POS1049 EFFECT OF FILGOTINIB ON PASDAS: DRIVERS OF LOW AND VERY LOW ACTIVITY UP TO WEEK 100

Background:

EQUATOR (NCT03101670) was a Phase 2, double-blind, randomised placebo (PBO)- controlled trial of the preferential Janus kinase 1 inhibitor filgotinib (FIL) for the treatment of psoriatic arthritis (PsA); EQUATOR2 (NCT03320876) is the open-label extension (OLE).

Objectives:

This post-hoc analysis assessed the effect of FIL on individual Psoriatic Arthritis Disease Activity Score (PASDAS) components; and the association between PASDAS disease activity (DA) levels and DA levels achieved for each PASDAS component and patient-reported outcomes (PROs) up to OLE Week (Wk) 100.

Methods:

In EQUATOR, patients with active moderate-to-severe PsA were randomised 1:1 to oral FIL 200 mg or PBO once daily (QD) for 16 wks.1 At Wk 16, patients could continue into the 304-wk OLE, in which all patients received FIL 200 mg QD. The proportions of patients with PASDAS of very low DA (VLDA; ≤1.9), LDA (>1.9–<3.2), moderate DA (MoDA; ≥3.2–<5.4), and high DA (HDA; ≥5.4) at core Wk 16 and OLE Wk 52 and 100 were assessed. The proportion with improved PASDAS status vs baseline (BL) at OLE Wk 52 and 100 was calculated. Percent change from BL in PASDAS components and PROs were assessed at core Wk 16 and OLE Wk 52 and 100 by PASDAS status (VLDA, LDA, other). Multivariate logistic regression analyses performed cross-sectionally identified PASDAS components and PROs associated with not achieving VLDA or LDA at core Wk 16 and OLE Wk 52 and 100; all analyses were observed cases.

Results:

At OLE Wk 52, LDA and VLDA were achieved by 27.5% and 16.8% of randomised patients, respectively (44.3% combined). At OLE Wk 100, LDA and VLDA were achieved by 26.0% and 17.6% of patients (43.6% combined; Figure 1). Of patients with HDA at BL, 69% improved to MoDA/LDA/VLDA, <4% remained in HDA and 27% did not reach Wk 100; of those in MoDA at BL, 63% improved to VLDA/LDA, 11% remained stable, <4% worsened and 22% did not reach Wk 100. Patient Global Assessment of Disease Activity (PtGDA), Short Form-36 physical component scale (SF-36 PCS), Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy, and Health Assessment Questionnaire Disability Index were found to be important components/PRO measures in achieving VLDA vs LDA (Table 1). Logistic regression indicated that factors associated with not achieving LDA at Wk 52 were PtGDA (odds ratio [OR]: 1.20, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.07–1.35), physician GDA (PhGDA; OR: 1.58, 95% CI: 1.18–2.12), and SF-36 PCS (OR: 0.79, 95% CI: 0.67–0.95); PtGDA was associated with not achieving VLDA (OR: 1.30, 95% CI: 1.15–1.47).

Conclusion:

The proportion of patients achieving PASDAS VLDA or LDA increased over time and remained stable between OLE Wk 52 and 100. Important factors in determining whether VLDA/LDA was met were PtGDA, PhGDA, and SF-36 PCS, although the low patient numbers is a limitation.

References:

[1]Mease P, et al. Lancet. 2018;392:2367–77

Table 1.

Mean % change from baseline in PASDAS components and PROs (observed cases)

Core Wk 16 (FIL + PBO groups combined)n=122OLE Wk 52n=110OLE Wk 100n=97VLDAn=8(7%)LDAn=22(18%)Othersn=92(75%)VLDAn=22(20%)LDAn=36(33%)Othersn=52(47%)VLDA n=23(24%)LDAn=34(35%)Othersn=40(41%)PhGDA−93−75−44−94−82−56−96−84−54PtGDA−87−69−13−86−58−24−90−57−13Tender joint count 68−94−80−42−99−84−64−98−87−61Swollen joint count 66−99−80−64−99−96−78−99−94−80LEI−100−86−32−96−100−78−100−99−78Dactylitis−100−100−73−100−100−97−100−100−98C-reactive protein−66−2217138*−32−25−12−1324SF-36 PCS53261133239472316FACIT1195032975134994636HAQ-DI−84−68−18−85−51−18−88−45−19PASI−84−66−29−54−59−56−49−76−42

Components or PRO measures in bold are those for which numerical differences between VLDA and LDA are greatest across timepoints

*Due to outlier (3784)

FACIT, Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy; HAQ-DI, Health Assessment Questionnaire Disability Index; LEI, Leeds Enthesitis Index; PASI, Psoriasis Area Severity Index; PhGDA, Physician Global Assessment of Disease Activity; PtGDA, Patient Global Assessment of Disease Activity; SF-36 PCS, Short Form-36 physical component summary; (V)LDA, (very) low disease activity

Acknowledgements:

EQUATOR and EQUATOR2 were sponsored by Galapagos NV Mechelen, Belgium) and co-funded by Galapagos NV and Gilead Sciences, Inc (Foster City, CA, USA). Benjamin Pett and his team, employees of Galapagos, provided assistance with statistical analyses. Medical writing/editorial support was provided by Debbie Sherwood, BSc, CMPP (Aspire Scientific, Bollington, UK), and was funded by Galapagos NV.

Disclosure of Interests:

Laura C Coates Speakers bureau: AbbVie, Amgen, Biogen, Celgene, Eli Lilly, Gilead, Janssen, Medac, Novartis, Pfizer, and UCB, Consultant of: AbbVie, Amgen, Boehringer Ingelheim, Bristol Myers Squibb, Celgene, Eli Lilly, Gilead, Janssen, Novartis, Pfizer, and UCB, Grant/research support from: AbbVie, Amgen, Celgene, Eli Lilly, Novartis, and Pfizer, Philip J Mease Speakers bureau: AbbVie, Amgen, Eli Lilly, Janssen, Novartis, Pfizer, and UCB, Consultant of: AbbVie, Amgen, Boehringer Ingelheim, Bristol Myers Squibb, Eli Lilly, Galapagos, Gilead Sciences, GlaxoSmithKline, Janssen, Novartis, Pfizer, SUN, and UCB, Grant/research support from: AbbVie, Amgen, Bristol Myers Squibb, Celgene, Eli Lilly, Galapagos, Gilead Sciences, Janssen, Novartis, Pfizer, SUN, and UCB, Philip Helliwell Paid instructor for: Janssen, Novartis, and Pfizer, Consultant of: Eli Lilly, Filip van den Bosch Consultant of: AbbVie, Celgene, Eli Lilly, Galapagos, Gilead, Janssen, Merck, Novartis, Pfizer, and UCB, Grant/research support from: AbbVie, Merck, and UCB, Mona Trivedi Shareholder of: Gilead Sciences, Amgen, Employee of: Gilead Sciences, Muhsen Alani Shareholder of: Gilead Sciences, Employee of: Gilead Sciences, Franck Olivier Le Brun Shareholder of: Galapagos, Employee of: Galapagos, Robin Besuyen Shareholder of: Galapagos, Employee of: Galapagos, Lien Gheyle Shareholder of: Galapagos, Employee of: Galapagos, Emilia Gvozdenovic Employee of: Galapagos, Dafna D Gladman Consultant of: AbbVie, Amgen, Bristol Myers Squibb, Celgene, Eli Lilly, Galapagos, Gilead, Janssen, Novartis, Pfizer, and UCB., Grant/research support from: AbbVie, Amgen, Celgene, Eli Lilly, Janssen, Novartis, Pfizer, and UCB.

POS1038 THE EFFECT OF FILGOTINIB ON ENTHESITIS: 100-WEEK DATA FROM AN OPEN-LABEL EXTENSION STUDY IN PATIENTS WITH ACTIVE PSORIATIC ARTHRITIS

Background:

Filgotinib (FIL), a novel preferential Janus kinase 1 inhibitor, was assessed in patients with active psoriatic arthritis (PsA) in the 16-week, Phase 2, EQUATOR trial (NCT03101670).1 EQUATOR2 (NCT03320876) is the open-label extension (OLE). As previously reported, an interim analysis of the OLE showed that the majority of patients had clinical resolution of enthesitis by Week 52.2

Objectives:

This post-hoc analysis evaluated the effect of FIL on clinical enthesitis after 100 weeks of treatment in the OLE, as assessed using the Leeds Enthesitis Index (LEI) and Spondyloarthritis Research Consortium of Canada (SPARCC) index, and evaluated the discriminatory capacity of the two indices. In addition, we assessed which of the sites included in LEI and SPARCC were most frequently involved and whether treatment effect was consistent across sites.

Methods:

In EQUATOR, patients with active moderate-to-severe PsA (≥5 swollen joints and ≥5 tender joints, fulfilling Classification for PsA criteria) were randomised 1:1 to receive oral FIL 200 mg or placebo (PBO) once daily (QD) for 16 weeks. At Week 16, all patients could continue into the OLE, receiving FIL 200 mg QD for up to an additional 304 weeks. We compared changes from core baseline in LEI and SPARCC measures, the effect on enthesitis at sites included in LEI and SPARCC assessments and the discriminatory capacity of both enthesitis indices.

Results:

Of 131 patients randomised to EQUATOR, 122 entered the OLE. There was strong agreement between LEI and SPARCC at baseline. While most patients had enthesitis at baseline according to either index (76/131 [58.0%] by LEI; 85/131 [64.9%] by SPARCC), a minority had enthesitis at a large number of sites (6.9% with 5–6 LEI sites; 12.2% with ≥9 SPARCC sites). The sites most frequently involved at baseline were the lateral epicondyle humerus and Achilles tendon, sites common to both LEI and SPARCC. There was greater variability in the change from baseline to Week 16 in SPARCC compared with LEI (Table 1). LEI showed a greater discriminatory capacity than SPARCC when change from baseline was compared for FIL vs PBO at Week 16, as shown by higher absolute standardised mean difference: −0.70 (LEI) and −0.30 (SPARCC) (observed cases; Table 1). Subgroup analyses indicated that the treatment effect of FIL vs PBO at Week 16 for all sites was consistent with the overall treatment effect seen for LEI or SPARCC, and indicative of an improvement with FIL vs PBO for nearly all sites. The proportion of patients with enthesitis decreased from baseline up to OLE Week 100 (Figure 1). There were no major differences in long-term effect on enthesitis between sites.

Conclusion:

FIL improved enthesitis consistently across sites compared with PBO. Rapid improvement in enthesitis was seen up to Week 16 of the core study and improvements continued up to Week 52, after which responses were generally stable up to Week 100. LEI assesses fewer locations than SPARCC, but reassuringly captured the sites most commonly affected by enthesitis; LEI also had greater discriminatory capacity.

References:

[1]Mease P, et al. Lancet 2018;392:2367–77

[2]Mease P, et al. Arthritis Rheumatol 2020;72(suppl 10): abstract 0910

Figure 1.

Acknowledgements:

EQUATOR and EQUATOR2 were sponsored by Galapagos NV (Mechelen, Belgium) and co-funded by Galapagos NV and Gilead Sciences, Inc (Foster City, CA, USA). Eline Vetters, Leen Gilles, Benjamin Pett and his team, all employees of Galapagos, provided assistance with statistical analyses. Medical writing/editorial support was provided by Debbie Sherwood, BSc, CMPP (Aspire Scientific, Bollington, UK), and funded by Galapagos NV.

Disclosure of Interests:

Philip Helliwell Speakers bureau: Janssen, Novartis, Paid instructor for: Pfizer, Consultant of: Eli Lilly, Laura C Coates Speakers bureau: AbbVie, Amgen, Biogen, Celgene, Eli Lilly, Gilead, Janssen, Medac, Novartis, Pfizer and UCB, Consultant of: AbbVie, Amgen, Boehringer Ingelheim, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Celgene, Eli Lilly, Gilead, Janssen, Novartis, Pfizer, and UCB, Grant/research support from: AbbVie, Amgen, Celgene, Eli Lilly, Novartis, and Pfizer, Filip van den Bosch Consultant of: AbbVie, Celgene, Eli Lilly, Galapagos, Gilead, Janssen, Merck, Novartis, Pfizer and UCB, Grant/research support from: AbbVie, Merck and UCB, Dafna D Gladman Consultant of: AbbVie, Amgen, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Celgene, Eli Lilly, Galapagos, Gilead, Janssen, Novartis, Pfizer and UCB, Grant/research support from: AbbVie, Amgen, Celgene, Eli Lilly, Janssen, Novartis, Pfizer and UCB, Lien Gheyle Shareholder of: Galapagos, Employee of: Galapagos, Mona Trivedi Shareholder of: Gilead Sciences, Amgen, Employee of: Gilead Sciences, Muhsen Alani Shareholder of: Gilead Sciences, Employee of: Gilead Sciences, Franck Olivier Le Brun Shareholder of: Galapagos, Employee of: Galapagos, Robin Besuyen Shareholder of: Galapagos, Employee of: Galapagos, Philip J Mease Speakers bureau: AbbVie, Amgen, Eli Lilly, Janssen, Novartis, Pfizer and UCB, Consultant of: AbbVie, Amgen, Boehringer Ingelheim, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Eli Lilly, Galapagos, Gilead Sciences, GlaxoSmithKline, Janssen, Novartis, Pfizer, SUN and UCB, Grant/research support from: AbbVie, Amgen, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Celgene, Eli Lilly, Galapagos, Gilead Sciences, Janssen, Novartis, Pfizer, SUN and UCB.

POS1037 CORRELATION BETWEEN SKIN INVOLVEMENT, JOINT INVOLVEMENT AND ENTHESITIS IN PATIENTS WITH ACTIVE PSORIATIC ARTHRITIS: POST-HOC ANALYSIS OF EQUATOR/EQUATOR2

Background:

Psoriatic arthritis (PsA) is a heterogeneous, inflammatory disease involving multiple clinical domains including arthritis/synovitis, enthesitis, dactylitis, spondylitis and psoriasis. Effects on each domain should be assessed to determine the overall quality of treatment. Filgotinib (FIL) is a novel preferential Janus kinase 1 inhibitor that is in development for inflammatory conditions including PsA. EQUATOR (NCT03101670) was a 16-week, Phase 2, double-blind, randomised, placebo (PBO)-controlled trial of FIL for patients with active PsA.1 EQUATOR2 (NCT03320876) is an open-label extension (OLE) of the study.

Objectives:

This post-hoc analysis of EQUATOR and EQUATOR2 assessed the patient-level correlation between changes over time in the three PsA clinical disease domains of skin, joint and enthesitis in patients treated with FIL.

Methods:

In EQUATOR, patients with active moderate-to-severe PsA (≥5 swollen joints and ≥5 tender joints, fulfilling Classification for PsA criteria) were randomised 1:1 to receive oral FIL 200 mg or PBO once daily (QD) for 16 weeks. At Week 16, patients could continue into the 304-week OLE, with all patients receiving FIL 200 mg QD regardless of previous treatment in EQUATOR. This post-hoc analysis was limited to patients with skin involvement (≥3% body surface area), joint involvement and enthesitis at baseline, with changes from baseline in the three domains assessed using the Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI), swollen/tender joint count (S/TJC), and the Leeds Enthesitis Index (LEI) and Spondyloarthritis Research Consortium of Canada (SPARCC) index, respectively. Analyses that used LEI as the enthesitis index to assess change from baseline included patients with LEI score ≥1 at baseline; those using SPARCC included patients with SPARCC score ≥1 at baseline.

Results:

The EQUATOR study enrolled 131 patients and 122 patients continued into the EQUATOR2 OLE. Of the 131 patients enrolled in EQUATOR, 49 and 56 patients had PsA involving all three domains at core study baseline when enthesitis was assessed using LEI and SPARCC index, respectively. Pooled data for all patients receiving FIL during the OLE indicate that improvements from baseline in the clinical domains continued with long-term treatment, with 22/42 (52%) and 23/38 (61%) patients having both SJC66 and LEI resolution at Weeks 52 and 100, respectively. For the 22 patients with both SJC and LEI resolution at Week 52, the mean percent change from baseline for PASI was –64%; for the 23 patients with both SJC and LEI resolution at Week 100, the mean percent change from baseline for PASI was –60%. The Figure 1 shows correlation between SJC, LEI and PASI at Week 100. A relationship between the three clinical domains was observed at the individual level; within a single patient, an improvement in one domain was generally followed by improvements in the other two domains. With regard to the sequence in which changes were observed, joints improved first, followed by improvements in the skin and enthesitis. There were no notable differences between changes in LEI and SPARCC enthesitis index in terms of their correlation with improvements in joint and skin involvement. Similarly, there were no notable differences in correlation between the three domains when joints were assessed using TJC rather than SJC.

Conclusion:

Patients with improvements in skin, joints or enthesitis following treatment with FIL generally also had improvements in the other clinical domains of PsA. The joints were found to be the first of the three domains to improve.

References:

[1]Mease P et al. Lancet 2018;392:2367–77

Acknowledgements:

EQUATOR and EQUATOR2 were sponsored by Galapagos NV (Mechelen, Belgium) and co-funded by Galapagos NV and Gilead Sciences, Inc (Foster City, CA, USA). Medical writing/editorial support was provided by Debbie Sherwood, BSc, CMPP (Aspire Scientific, Bollington, UK), funded by Galapagos NV.

Disclosure of Interests:

Philip J Mease Speakers bureau: AbbVie, Amgen, Eli Lilly, Janssen, Novartis, Pfizer, and UCB, Consultant of: AbbVie, Amgen, Boehringer Ingelheim, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Eli Lilly, Galapagos, Gilead Sciences, GlaxoSmithKline, Janssen, Novartis, Pfizer, SUN and UCB, Grant/research support from: AbbVie, Amgen, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Celgene, Eli Lilly, Galapagos, Gilead Sciences, Janssen, Novartis, Pfizer, SUN and UCB, Laura C Coates Speakers bureau: AbbVie, Amgen, Biogen, Celgene, Eli Lilly, Gilead, Janssen, Medac, Novartis, Pfizer and UCB, Consultant of: AbbVie, Amgen, Boehringer Ingelheim, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Celgene, Eli Lilly, Gilead, Janssen, Novartis, Pfizer and UCB, Grant/research support from: AbbVie, Amgen, Celgene, Eli Lilly, Novartis, and Pfizer, Filip van den Bosch Consultant of: AbbVie, Celgene, Eli Lilly, Galapagos, Gilead, Janssen, Merck, Novartis, Pfizer, and UCB, Grant/research support from: AbbVie, Merck and UCB, Dafna D Gladman Consultant of: AbbVie, Amgen, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Celgene, Eli Lilly, Galapagos, Gilead, Janssen, Novartis, Pfizer, and UCB, Grant/research support from: AbbVie, Amgen, Celgene, Eli Lilly, Janssen, Novartis, Pfizer and UCB, Lien Gheyle Shareholder of: Galapagos, Employee of: Galapagos, Mona Trivedi Shareholder of: Gilead Sciences, Amgen, Employee of: Gilead Sciences, Muhsen Alani Shareholder of: Gilead Sciences, Employee of: Gilead Sciences, Eline Vetters Employee of: Galapagos, Franck Olivier Le Brun Shareholder of: Galapagos, Employee of: Galapagos, Robin Besuyen Shareholder of: Galapagos, Employee of: Galapagos, Philip Helliwell Speakers bureau: Janssen and Novartis, Paid instructor for: Pfizer, Consultant of: Eli Lilly.

