Eltrombopag versus romiplostim in treatment of children with persistent or chronic immune thrombocytopenia: a systematic review incorporating an indirect-comparison meta-analysis

Safety of romiplostim and eltrombopag for children with immune thrombocytopenia: a pharmacovigilance study of the FDA adverse event reporting system database

BACKGROUND

Romiplostim and eltrombopag are thrombopoietin receptor agonists (TPORAs) that have been approved by the FDA on 22 August 2008 and 20 November 2008 for pediatric immune thrombocytopenia (ITP). However, postmarketing pharmacovigilance of TPORAs in children still attracts much attention. We aimed to evaluate the safety of the TPORAs romiplostim and eltrombopag using data from the Adverse Event Reporting System database of FDA (FAERS).

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

We conducted a disproportionality analysis and analyzed data from the FAERS database to characterize the key features of adverse events (AEs) associated with TPO-RAs approved for children under 18 years of age.

RESULTS

Since their approval in the market in 2008, 250 and 298 reports of romiplostim and eltrombopag use in children have been published in the FAERS database, respectively. The most frequent AE associated with romiplostim and eltrombopag was epistaxis. Neutralizing antibodies and vitreous opacities showed the strongest signals for romiplostim and eltrombopag, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

The labeled AEs for romiplostim and eltrombopag in children were analyzed. Unlabeled AEs may reflect the potential of new clinical individuals. Early recognition and management of AEs that appear in children treated with romiplostim and eltrombopag are of key importance in clinical practice.

The Outcomes and Adverse Drug Patterns of Immunomodulators and Thrombopoietin Receptor Agonists in Primary Immune Thrombocytopenia Egyptian Patients with Hemorrhage Comorbidity

Immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) treatment has evolved recently. However, none of the treatments have only benefits without drawbacks. This study aimed to compare the clinical outcomes and adverse drug patterns of Eltrombopag, Romiplostim, Prednisolone + Azathioprine, High Dose-dexamethasone (HD-DXM) (control group), and Rituximab in primary ITP Egyptian patients. All patients were initiated with corticosteroids, HD-DXM, as a first-line treatment for the first month immediately following diagnosis. Four hundred sixty-seven ITP patients were randomly assigned to five groups. The outcome measures were judged at baseline, at the end of treatment (6 months), and after an additional 6-month free treatment period. The follow-up period for which relapse is noted was 6 months after the end of treatment. Eltrombopag and Romiplostim resulted in a significantly higher incidence of sustained response than Rituximab, HD-DXM, and Prednisolone + Azathioprine (55.2% and 50.6% vs. 29.2%, 29.1%, and 18%, respectively; p-value < 0.001). More patients on immunomodulators (Prednisolone+ Azathioprine, HD-DXM, and Rituximab) relapsed than those on Romiplostim and Eltrombopag (81.9%, 70.8%, and 70.7% vs. 49.3%, and 44.7%, respectively; p-value < 0.01). We also describe 23 reports of pulmonary hypertension with Prednisolone+ Azathioprine and 13 reports with HD-DXM. The thrombotic events occurred in 16.6% and 13% of patients who received Eltrombopag and Romiplostim treatment, respectively. Most patients had at least one or two risk factors (92.8% of cases). Corticosteroids are effective first-line therapy in primary ITP patients. However, relapse is frequent. Eltrombopag and Romiplostim are safer and more effective than Prednisolone, HD-DXM, and Rituximab. They might be reasonable beneficial options after a one-month HD-DXM regimen.

