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Giovannoni G, Hawkes CH, Lechner-Scott J, Levy M, Yeh EA. Is it ethical to use teriflunomide as an active comparator in phase 3 trials? Mult Scler Relat Disord 2023; 78:104911. [PMID: 37582327 DOI: 10.1016/j.msard.2023.104911] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2023] [Accepted: 07/21/2023] [Indexed: 08/17/2023]
Abstract
Ethical concerns have been raised about the practice of using teriflunomide, an oral licensed disease-modifying therapy, as an active comparator in phase 3 multiple sclerosis (MS) trials. The assumption is based on the perceived low efficacy of teriflunomide as judged by its effect on relapses and focal MRI activity. However, when you look beyond focal inflammation, teriflunomide has a robust impact on disability progression and a similar effect to the anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody therapies on slowing down the accelerated brain volume loss associated with MS. Teriflunomide is also more effective when used second or third line. The other classes of disease-modifying therapies have problems with their use as active comparators in clinical trials. Using a non-inferiority or equivalence trial design has its own unique set of regulatory and ethical challenges and is not necessarily a solution. There are also economic, altruistic and pragmatic reasons for continuing to use teriflunomide as an active comparator in MS clinical trials. An online survey indicates that the majority of the MS community feels it is still ethical to randomise subjects to teriflunomide and that procedures can be put in place to protect trial subjects randomised to teriflunomide. Therefore, we still have equipoise, and teriflunomide comparator trials are ethical.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gavin Giovannoni
- Blizard Institute, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK.
| | - Christopher H Hawkes
- Blizard Institute, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
| | | | - Michael Levy
- Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, MA, USA
| | - E Ann Yeh
- Department of Paediatrics, Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Canada
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Prinz C, Starke L, Millward JM, Fillmer A, Delgado PR, Waiczies H, Pohlmann A, Rothe M, Nazaré M, Paul F, Niendorf T, Waiczies S. In vivo detection of teriflunomide-derived fluorine signal during neuroinflammation using fluorine MR spectroscopy. Theranostics 2021; 11:2490-2504. [PMID: 33456555 PMCID: PMC7806491 DOI: 10.7150/thno.47130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2020] [Accepted: 11/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is indispensable for diagnosing neurological conditions such as multiple sclerosis (MS). MRI also supports decisions regarding the choice of disease-modifying drugs (DMDs). Determining in vivo tissue concentrations of DMDs has the potential to become an essential clinical tool for therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM). The aim here was to examine the feasibility of fluorine-19 (19F) MR methods to detect the fluorinated DMD teriflunomide (TF) during normal and pathological conditions. Methods: We used 19F MR spectroscopy to detect TF in the experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) mouse model of multiple sclerosis (MS) in vivo. Prior to the in vivo investigations we characterized the MR properties of TF in vitro. We studied the impact of pH and protein binding as well as MR contrast agents. Results: We could detect TF in vivo and could follow the 19F MR signal over different time points of disease. We quantified TF concentrations in different tissues using HPLC/MS and showed a significant correlation between ex vivo TF levels in serum and the ex vivo19F MR signal. Conclusion: This study demonstrates the feasibility of 19F MR methods to detect TF during neuroinflammation in vivo. It also highlights the need for further technological developments in this field. The ultimate goal is to add 19F MR protocols to conventional 1H MRI protocols in clinical practice to guide therapy decisions.