POS0660 CONCOMITANT USE OF STATINS IN FILGOTINIB-TREATED PATIENTS WITH RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS

Background:

The Janus kinase-1 preferential inhibitor filgotinib (FIL) improved rheumatoid arthritis (RA) signs and symptoms in phase (P)3 trials.1–3 RA elevates cardiovascular disease risk; statins are used to reduce risk.

Objectives:

To assess safety of statin and filgotinib coadministration across the clinical program.

Methods:

Patients (pts) meeting 2010 ACR/EULAR RA criteria in P2 DARWIN 1–2 (D1–2; NCT01888874, NCT01894516), P3 FINCH 1–3 (F1–3; NCT02889796, NCT02873936, NCT02886728), and long-term extensions DARWIN 3 and FINCH 4 (D3, F4; NCT02065700, NCT03025308) receiving FIL 100 mg (FIL100) QD, FIL 200 mg QD (FIL200), adalimumab (ADA), methotrexate (MTX), or placebo (PBO) were included. Events related to statin use were analysed as exposed by treatment received. N and % were provided.

Week (W)12 PBO-controlled safety analysis included pts receiving FIL100, FIL200, or PBO for ≤12W (D1–2, F1–2); as-treated safety analysis included pts receiving long-term FIL100 QD (n=1647), FIL200 QD (n=2267), ADA (n=325), MTX (n=416), or PBO (n=781) (D1–3, F1–4); P3 as-randomised analysis included data up to W52 (F1–3) per assigned treatment.

Results:

In each arm, similar proportions of pts took statins at baseline (9.4%–11.9%); initiation during study was low (1.2%–6.8%). Through W12 in PBO-controlled analysis, mean creatine phosphokinase (CPK; Figure 1), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) levels were similar regardless of statin use and remained within normal levels across all arms.

Mean baseline ALT and AST levels were 20–23 and 20–22 U/L, respectively; at W12, ALT and AST ranged from 22–24 and 20–25 U/L, respectively. Graded CPK, ALT, and AST elevations are in Table 1.

Table 1.

Graded laboratory abnormalities at week 12 by baseline statin use in PBO-controlled analysis

ConcomitantNoneFIL200(n=68)FIL100(n=95)PBO(n=93)FIL200 (n=709)FIL100(n=693)PBO(n=688)CPK increased*598281562549537G1 (≤2.5×ULN)10 (16.9)13 (15.9)6 (7.4)71 (12.6)47 (8.6)18 (3.4)G2 (>2.5 to 5×ULN)3 (5.1)006 (1.1)2 (0.4)3 (0.6)G3 (>5 to 10×ULN)0001 (0.2)03 (0.6)G4 (>10×ULN)0001 (0.2)2 (0.4)0AST increased**689492708692684G1 (≤3.0×ULN)9 (13.2)11 (11.7)7 (7.6)97 (13.7)79 (11.4)60 (8.8)G2 (>3.0 to 5.0×ULN)0003 (0.4)2 (0.3)3 (0.4)G3 (>5.0 to 20.0×ULN)01 (1.1)02 (0.3)00G4 (>20.0×ULN)000000ALT increased**689492708692684G1 (≤3.0×ULN)13 (19.1)14 (14.9)13 (14.1)98 (13.8)92 (13.3)72 (10.5)G2 (>3.0 to 5.0×ULN)02 (2.1)010 (1.4)5 (0.7)6 (0.9)G3 (>5.0 to 20.0×ULN)0001 (0.1)01 (0.1)G4 (>20.0×ULN)000000

Data are n (%). Grading per Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events v4.03

*FINCH 1–2

**DARWIN 1–2, FINCH 1–2

ALT, alanine aminotransferase; AST, aspartate aminotransferase; CPK, creatine phosphokinase; csDMARD, conventional synthetic disease-modifying antirheumatic drug; FIL200/100, filgotinib 200/100 mg + csDMARDs; Grade, G; PBO, placebo; ULN, upper limit of normal.

In the long-term as-treated analysis, 1 (0.5%)/6 (3.2%)/0/0/0 treatment-emergent adverse events (AE) of myalgia occurred in pts on statins at baseline receiving FIL200/FIL100/ADA/MTX/PBO and in 12 (0.6%)/8 (0.5%)/3 (1.0%)/2 (0.5%)/1 (0.1%) pts not on statins. Muscle spasms occurred in 2 (0.9%)/3 (1.6%)/1 (3.2%)/0/1 (1.1%) pts on statins at baseline receiving FIL200/FIL100/ADA/MTX/PBO and 21 (1.0%)/8 (0.5%)/0/3 (0.8%)/1 (0.1%) pts not on statins at baseline. One patient not on statins receiving FIL200 reported rhabdomyolysis. For all treatment arms in P3 as-randomised analysis, mean LDL and HDL increased similarly from baseline (108–110 and 56–59 mg/dL, respectively) to W52 (119–130 and 59–71 mg/dL, respectively).

Conclusion:

No increases in statin-induced AEs such as muscle or liver toxicities occurred with statins and filgotinib coadministration; results are supported by a drug-drug interaction study.4 Mean LDL and HDL increased at W52 in all treatment arms.

References:

[1]Genovese et al. JAMA. 2019;322:315–25.

[2]Westhovens et al. Ann Rheum Dis. 2021; online first.

[3]Combe et al. Ann Rheum Dis. 2021; online first.

[4]Anderson et al. EULAR 2021 abstract.