Older Adults and Immune Thrombocytopenia: Considerations for the Clinician

Many epidemiological studies have shown that the incidence of immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) increases after age 60 years and peaks in patients over age 80 years. Therefore, ITP is a concern for physicians taking care of older patients, especially regarding its diagnosis and management. The diagnostic work-up should exclude other causes of thrombocytopenia and secondary ITP, including myelodysplastic syndrome and drug-induced ITP. The treatment decision is influenced by an increased risk of bleeding, infectious diseases and thrombosis in this population and should take into account comorbidities and concomitant medications such as anticoagulant drugs. First-line treatment is based on short corticosteroids courses and intravenous immunoglobulin, which should be reserved for patients with more severe bleeding complications, with their higher risk of toxic effects as compared with younger patients. Second-line treatment should be tailored to the patient's history, comorbidities and preferences. Preferred second-line treatments are thrombopoietin receptor agonists for most groups and guidelines given their good efficacy/tolerance ratio, but the thrombotic risk is increased in older people. Other second-line options that can be good alternatives depending on the clinical context include rituximab, dapsone, fostamatinib or immunosuppressive drugs. Splenectomy is less often performed but remains an option for fit patients with chronic refractory disease. Emerging treatments such as Syk or Bruton tyrosine kinase inhibitors and FcRn antagonists are becoming available for ITP and may modify the treatment algorithm in the near future. The aim of this review is to describe the particularities of the diagnosis and treatment of ITP in older people, including the response and tolerance to the currently available drugs. We also discuss some situations related to co-morbidities that can frequently lead to adapt the management strategy in older patients.

Thrombopoietin receptor agonists and rituximab for treatment of pediatric immune thrombocytopenia: A systematic review and meta-analysis of prospective clinical trials

BACKGROUND

Children with immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) may require second-line ITP therapies. The high remission rate in pediatric patients, need for extended-duration use of thrombopoietin receptor agonists (TPO-RAs), drug adherence, potential side effects, monitoring, and cost effectiveness are factors that should be considered in decision-making about second-line therapies. Rituximab (RTX) has been used off-label for years to treat ITP but there are limited studies about its efficacy and safety in children. To date, no studies have directly compared TPO-RAs with RTX for the treatment of childhood ITP.

METHODS

This systematic review analyzed the overall platelet response, durability of treatment effect, and safety for RTX use in comparison to TPO-RAs in pediatric ITP. MEDLINE/PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science databases were searched through December 2020 and meta-analysis was conducted using proportions of success/failure for each intervention in the selected studies.

RESULTS

The proportion of participants achieving the primary endpoint of a platelet response above 50,000 was similar for TPO-RAs (proportion = 0.71, 95% CI: 0.63-0.78) and RTX (proportion = 0.68, 95% CI: 0.53-0.82). However, considerable variation was found between the two groups with regards to the sustainability of the response and other secondary outcomes such as need for rescue and adverse events. RTX was associated with higher rates of rescue therapy.

CONCLUSIONS

In this analysis of prospective pediatric ITP studies, RTX and TPO-RAs had similar rates of overall platelet response but differed in other important measures. Prospective comparative studies are needed to better characterize second-line treatments for pediatric ITP.

Phase 3 randomised trial of eltrombopag versus standard first-line pharmacological management for newly diagnosed immune thrombocytopaenia (ITP) in children: study protocol

INTRODUCTION

Immune thrombocytopaenia (ITP) is an acquired disorder of low platelets and risk of bleeding. Although many children can be observed until spontaneous remission, others require treatment due to bleeding or impact on health-related quality of life. Standard first-line therapies for those who need intervention include corticosteroids, intravenous immunoglobulin and anti-D globulin, though response to these agents may be only transient. Eltrombopag is an oral thrombopoietin receptor agonist approved for children with chronic ITP who have had an insufficient response to corticosteroids, intravenous immunoglobulin or splenectomy. This protocol paper describes an ongoing open-label, randomised trial comparing eltrombopag to standard first-line management in children with newly diagnosed ITP.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS

Randomised treatment assignment is 2:1 for eltrombopag versus standard first-line management and is stratified by age and by prior treatment. The primary endpoint of the study is platelet response, defined as ≥3 of 4 weeks with platelets >50×109/L during weeks 6-12 of therapy. Secondary outcomes include number of rescue therapies needed during the first 12 weeks, proportion of patients who do not need ongoing treatment at 12 weeks and 6 months, proportion of patients with a treatment response at 1 year, and number of second-line therapies used in weeks 13-52, as well as changes in regulatory T cells, iron studies, bleeding, health-related quality of life and fatigue. A planned sample size of up to 162 randomised paediatric patients will be enrolled over 2 years at 20 sites.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

The study has been approved by the centralised Baylor University Institutional Review Board. The results are expected to be published in 2023.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

NCT03939637.