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Kővári B, Zachs J, Murchie B, Lauwers GY. Teriflunomide, a potential novel cause of chronic active colitis. Histopathology 2020; 77:1000-1001. [PMID: 32323888 DOI: 10.1111/his.14122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Bence Kővári
- Department of Pathology, University of Szeged, Albert Szent-Györgyi Health Center, Szeged, Hungary.,Departments of Pathology and Cell Biology and Oncologic Sciences, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Jeffrey Zachs
- Department of Pathology, SaraPath Diagnostics and Sarasota Memorial Hospital, Sarasota, FL, USA
| | - Brent Murchie
- Florida Digestive Health Specialists & Florida State University College of Medicine at Sarasota Memorial Hospital, Sarasota, FL, USA
| | - Gregory Y Lauwers
- Departments of Pathology and Cell Biology and Oncologic Sciences, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA
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Paolicelli D, Manni A, Iaffaldano A, Trojano M. Efficacy and Safety of Oral Therapies for Relapsing-Remitting Multiple Sclerosis. CNS Drugs 2020; 34:65-92. [PMID: 31898276 DOI: 10.1007/s40263-019-00691-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Disease-modifying therapies have now become standard treatment for multiple sclerosis. These include five oral therapies for relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis, namely fingolimod, dimethyl fumarate, teriflunomide, cladribine, and siponimod, although there is some discrepancy on the relative efficacy and safety of these agents. To gain further insight on these oral agents in relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis, we performed a narrative review of fingolimod, dimethyl fumarate, teriflunomide, cladribine, and siponimod. We limited the analysis to randomized clinical studies in which a comparator was used (i.e., placebo or other disease-modifying therapy). As relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis is a chronic disease and treatment is lifelong, long-term outcomes were an additional focus. A total of 37 studies met inclusion criteria: 15 for fingolimod, 8 for dimethyl fumarate, 7 for teriflunomide, 4 for cladribine, and 3 for siponimod. All drugs showed some functional and magnetic resonance imaging benefit in nearly all clinical studies. The reduction in annual relapse rate was similar for fingolimod, dimethyl fumarate, and cladribine, and somewhat greater than for teriflunomide; there is limited information on the annual relapse rate for siponimod. For all drugs, the benefits reported at short follow-up times are broadly consistent with those seen at longer follow-up times. For fingolimod and dimethyl fumarate, there was a definite trend towards a progressively lower annual relapse rate with continuing treatment. The safety profile of all five drugs was considered to be acceptable, even after extended treatment. While these results should be treated with caution, they highlight that future head-to-head studies are needed to better understand the long-term benefits of disease-modifying therapies. Such information will be of value when considering the risk-benefit profile of these oral therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Damiano Paolicelli
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Neuroscience and Sense Organs, University of Bari "Aldo Moro", Piazza Giulio Cesare 11, 70124, Bari, Italy.
| | - Alessia Manni
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Neuroscience and Sense Organs, University of Bari "Aldo Moro", Piazza Giulio Cesare 11, 70124, Bari, Italy
| | - Antonio Iaffaldano
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Neuroscience and Sense Organs, University of Bari "Aldo Moro", Piazza Giulio Cesare 11, 70124, Bari, Italy
| | - Maria Trojano
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Neuroscience and Sense Organs, University of Bari "Aldo Moro", Piazza Giulio Cesare 11, 70124, Bari, Italy
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Claflin SB, Broadley S, Taylor BV. The Effect of Disease Modifying Therapies on Disability Progression in Multiple Sclerosis: A Systematic Overview of Meta-Analyses. Front Neurol 2019; 9:1150. [PMID: 30687214 PMCID: PMC6335290 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2018.01150] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2018] [Accepted: 12/11/2018] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Disease modifying therapy (DMT) efficacy trials make an essential contribution to the development of evidence-based clinical treatments and practices for people with multiple sclerosis (MS). Meta-analysis is a critical part of this process and provides a powerful tool to assess the effects of DMT on MS progression. However, although there have been several meta-analyses on the effect of DMT on MS disease progression, they often do not reach the same conclusions. Objective: Our aim was to better understand and contextualize the results of meta-analyses evaluating DMT, identify differences in methodology that might explain their differing conclusions, and highlight areas for future research that will improve our ability to develop clinical recommendations. Methods: We conducted an overview of systematic reviews with meta-analyses assessing the efficacy of DMT on disability progression in people with MS in PubMed (Medline) and the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. Results: We included 22 meta-analyses in this overview: eight general (on >3 DMT), 11 specific (on ≤3 DMT), 2 that evaluated subsets, and 1 that evaluated long-term effects. We found that there is good evidence that DMT improve