Disclosure of Interests:

Peter C. Taylor Consultant of: AbbVie, Biogen, Eli Lilly, Fresenius, Galapagos, Gilead, GlaxoSmithKline, Janssen, Nordic Pharma, Pfizer, Roche, BMS, Sanofi, Celltrion, and UCB, Grant/research support from: Celgene, Eli Lilly, Galapagos, and Gilead, Christina Charles-Schoeman Consultant of: Gilead, Pfizer, and Regeneron-Sanofi, Grant/research support from: AbbVie, Bristol-Myers Squibb and Pfizer Inc, Muhsen Alani Shareholder of: Gilead Sciences, Inc., Employee of: Gilead Sciences, Inc., Mona Trivedi Shareholder of: Gilead Sciences, Inc., Employee of: Gilead Sciences, Inc., Vanessa Castellano Shareholder of: Gilead Sciences, Inc., Employee of: Gilead Sciences, Inc., Iyabode Tiamiyu Shareholder of: Gilead Sciences, Inc., Employee of: Gilead Sciences, Inc., Deyuan Jiang Shareholder of: Gilead Sciences, Inc., Employee of: Gilead Sciences, Inc., Lei Ye Shareholder of: Gilead Sciences, Inc., Employee of: Gilead Sciences, Inc., Sander Strengholt Shareholder of: Galapagos BV, Employee of: Galapagos BV, Michael Nurmohamed Speakers bureau: AbbVie, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Eli Lilly, Roche, and Sanofi, Consultant of: AbbVie, Celgene, Celltrion, Eli Lilly, Janssen, and Sanofi, Grant/research support from: AbbVie, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Celgene, Eli Lilly, Janssen, MSD, Mundipharma, Novartis, Pfizer, Roche, and Sanofi, Gerd Rüdiger Burmester Speakers bureau: AbbVie, Eli Lilly, Pfizer, and Gilead Sciences, Inc., Consultant of: AbbVie, Eli Lilly, Pfizer, and Gilead Sciences, Inc.

Abstract SP012: Convergent evolution of resistance pathways during early stage breast cancer treatment with combination cell cycle (CDK) and endocrine signaling inhibitors

Combining cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) inhibitors with endocrine therapy improves outcomes for metastatic estrogen receptor positive (ER+), HER2 negative, breast cancer patients. However, the value of this combination in potentially curable earlier stage patients is not clear. Using single cell transcriptomic profiling, we examined the evolutionary trajectories of early stage breast cancer tumors using serial tumor biopsies from a clinical trial of preoperative endocrine therapy alone (letrozole) or in combination with the cell cycle inhibitor ribociclib. Applying hierarchical regression and Gaussian process mathematical modelling, we classified each tumor by whether it shrinks or persists with therapy and determined cancer phenotypes related to evolution of resistance and cell cycle transcriptional rewiring. We found that all patients’ tumors undergo subclonal evolution during therapy, irrespective of the clinical response. However, tumors subjected to endocrine therapy alone showed reduced diversity over time, those facing combination therapy exhibited increased diversity. Despite different diversity, single nuclei RNA sequencing uncovered common phenotypic changes in tumor cells that persist following treatment. In these tumors, accelerated loss of estrogen signaling is convergent with up-regulation of the JNK pathway, while persistent tumors that maintain estrogen signaling during therapy show potentiation of CDK4/6 activation consistent with ERBB4 and ERK signaling up-regulation. Cell cycle reconstruction identified that these tumors can rebound during combination therapy treatment, indicating stronger selection and promotion of a proliferative state. These results indicate that combination therapy in early stage ER+ breast cancers with ER and CDK inhibition drives rapid evolution of resistance via a shift from estrogen signaling to alternative growth factor receptor mediated proliferation and JNK signaling activation, concordant with a bypass in the G1 checkpoint.

Citation Format: JI Griffiths, J Chen, PA Cosgrove, A O'Dea, P Sharma, CX Ma, M Trivedi, K Kalinsky, KB Wisinski, R O'Reagan, I Makhoul, LM Spring, A Bardia, FR Adler, AL Cohen, JT Chang, QJ Khan, AH Bild. Convergent evolution of resistance pathways during early stage breast cancer treatment with combination cell cycle (CDK) and endocrine signaling inhibitors [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2020 San Antonio Breast Cancer Virtual Symposium; 2020 Dec 8-11; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2021;81(4 Suppl):Abstract nr SP012.

FRI0343 EFFICACY AND SAFETY OF FILGOTINIB, A SELECTIVE JANUS KINASE 1 INHIBITOR, IN PATIENTS WITH ACTIVE PSORIATIC ARTHRITIS: SUBGROUP ANALYSES FROM A RANDOMIZED, PLACEBO-CONTROLLED, PHASE 2 TRIAL (EQUATOR)

Background:

Treatment with the oral selective Janus kinase 1 inhibitor filgotinib was associated with rapid and significant improvements in multiple domains of active psoriatic arthritis versus placebo in the 16-week Phase 2, multicenter, double-blind, randomized EQUATOR trial (NCT03101670).1A significantly greater proportion of patients receiving filgotinib, versus placebo, achieved the primary endpoint of 20% improvement in American College of Rheumatology (ACR) 20 response at Week 16 (80% vs 33%, respectively).1

Objectives:

The aim of this predefined analysis was to evaluate the consistency of the response to filgotinib across predefined relevant subpopulations participating in the EQUATOR trial.

Methods:

In EQUATOR, patients with active psoriatic arthritis were treated with filgotinib 200 mg (n=65) or placebo (n=66) once daily for 16 weeks. Key clinical endpoints, including ACR20 and ACR50 (50% improvement) response rates, Psoriatic Arthritis Disease Activity Score (PASDAS), and Disease Activity Index for Psoriatic Arthritis (DAPSA) were evaluated according to the following baseline characteristics: sex, body mass index, disease duration, baseline disease severity, concurrent use of disease-modifying antirheumatic drug(s), and prior exposure to tumor necrosis factor inhibitor(s). For PASDAS and DAPSA scores, statistical analysis of changes from baseline was performed using analysis of covariance with factors for treatment, randomization stratification, subgroup, and an interaction between treatment and subgroup. Least-squares (LS) mean difference between treatment arms and the corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated. For ACR20 and ACR50 response rates, statistical analysis used the point estimate and corresponding 95% CI, based on the Newcombe method.