Evidence-based clinical practice guideline for the management of primary immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) in pediatric population

Introduction: Primary immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) is the most common cause of thrombocytopenia in children, with a reported incidence of 1.1-12.5 cases per 100 000 children. However, currently, there are several definitions of ITP, as well as diagnostic and therapeutic approaches. Objective: To develop an evidence-based clinical practice guideline (CPG) to standardize the definition of ITP and, in this way, reduce the variability of its diagnosis, and to provide indications for the treatment of acute, persistent, and chronic ITP in patients under 18 years of age. Materials and methods: The CPG was prepared by a multidisciplinary group that followed the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluations (GRADE) guidelines for developing CPGs, formulated PICO clinical questions, and conducted systematic reviews. GRADE evidence profiles were created and recommendations, with their corresponding level of evidence and strength, were made after a panel of experts assessed the benefit-risk balance, the quality of evidence, the patients’ values and preferences, and the context in which they should be implemented. Results: A total of 23 recommendations were made to pediatricians, hematologists, and health professionals working in emergency services for treating acute, persistent, and chronic ITP. Overall, the CPG has low quality of evidence, and the recommendations were made in order to improve the success rate of ITP treatment and the prognosis of children with this condition. Conclusions: Although ITP is the main cause of thrombocytopenia in pediatrics, to date there is not enough high-quality evidence that supports the recommendations presented here for its proper classification and treatment in children. Thus, further studies providing high-quality evidence on this issue are required.

Treatment lines of childhood chronic ITP: A retrospective single-center analysis

Immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) is the most common cause of thrombocytopenia in children. Approximately 20–25% of children develop a chronic course of the disease. Many treatment options are available, including chronic use of first-line therapies, e.g., corticosteroids, intravenous immunoglobulin or anti-Rh-D, and second-line therapies, including dexamethasone, high-dose methylprednisolone, intensive immunosuppressants, rituximab, thrombopoietin receptor agonists (TPO-RAs), splenectomy, and many others; however, none of these treatments have been determined to be the best. In this study, we retrospectively reviewed the course, response to different treatment lines and outcome of children with chronic ITP over a period of ten years to compare the efficacy of different treatment options, aiming to determine a scale of priority for selecting the most costeffective treatment. A retrospective study was conducted and included children diagnosed with chronic ITP from January 2008 until December 2018 who were followed at the Pediatric Hematology Unit of Mansoura University Children Hospital, Mansoura, Egypt. The study proposal was approved on February 14, 2017 (approval No 17.02.59) by the Institutional Review Board (IRB) of the Faculty of Medicine, Mansoura University, Egypt. All research steps were conducted according to the Declaration of Helsinki. The diagnosis of chronic ITP was based upon the persistence of thrombocytopenia lasting for more than 1 year with or without therapy. Bone marrow aspiration was performed for all patients to confirm the diagnosis of chronic ITP and exclude other causes of thrombocytopenia. Data relevant to chronic ITP patients diagnosed from 2008 to 2018 were retrieved from the Electronic Data System of Hospital Management of Mansoura University Children Hospital, including age, sex, diagnosis date, duration of chronicity, treatment given during the chronic phase and response. Treatment regimen was immune modulatory therapies (high-dose dexamethasone, IV rituximab or low-dose dexamethasone + azathioprine), thrombopoietin receptor agonists (TPO-RAs) (eltrombopag or romiplostim). Out of 405 newly diagnosed ITP patients in a period of 10 years in our center, 103 progressed to chronic disease, of whom 29 were lost to follow-up, while 74 patients were followed at the hematology outpatient clinic and enrolled in the current study (32 males and 42 females, median age – 10 years, median initial platelet count – 16 × 109 /l). Approximately one-third of patients (25~33.8%) were managed conservatively; of them, 19 patients achieved sustained remission, and 6 patients needed another treatment line. Forty-six (62%) patients received immunomodulatory therapies. Twentyeight patients (37.8%) were treated with TPO-RAs. No differences were observed between the 3 types of immunomodulatory therapies regarding relapse-free survival and duration of remission (р value: 0.7). Additionally, no differences were noted according to relapse-free survival among those treated with eltrombopag and romiplostim (р value: 0.7). The number of male children who had a sustained response was significantly higher than that of female children among patients receiving immunomodulatory therapies (71.4% vs 28.6%, respectively) (р value 0.01). There were significantly more patients on TPO-RA with a sustained response than patients on immune modulators, and consequently, the number of patients who relapsed on immunomodulators was higher than that of those on TPO-RA (67.9% vs 30.4% compared to 69.9% vs 32.1%, р value 0.01). Many of our patients who received immunomodulators and failed to achieve or lost a response before 2015 were switched to TPO-RAs with comparable efficacy apart from sustainability, which was in favor of the latter. Additionally, among the types of immunomodulators, rituximab did not show superior efficacy compared to other types, with lower costs for the latter, leading to the abandonment of its use, particularly in limited resource countries such as ours.

