapy (SELECT-EARLY, n = 945), while methotrexate inadequate responders (IR) were randomized to upadacitinib 15 mg QD or adalimumab 40 mg every other week or placebo added to background methotrexate (SELECT-COMPARE, n = 1629). Mean changes from baseline in modified Total Sharp Score (mTSS), joint space narrowing (JSN), and erosion scores (ES) were determined. Data were analysed both by linear extrapolation for missing data imputation and treatment switching and as-observed.
In patients naïve or with limited exposure to methotrexate (SELECT-EARLY), mean changes from baseline to week 48 in mTSS were 0.03 for upadacitinib 15 mg, 0.14 for upadacitinib 30 mg, and 1.00 for methotrexate based on linear extrapolation (p < 0.001 for both upadacitinib doses vs methotrexate). Among patients with an inadequate response to methotrexate (SELECT-COMPARE), the mean change from baseline in mTSS was significantly reduced in the upadacitinib 15 mg plus methotrexate group vs placebo plus methotrexate (0.28 vs 1.73; p < 0.001); mean change from baseline in the adalimumab plus methotrexate group was 0.39.
Upadacitinib monotherapy or in combination with background methotrexate was effective in inhibiting the progression of structural joint damage through week 48 in methotrexate-naïve and methotrexate-IR patients with RA.
ClinicalTrials.gov, https://clinicaltrials.gov, NCT02706873 and NCT02629159.
Treating to a target of clinical remission or low disease activity is an important principle for managing rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Despite the availability of biologic disease-modifying ...antirheumatic drugs (bDMARDs), a substantial proportion of patients with RA do not achieve these treatment targets. Upadacitinib is a once-daily, oral Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitor with increased selectivity for JAK1 over JAK2, JAK3, and tyrosine kinase 2. The SELECT phase III upadacitinib clinical program comprised five pivotal trials of approximately 4400 patients with RA, including inadequate responders (IR) to conventional synthetic (cs)DMARDs or bDMARDs. This review aims to provide insights into the benefit–risk profile of upadacitinib in patients with RA. Upadacitinib 15 mg once daily, in combination with csDMARDs or as monotherapy, achieved all primary and ranked secondary endpoints in the five pivotal trials across csDMARD-naïve, csDMARD-IR, and bDMARD-IR populations. Upadacitinib 15 mg also demonstrated significantly higher rates of remission and low disease activity in all five pivotal trials, compared with placebo, methotrexate, or adalimumab. Labeled warnings of JAK inhibitors include serious infections, herpes zoster, malignancies, major cardiovascular events, and venous thromboembolic events. Short- and long-term integrated analyses showed that upadacitinib 15 mg was associated with increased risk of herpes zoster and creatine phosphokinase elevations compared with methotrexate and adalimumab but otherwise had comparable safety with these active comparators. This review suggests that upadacitinib 15 mg had a favorable benefit–risk profile. The safety of upadacitinib will continue to be monitored in long-term extensions and post-marketing studies.
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EMUNI, FIS, FZAB, GEOZS, GIS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, MFDPS, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, SBMB, SBNM, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK, VKSCE, ZAGLJ
Cases of renal dysfunction in patients receiving tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) have been reported. We analyzed the renal safety of TDF compared with thymidine analogue-containing (control) ...regimens through 144 weeks from two clinical trials in antiretroviral-naive HIV-infected patients.
We evaluated the changes in renal parameters in 1111 patients (TDF, n = 556; control, n = 555) who were enrolled in two randomized, controlled trials (Studies 903 and 934) comparing TDF vs. either stavudine or zidovudine in combination with efavirenz and either lamivudine or emtricitabine. The studies included patients with serum creatinine less than 1.5 mg/dl, serum phosphorus at least 2.2 mg/dl and estimated glomerular filtration rate by Cockcroft-Gault at least 60 and at least 50 ml/min at screening.
Baseline characteristics were similar between groups. No patient discontinued due to renal abnormalities in the TDF arm. Through 144 weeks, the proportion of patients who experienced confirmed abnormalities in serum creatinine (>1.5 mg/dl) or serum phosphorus (<2.0 mg/dl) was less than 1% in both groups; a similar proportion of patients experienced urine proteinuria at least 100 mg/dl (TDF, 5%; control, 6%). The median change from baseline to week 144 in glomerular filtration rate was -2 and 3 ml/min by Cockcroft-Gault, and -2 and -1 ml/min per 1.73 m by modification of diet in renal disease in the TDF and control groups (P < 0.05), respectively.
In two randomized, controlled trials, small differences in glomerular filtration rate over time were noted but no clinically relevant renal disease or adverse events were demonstrated in antiretroviral-naive patients treated with TDF through 144 weeks. Additional studies on renal health and renal safety in HIV are important goals for future clinical trials.