Results:

Sixty patients (92%) in the filgotinib group and 64 (97%) in the placebo group completed the study. The total number of patients in each subpopulation ranged from 18 to 104 (Figure 1). Differences in the proportions of patients achieving ACR20 consistently favored filgotinib, compared with placebo, across all subgroups (Figure 1); all differences reached statistical significance. Similarly, differences in the proportions of ACR50 responders and LS mean treatment differences for PASDAS and DAPSA consistently favored filgotinib, reaching statistical significance in most subgroups. No clinically relevant differences in the effect of filgotinib were observed across subgroups. Filgotinib was generally well tolerated and no new safety signals were identified.

Conclusion:

In the 16-week EQUATOR trial, the effects of filgotinib on key efficacy endpoints were generally consistent across a range of subgroups based on patient, disease, and treatment characteristics.

References:

[1]Mease P, et al. Lancet 2018;392:2367–77.

Acknowledgments:

The EQUATOR trial was sponsored by Galapagos NV and co-funded by Galapagos NV and Gilead Sciences. Medical writing support was provided by Hannah Mace MPharmacol, CMPP (Aspire Scientific Ltd, Bollington, UK) and funded by Galapagos NV (Mechelen, Belgium).

Disclosure of Interests:

Philip Helliwell: None declared, Filip van den Bosch Consultant of: AbbVie, Celgene Corporation, Eli Lilly, Galapagos, Janssen, Novartis, Pfizer, and UCB, Speakers bureau: AbbVie, Celgene Corporation, Eli Lilly, Galapagos, Janssen, Novartis, Pfizer, and UCB, Laura C Coates: None declared, Dafna D Gladman Grant/research support from: AbbVie, Amgen Inc., BMS, Celgene Corporation, Janssen, Novartis, Pfizer, UCB – grant/research support, Consultant of: AbbVie, Amgen Inc., BMS, Celgene Corporation, Janssen, Novartis, Pfizer, UCB – consultant, Chantal Tasset Shareholder of: Galapagos (share/warrant holder), Employee of: Galapagos, Luc Meuleners Employee of: Galapagos, Leen Gilles Consultant of: Galapagos, Lien Gheyle Employee of: Galapagos, Mona Trivedi Shareholder of: Amgen and Gilead Sciences, Employee of: Gilead Sciences, Muhsen Alani Employee of: Gilead Sciences, Robin Besuyen Shareholder of: Galapagos, Employee of: Galapagos, Philip J Mease Grant/research support from: Abbott, Amgen, Biogen Idec, BMS, Celgene Corporation, Eli Lilly, Novartis, Pfizer, Sun Pharmaceutical, UCB – grant/research support, Consultant of: Abbott, Amgen, Biogen Idec, BMS, Celgene Corporation, Eli Lilly, Novartis, Pfizer, Sun Pharmaceutical, UCB – consultant, Speakers bureau: Abbott, Amgen, Biogen Idec, BMS, Eli Lilly, Genentech, Janssen, Pfizer, UCB – speakers bureau

FRI0339 LONG-TERM EFFICACY OF THE ORAL SELECTIVE JANUS KINASE 1 INHIBITOR FILGOTINIB IN PSORIATIC ARTHRITIS: WEEK 52 RESPONSE PATTERNS IN INDIVIDUAL PATIENTS FROM AN OPEN-LABEL EXTENSION (OLE) STUDY (EQUATOR2)

Background:

EQUATOR (NCT03101670) was a 16-week, Phase 2, multicenter, double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized controlled trial (RCT) of filgotinib in patients with active psoriatic arthritis.1Filgotinib demonstrated rapid efficacy compared with placebo across multiple domains, including the primary endpoint of Week 16 American College of Rheumatology (ACR) 20 response.1Patients completing the RCT could join an ongoing 148-week OLE (EQUATOR2;NCT03320876).

Objectives:

In this prespecified interim analysis at Week 52 of the OLE, individual patient responses with respect to disease activity were evaluated.

Methods:

Placebo-treated RCT patients switched to filgotinib (200 mg once daily) at Week 16 and entered the OLE; patients previously assigned to filgotinib continued. Individual response patterns at Week 52 of the OLE were evaluated for ACR20/50/70, Psoriatic Arthritis Disease Activity Score (PASDAS) low disease activity (LDA), minimal disease activity (MDA), and MDA/very low disease activity (VLDA).

Results:

124 patients (95%) completed EQUATOR; 122 (93%) enrolled in the OLE. At Week 52, 11 patients (9%) had discontinued treatment in the OLE. Median (range) exposure to filgotinib was 66.0 (0.4–104.1) weeks. In patients originally assigned to filgotinib, sustained efficacy was seen through to OLE Week 52 for ACR20, 50, and 70; PASDAS LDA; MDA (Table;Figure 1a); and MDA/VLDA. In total, 77% and 93% of those achieving MDA and ACR50 response in the RCT period maintained this at Week 52 (Table). A substantial proportion of RCT non-responders also achieved a treatment response in the OLE, meeting MDA and ACR50 criteria (22% and 37%, respectively;Table). Response patterns in the OLE were similar regardless of prior RCT treatment. In total, at Week 52 of the OLE, 33.6% of patients achieved MDA response (Figure 1a); 55.0% achieved ACR50 response. Figure 1bshows individual patient response over time for MDA.

Conclusion:

Data from this 52-week OLE interim analysis suggest that further improvement in disease activity can be expected with filgotinib beyond 16 weeks in patients with active psoriatic arthritis. Sustained efficacy was demonstrated across several measures of disease activity, including MDA and ACR50.

References:

[1]Mease P, et al. Lancet 2018;392:2367–77.

Table.

Responders at Week 52 of the OLE, by treatment and previous RCT responder status (observed cases).