short-term (≤2–3 years) disability progression outcomes relative to placebo in people with relapsing-remitting MS. However, results varied substantially between meta-analyses, and there is little evidence of their efficacy in other populations or over longer periods. The relative effects of individual DMT also remain unclear. The variance in results between meta-analyses may be related to the substantial differences in inclusion criteria, which was reflected in the limited overlap in included studies, as well as the year of meta-analysis publication. Of the 123 total unique studies included in the general meta-analyses, 77 (62.6%) were included in only one meta-analysis. This incongruence was also evident in the included DMT. Six of the 16 (37.5%) DMT evaluated in the general meta-analyses were only included in one meta-analysis. Conclusions: Translating DMT efficacy studies into evidence-based clinical practice requires greater methodological consistency in meta-analyses, more data on the relative effects of DMT through head-to-head clinical trials, and better reporting of adverse events.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suzi B Claflin
- Menzies Institute for Medical Research, University of Tasmanian, Hobart, TAS, Australia
| | - Simon Broadley
- School of Medicine, Griffith University, Gold Coast, QLD, Australia
| | - Bruce V Taylor
- Menzies Institute for Medical Research, University of Tasmanian, Hobart, TAS, Australia
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Qiu W, Huang DH, Hou SF, Zhang MN, Jin T, Dong HQ, Peng H, Zhang CD, Zhao G, Huang YN, Zhou D, Wu WP, Wang BJ, Li JM, Zhang XH, Cheng Y, Li HF, Li L, Lu CZ, Zhang X, Bu BT, Dong WL, Fan DS, Hu XQ, Xu XH. Efficacy and Safety of Teriflunomide in Chinese Patients with Relapsing Forms of Multiple Sclerosis: A Subgroup Analysis of the Phase 3 TOWER Study. Chin Med J (Engl) 2018; 131:2776-2784. [PMID: 30511679 PMCID: PMC6278187 DOI: 10.4103/0366-6999.246067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Disease-modifying therapy is the standard treatment for patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) in remission. The primary objective of the current analysis was to assess the efficacy and safety of two teriflunomide doses (7 mg and 14 mg) in the subgroup of Chinese patients with relapsing MS included in the TOWER study. Methods TOWER was a multicenter, multinational, randomized, double-blind, parallel-group (three groups), placebo-controlled study. This subgroup analysis includes 148 Chinese patients randomized to receive either teriflunomide 7 mg (n = 51), teriflunomide 14 mg (n = 43), or placebo (n = 54). Results Of the 148 patients in the intent-to-treat population, adjusted annualized relapse rates were 0.63 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.44, 0.92) in the placebo group, 0.48 (95% CI: 0.33, 0.70) in the teriflunomide 7 mg group, and 0.18 (95% CI: 0.09, 0.36) in the teriflunomide 14 mg group; this corresponded to a significant relative risk reduction in the teriflunomide 14 mg group versus placebo (-71.2%, P = 0.0012). Teriflunomide 14 mg also tended to reduce 12-week confirmed disability worsening by 68.1% compared with placebo (hazard ratio: 0.319, P = 0.1194). There were no differences across all treatment groups in the proportion of patients with treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs; 72.2% in the placebo group, 74.5% in the teriflunomide 7 mg group, and 69.8% in the teriflunomide 14 mg group); corresponding proportions for serious adverse events were 11.1%, 3.9%, and 11.6%, respectively. The most frequently reported TEAEs with teriflunomide versus placebo were neutropenia, increased alanine aminotransferase, and hair thinning. Conclusions Teriflunomide was as effective and safe in the Chinese subpopulation as it was in the overall population of patients in the TOWER trial. Teriflunomide has the potential to meet unmet medical needs for MS patients in China. Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT00751881; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT00751881?term=NCT00751881&rank=1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Qiu
- Department of Neurology, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510000, China
| | - De-Hui Huang
- Department of Neurology, Chinese People's Liberation Army General Hospital, Beijing 100853, China
| | - Shi-Fang Hou
- Department of Neurology, Beijing Hospital, Beijing 100730, China
| | - Mei-Ni Zhang
- Department of Neurology, The First Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, Shanxi 030001, China
| | - Tao Jin
- Department of Neurology, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin 130012, China
| | - Hui-Qing Dong
- Department of Neurology, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100053, China
| | - Hua Peng
- Department of Neurology, Shanghai Chang Zheng Hospital, Shanghai 200003, China
| | - Chao-Dong Zhang
- Department of Neurology, The First Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning 110000, China
| | - Gang Zhao
- Department of Neurology, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710001, China
| | - Yi-Ning Huang
- Department of Neurology, Peking University First Hospital, Beijing 100034, China
| | - Dong Zhou
- Department of Neurology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, China
| | - Wei-Ping Wu
- Department of Neurology, Chinese People's Liberation Army General Hospital, Beijing 100853, China
| | - Bao-Jun Wang
- Department of Neurology, Baotou Central Hospital, Baotou, Inner Mongolia 014040, China
| | - Ji-Mei Li
- Department of Neurology, Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100000, China