The aim of this study was to characterize the effects of upadacitinib, a Janus kinase 1 inhibitor, on in vivo activity of different cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzymes using a cocktail approach. Healthy ...subjects (n = 20) received single oral doses of the modified Cooperstown 5+1 cocktail drugs (midazolam CYP3A, caffeine CYP1A2, warfarin + vitamin K CYP2C9, omeprazole CYP2C19, and dextromethorphan CYP2D6) without upadacitinib and on day 11 (midazolam) or 12 (all other probes) of a 15‐day regimen of upadacitinib 30 mg once daily (extended‐release formulation). Serial blood samples and 12‐hour urine samples were collected for assays of the probe substrates and select metabolites. The ratio (90%CI) of area under the plasma concentration‐time curve from time 0 to infinity (AUCinf) central values when the cocktail drugs were administered with upadacitinib relative to when administered alone were 0.74 (0.68‐0.80) for midazolam, 1.22 (1.15‐1.29) for caffeine, 1.11 (1.07‐1.15) for S‐warfarin, 1.07 (0.95‐1.22) for dextromethorphan, and 0.82 (0.72‐0.94) for omeprazole. The ratio (90%CI) was 1.09 (1.00‐1.19) for 5‐hydroxy‐omeprazole to omeprazole AUCinf ratio and 1.17 (0.97‐1.41) for dextromethorphan to dextrorphan 12‐hour molar urinary ratio. Upadacitinib 30 mg once daily (a dose that is twice the optimal dose in rheumatoid arthritis based on phase 3 results) has a limited effect on CYP3A activity (26% decrease in exposure of midazolam, a sensitive CYP3A substrate) and no relevant effects on CYP1A2, CYP2C9, CYP2C19, or CYP2D6 activity in vivo. No clinically relevant changes in plasma exposures are expected for drugs that are substrates for the evaluated CYP enzymes when coadministered with upadacitinib.
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FZAB, GIS, IJS, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, SBCE, SBMB, UL, UM, UPUK
A meeting was organized to bring together multiple stakeholders involved in the testing and authorization of new medications for juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) to discuss current issues ...surrounding clinical trials and access to new medications for children and adolescents with JIA. The Childhood Arthritis and Rheumatology Research Alliance invited representatives of regulatory agencies (Food and Drug Administration and European Medicines Agency), and major pharmaceutical companies with JIA‐approved products or products in development, patient and parent representatives, representatives of an advocacy organization (Arthritis Foundation), and pediatric rheumatology clinicians/investigators to a 1‐day meeting in April 2018. The participants engaged in discussion regarding issues in clinical trials. As the pharmacologic options to treat inflammatory arthritis rapidly expand, registration trial designs to test medications in JIA patients must adapt. Many methodologies successfully used in the recent past are no longer feasible. The pool of patients meeting entry criteria who are willing to participate is shrinking while the number of medications to be tested is growing. Suggested solutions included proposing innovative clinical trial methods to regulatory agencies, as well as open discussions among stakeholders. Ensuring that new medications are authorized in a timely manner to meet the needs of JIA patients worldwide is critical. Approaches should include open dialog between regulatory agencies, pharmaceutical companies, and other stakeholders to develop and implement novel study designs, including patient and clinician perspectives to define meaningful trial outcomes, and changing existing study plans.
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BFBNIB, FZAB, GIS, IJS, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, SBCE, SBMB, UL, UM, UPUK
OBJECTIVEAn estimated 336 per 100 000 people in Russia are infected with hepatitis C virus, including up to 75% with genotype (GT) 1b. In the TURQUOISE-II/-III trials, a 12-week regimen of the ...direct-acting antiviral agents ombitasvir (OBV), paritaprevir (PTV), ritonavir, and dasabuvir (DSV) in GT1b-infected patients with compensated cirrhosis resulted in 12-week sustained virologic response (SVR) rates of 100%.
PATIENTS AND METHODSIn TURQUOISE-IV, GT1b-infected patients (n=36) from Russia and Belarus with compensated cirrhosis, who were treatment naive or previously treated with pegylated interferon/ribavirin (RBV), received OBV/PTV/ritonavir+DSV+RBV for 12 weeks. The primary efficacy end point was SVR at 12 weeks. Safety assessments included adverse event (AE) monitoring and laboratory testing.
RESULTSAt baseline, patients had Child–Pugh scores of 5 (92%) or 6 (8%). Overall, 69% were treatment experienced (44% prior null responders, 32% relapsers, and 16% partial responders). All patients achieved SVR at 12 weeks (36/36; 100%). No patient experienced a serious AE or discontinued treatment prematurely. Treatment-emergent AEs possibly related to study drugs occurring in greater than or equal to 10% of patients were asthenia (19%), anemia (14%), cough (14%), and headache (11%); most events were mild in severity. Clinically significant laboratory abnormalities were infrequent.
CONCLUSIONIn Russian and Belarusian patients with hepatitis C GT1b infection and compensated cirrhosis, 100% achieved SVR at 12 weeks after 12 weeks’ treatment with OBV/PTV/ritonavir+DSV+RBV. The treatment was well tolerated.