TreatmentFilgotinib (N=59) → Filgotinib (N=54)aPlacebo (N=63) → Filgotinib (N=57)an/N, %OLE responders/RCT respondersOLE responders/RCT non-respondersOLE responders/RCT respondersOLE responders/RCT non-respondersACR2040/47 (85.1)5/7 (71.4)17/18 (94.4)27/38 (71.1)ACR5025/27 (92.6)10/27 (37.0)5/8 (62.5)21/49 (42.9)ACR7010/13 (76.9)12/41 (29.3)3/4 (75.0)12/53 (22.6)PASDAS LDAb19/21 (90.5)12/32 (37.5)5/6 (83.3)21/48 (43.8)MDA10/13 (76.9)9/41 (22.0)4/5 (80.0)14/51 (27.5)

aIndicates number remaining at OLE Week 52 interim analysis, after dropouts

bPASDAS information was not available for one patient at Week 16 of the RCT

Acknowledgments:

EQUATOR and EQUATOR2 were sponsored by Galapagos NV and co-funded by Galapagos NV and Gilead Sciences. Medical writing support was provided by Hannah Mace MPharmacol, CMPP (Aspire Scientific Ltd, Bollington, UK) and funded by Galapagos NV.

Disclosure of Interests:

Dafna D Gladman Grant/research support from: AbbVie, Amgen Inc., BMS, Celgene Corporation, Janssen, Novartis, Pfizer, UCB – grant/research support, Consultant of: AbbVie, Amgen Inc., BMS, Celgene Corporation, Janssen, Novartis, Pfizer, UCB – consultant, Laura C Coates: None declared, Filip van den Bosch Consultant of: AbbVie, Celgene Corporation, Eli Lilly, Galapagos, Janssen, Novartis, Pfizer, and UCB, Speakers bureau: AbbVie, Celgene Corporation, Eli Lilly, Galapagos, Janssen, Novartis, Pfizer, and UCB, Philip Helliwell: None declared, Chantal Tasset Shareholder of: Galapagos (share/warrant holder), Employee of: Galapagos, Luc Meuleners Employee of: Galapagos, Leen Gilles Consultant of: Galapagos, Lien Gheyle Employee of: Galapagos, Mona Trivedi Shareholder of: Amgen and Gilead Sciences, Employee of: Gilead Sciences, Muhsen Alani Employee of: Gilead Sciences, Robin Besuyen Shareholder of: Galapagos, Employee of: Galapagos, Philip J Mease Grant/research support from: Abbott, Amgen, Biogen Idec, BMS, Celgene Corporation, Eli Lilly, Novartis, Pfizer, Sun Pharmaceutical, UCB – grant/research support, Consultant of: Abbott, Amgen, Biogen Idec, BMS, Celgene Corporation, Eli Lilly, Novartis, Pfizer, Sun Pharmaceutical, UCB – consultant, Speakers bureau: Abbott, Amgen, Biogen Idec, BMS, Eli Lilly, Genentech, Janssen, Pfizer, UCB – speakers bureau

FRI0344 THE LONG-TERM EFFECT OF TREATING PSORIATIC ARTHRITIS WITH THE JANUS KINASE 1-SELECTIVE INHIBITOR FILGOTINIB ON LIPID PROFILES: AN ANALYSIS OF THE EQUATOR AND EQUATOR2 TRIALS

Background:

Cardiovascular (CV) comorbidities are common in psoriatic arthritis (PsA); patients are at high risk for major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE).1In the Phase 2, double-blind, randomized EQUATOR trial, significant improvements across multiple PsA domains were observed with the oral selective Janus kinase (JAK) 1 inhibitor filgotinib compared with placebo.2Inhibition of JAK signal transducer and activator of transcription signaling is associated with raised serum lipids.3

Objectives:

To evaluate the effects of filgotinib on the lipid profile of PsA patients and determine if those with higher MACE risk show similar changes in lipid profile compared with the overall population.

Methods:

In EQUATOR, 131 patients with active PsA received filgotinib 200 mg (n=65) or placebo (n=66) once daily for 16 weeks. Patients completing EQUATOR could enter the ongoing EQUATOR2 open-label extension (OLE;NCT03320876), in which patients receive filgotinib 200 mg for up to 148 weeks. Effects of filgotinib on total cholesterol (TC), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), and TC/HDL-C ratio at OLE Week 52 (68 weeks after EQUATOR initiation) were analyzed. In a post hoc analysis, patients were classified into subgroups according to presence/absence of obesity (baseline body mass index [BMI]; ≥30 vs <30 kg/m2, respectively), diabetes mellitus, arterial hypertension (≥130/80 mmHg), hyperlipidemia, and metabolic syndrome. Changes in lipid levels were explored graphically.

Results:

124 patients (95%) completed EQUATOR; 122 (93%) enrolled in the OLE. Of these, 11 patients (9%) discontinued treatment by OLE Week 52. Median (range) exposure to filgotinib was 66.0 (0.4–104.1) weeks. In the OLE, TC, LDL-C, and HDL-C levels increased versus baseline with filgotinib, resulting in a decreased TC/HDL-C ratio. Changes in lipid levels were consistent irrespective of presence of obesity (n=56;Fig), diabetes (n=53), arterial hypertension (n=80), hyperlipidemia (n=108), or metabolic syndrome (n=36); baseline lipid values were greater in the higher risk groups. In patients who were assigned placebo in the randomized controlled trial (RCT), HDL-C increased on switching to filgotinib in the OLE (in a manner similar to that seen in filgotinib-treated patients during the RCT), and remained elevated compared with baseline (Fig). Triglyceride levels remained stable throughout, across all subgroups. Seventeen patients (13%) were taking lipid-lowering drugs (LLDs) prior to the start of the trial (and continued to do so); the effect of filgotinib on the lipid profile in these patients was similar to that in the overall population. During the RCT phase, another six patients in the filgotinib group and one in the placebo group began taking LLDs.

Conclusion:

In patients exposed to filgotinib for ≥52 weeks, the effects on lipid profile were consistent regardless of baseline CV risk. Lipid changes included an elevation in TC and HDL-C, with a decrease in TC/HDL-C ratio.

References:

[1]Haddad A & Zisman D. Rambam Maimonides Med J 2017;8:e0004

[2]Mease P, et al. Lancet 2018;392:2367–77

[3]Sands B, et al. Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol 2020;18:123–32

Acknowledgments:

Studies were sponsored by Galapagos NV; co-funded by Galapagos NV and Gilead Sciences. Writing support from Hannah Mace MPharmacol, CMPP (Aspire Scientific Ltd, Bollington, UK) was funded by Galapagos NV (Mechelen, Belgium).