Safety and Efficacy of Eltrombopag in Children and Adults with Immune Thrombocytopenia: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Immune thrombocytopenia is an immune condition where antibodies are produced against platelets. Eltrombopag is a thrombopoietin receptor agonist that stimulates and promotes platelet production approved for treating thrombocytopenia in patients with chronic immune thrombocytopenia, where other treatments such as corticosteroids, splenectomy or immunoglobulins are inadequate. The aim of this meta-analysis was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of the eltrombopag in adults and children with immune thrombocytopenia. We included 7 studies with a total of 765 patients (606 adults and 159 children). We evaluated the number of patients that achieved a post-treatment platelet count equal or above 50x10⁹/L (primary result-target) without the need of rescue treatment for at least 4 weeks. Our data showed that patients who received eltrombopag were almost 4 times more probable in achieving the primary target when compared to patients who received placebo (RR 3.84, 95% CI 2.39 to 6.14; I² = 46%). The number of patients needed rescue treatment and the number of bleeding incidents were reduced in the group that received eltrombopag when compared to those who received placebo (RR 0.40, 95% CI 0.25 to 0.62; I² = 40%) (RR 0.74, 95% CI 0.62 to 0.89; I² = 68%). The total number of side effects did not statistically differ between the two groups (RR 0.99, 95% CI 0.90 to 1.08; I² = 14%). Our findings were similar to previously published studies and confirm that eltrombopag is safe and efficient in immune thrombocytopenia. However, more clinical trials are needed in order to enhance our findings.

Immune Thrombocytopenia in Children: Consensus and Controversies

Newly diagnosed immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) is a relatively common disorder of childhood that does not require an exhaustive laboratory workup for diagnosis. A history and physical exam with a review of the peripheral smear are crucial for excluding secondary causes of thrombocytopenia. Several guidelines have been published to guide physicians in the management of ITP. However, the decision for treatment can be arduous. The management strategy should not be focussed on the platelet count but the severity of bleeding symptoms. Agents for treating acute ITP, including corticosteroids, immunoglobulin and anti-D immunoglobulin, do not seem to have a significant impact on the natural history of the disease. The majority of children with ITP do not need therapy and have a spontaneous resolution of the disease. Some children can develop chronic ITP that is not commonly life-threatening but can lead to impaired quality of life. Traditional therapies such as rituximab and splenectomy for chronic ITP are not without significant adverse effects. Thrombopoietin receptor agonists are newer agents for the treatment of chronic ITP and hold promise, however, their cost currently precludes use in most of the patients in low-middle-income countries. This review compares and contrasts the specific treatments available for the treatment of ITP to help the reader make a balanced choice. This review, based on a series of case examples, will help physicians in making decisions about choosing a practical management strategy for patients with newly diagnosed as well as chronic ITP.

Blood, blood components, plasma, and plasma products

This review of 2018 publications identifies side effects of blood, blood components, and plasma products. In addition, albumin, blood transfusion (erythrocytes, granulocytes, and platelets), blood substitutes (hemoglobin-based oxygen carriers), plasma products (alpha1-antitrypsin, C1 esterase inhibitor concentrate, cryoprecipitate, and fresh frozen plasma), plasma substitutes (etherified starches, and gelatin), globulins (intravenous immunoglobulin, subcutaneous immunoglobulin, and anti-D immunoglobulin), coagulation proteins (factor I, factor II, factor VIIa, factor VIII, factor IX, prothrombin complex concentrate, antithrombin III, and von Willebrand factor/factor VIII concentrates), erythropoietin and derivatives, thrombopoietin and receptor agonists, transmission of infectious agents through blood donation, and stem cells are reviewed. This chapter informs the reader about newly recognized and published data in the blood product domain.