| | - Xing-Hu Zhang
- Department of Neurology, Beijing Tian Tan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100050, China
| | - Yan Cheng
- Department of Neurology, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin 300052, China
| | - Hai-Feng Li
- Department of Neurology, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, Shandong 266003, China
| | - Ling Li
- Department of Neurology, Hebei General Hospital, Shijiazhuang, Hebei 050051, China
| | - Chuan-Zhen Lu
- Department of Neurology, Hua Shan Hospital of the Shanghai Fudan University Medical College, Shanghai 200040, China
| | - Xu Zhang
- Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang 325000, China
| | - Bi-Tao Bu
- Department of Neurology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430030, China
| | - Wan-Li Dong
- Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu 215000, China
| | - Dong-Sheng Fan
- Department of Neurology, Beijing Hospital, National Center of Gerontology, Beijing 100083, China
| | - Xue-Qiang Hu
- Department of Neurology, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510000, China
| | - Xian-Hao Xu
- Department of Neurology, Beijing Hospital, Beijing 100730, China
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Elkjaer ML, Molnar T, Illes Z. Teriflunomide for multiple sclerosis in real-world setting. Acta Neurol Scand 2017; 136:447-453. [PMID: 28321835 DOI: 10.1111/ane.12755] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/21/2017] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Teriflunomide 14 mg is a once-daily oral disease-modifying treatment for relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis. We examined adverse event (AE) profile and efficacy in real life. MATERIALS AND METHODS In this observational cohort study, we retrospectively examined 1521 blood samples and data of 102 patients followed for up to 28 months. RESULTS The number of female patients starting teriflunomide peaked in the fifth decade, 10 years later compared to male patients (P<.001), reflecting pregnancy concerns. Seventy-six percentages of patients shifted to teriflunomide from treatment with interferon-beta. Expanded disability status scale improved in 11% of patients (18.2±3.6 months follow-up) and remained constant in 67.5% (15±5.3 months follow-up). Of ten relapses, three occurred within 6 months after starting treatment. Seventeen patients (16.5%) discontinued teriflunomide: 53% because of AEs and 29% because of relapse. Levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) remained normal in 95.3% of the blood samples and remained below 1.5 times the upper limit of normal in 91% of the 4.7% abnormal samples. One-third of the patients had abnormal ALT values at least once. Haematological abnormalities were found in <4% of the blood samples, but at least one abnormal value was observed in up to 21% of the patients. CONCLUSIONS Efficacy and safety of teriflunomide in real-life setting support data obtained by the pivotal trials. Laboratory abnormalities are rare among the large number of samples, but patients may commonly have a single mild, abnormal value if frequently tested.
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Affiliation(s)
- M. L. Elkjaer
- Department of Neurology; Odense University Hospital; Odense Denmark
| | - T. Molnar
- Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care; University of Pecs; Pecs Hungary
| | - Z. Illes
- Department of Neurology; Odense University Hospital; Odense Denmark
- Department of Clinical Research; University of Southern Denmark; Odense Denmark
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Masgrau R, Guaza C, Ransohoff RM, Galea E. Should We Stop Saying 'Glia' and 'Neuroinflammation'? Trends Mol Med 2017; 23:486-500. [PMID: 28499701 DOI: 10.1016/j.molmed.2017.04.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2017] [Revised: 04/10/2017] [Accepted: 04/11/2017] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Central nervous system (CNS) therapeutics based on the theoretical framework of neuroinflammation have only barely succeeded. We argue that a problem may be the wrong use of the term 'neuroinflammation' as a distinct nosological entity when, based on recent evidence, it may not explain CNS disease pathology. Indeed, the terms 'neuroinflammation' and 'glia' could be obsolete. First, unbiased molecular profiling of CNS cell populations and individual cells reveals striking phenotypic heterogeneity in health and disease. Second, astrocytes, microglia, oligodendrocytes, and NG2 cells may contribute to higher-brain functions by performing actions beyond housekeeping. We propose that CNS diseases be viewed as failed circuits caused in part by disease-specific dysfunction of cells traditionally called 'glia', and hence, favor therapies promoting their functional recovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roser Masgrau
- Institut de Neurociències and Departament de Bioquímica i Biologia Molecular, Unitat de Bioquímica de Medicina, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Carmen Guaza
- Neuroimmunology Group, Functional and Systems Neurobiology Department, Instituto Cajal, Agencia Estatal del Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Madrid, España; Spanish Network of Multiple Sclerosis, RETICS, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, España
| | | | - Elena Galea
- Institut de Neurociències and Departament de Bioquímica i Biologia Molecular, Unitat de Bioquímica de Medicina, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Barcelona, Spain; ICREA, Pg. Lluís Companys 23, 08010 Barcelona, Spain.
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