Disclosure of Interests:

M Elaine Husni Grant/research support from: Pfizer, Consultant of: AbbVie, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Eli Lilly, Janssen, Novartis, Regeneron, and UCB, Dafna D Gladman Grant/research support from: AbbVie, Amgen Inc., BMS, Celgene Corporation, Janssen, Novartis, Pfizer, UCB – grant/research support, Consultant of: AbbVie, Amgen Inc., BMS, Celgene Corporation, Janssen, Novartis, Pfizer, UCB – consultant, Philip Helliwell: None declared, Filip van den Bosch Consultant of: AbbVie, Celgene Corporation, Eli Lilly, Galapagos, Janssen, Novartis, Pfizer, and UCB, Speakers bureau: AbbVie, Celgene Corporation, Eli Lilly, Galapagos, Janssen, Novartis, Pfizer, and UCB, Chantal Tasset Shareholder of: Galapagos (share/warrant holder), Employee of: Galapagos, Luc Meuleners Employee of: Galapagos, Leen Gilles Consultant of: Galapagos, Lien Gheyle Employee of: Galapagos, Mona Trivedi Shareholder of: Amgen and Gilead Sciences, Employee of: Gilead Sciences, Muhsen Alani Employee of: Gilead Sciences, Robin Besuyen Shareholder of: Galapagos, Employee of: Galapagos, Philip J Mease Grant/research support from: Abbott, Amgen, Biogen Idec, BMS, Celgene Corporation, Eli Lilly, Novartis, Pfizer, Sun Pharmaceutical, UCB – grant/research support, Consultant of: Abbott, Amgen, Biogen Idec, BMS, Celgene Corporation, Eli Lilly, Novartis, Pfizer, Sun Pharmaceutical, UCB – consultant, Speakers bureau: Abbott, Amgen, Biogen Idec, BMS, Eli Lilly, Genentech, Janssen, Pfizer, UCB – speakers bureau

Abstract P6-20-10: Role of GPR110 in breast cancer

Our long-term goal is to discover adhesion GPCR targets in breast cancer. Our previous studies have found GPR110 to be overexpressed in tumorigenic cell population as well as in anti-HER2 drug-resistant derivatives of HER2+ breast cancer cells. In subsequent studies, we found that GPR110 knockdown inhibited anchorage-independent cell growth, mammosphere formation, and invasion/migration of HER2+ breast cancer cells. Conversely, overexpression of GPR110 by lentiviral delivery of cDNA enhanced anchorage-independent cell growth, mammosphere formation, and invasion/migration in HER2+ breast cancer cells. In addition, GPR110 overexpression led to increase in the % of Aldefluor-positive tumorigenic cell population, further emphasizing the role of GPR110 as a mediator of tumorigenesis in addition to the metastatic processes in HER2+ breast cancer. Among various subtypes of breast cancer, GPR110 expression was higher in HER2+ and basal subtypes, most of which are triple-negative (negative for ER, PR, and HER2), compared to luminal A and B subtypes. GPR110 was either gene amplified or upregulated in 4% of all breast cancers based on the publicly available TCGA dataset. GPR110 overexpression predicted poorer recurrence-free survival in triple-negative breast cancer. Furthermore, GPR110 was overexpressed in brain metastatic lesions compared to mammary tumors in patient-derived xenograft models of triple-negative breast cancer (WHIM2 and WHIM30). Knocking down GPR110 reduced anchorage-dependent and -independent cell growth, mammosphere formation, and invasion/migration of triple-negative breast cancer cells. Overall, our results suggest that GPR110 may be a potential drug target in HER2+ and triple-negative breast cancer. Drug discovery efforts to identify GPR110 antagonists will provide useful pharmacological tools for validating GPR110 as a drug target in breast cancer. Since GPR110 is also overexpressed in various other types of cancer, understanding the mechanism of GPR110 upregulation and signaling in cancer is an important future direction.

This work was supported by the Department of Defense Grants W81XWH-14-1-0340 and W81XWH-14-1-0341 to Drs. Trivedi and Schiff, respectively.

Citation Format: Bhat R, Qin L, De Angelis C, Sahay D, Bhargava D, Creighton C, Yadav P, Yazdanfard S, Alrawi A, Yadav V, Vasaikar S, Nanda S, Sethunath V, Fu X, Zhang B, Narkar V, Schiff R, Trivedi M. Role of GPR110 in breast cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2018 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2018 Dec 4-8; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2019;79(4 Suppl):Abstract nr P6-20-10.

Definition of treatment-resistant depression - Asia Pacific perspectives

BACKGROUND

The lack of uniformity in the definition of treatment resistant depression (TRD) within the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region may have implications for patient management. We aimed to characterize the most commonly used TRD definition in selected APAC countries.

METHODS

A systematic literature review of TRD definitions in APAC countries was conducted in Medline and Embase (2010-2016) and conference proceedings (2014 and 2016). TRD guidelines (APAC, Europe regional, US, or international) were also searched. An expert-panel explored APAC nuances in TRD definitions to achieve consensus for a regional-level definition.

RESULTS

Ten guidelines and 89 studies qualified for study inclusion. Among the studies, variations were observed in definitions regarding: number of antidepressants failed (range: ≥1 to ≥3), classes of antidepressants (same or different; 59% did not specify class), duration of previous treatments (range: 4-12 weeks), dosage adequacy, and consideration of adherence (yes/no; 88% of studies did not consider adherence). No TRD-specific guidelines were identified. The emerging consensus from the literature review and panel discussion was that TRD is most commonly defined as failure to ≥2 antidepressant therapies given at adequate doses, for 6-8 weeks during a major depressive episode.

LIMITATIONS

Few studies provided definitions of TRD used in daily clinical practice, and a limited number of countries were represented in the included studies and expert panel.

CONCLUSION

Attaining consensus on TRD definition may promote accurate, and possibly early detection of patients with TRD to enable appropriate intervention that may impact patient outcomes and quality of life.

Synthesis, characterization and application of green seaweed mediated silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) as antibacterial agents for water disinfection

A simple and eco-friendly method for the synthesis of hybrid bead silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) employing the aqueous extract derived from natural and renewable source namely tropical benthic green seaweed Ulva flexuosa was developed. This route involves the reduction of Ag⁺ ions anchored onto macro porous methacrylic acid copolymer beads to AgNPs for employing them as antibacterial agents for in vitro water disinfection. The seaweed extract itself acts as a reducing and stabilizing agent and requires no additional surfactant or capping agent for forming the AgNPs. The nanoparticles were analyzed using high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, UV-Vis spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray analysis and inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy. The study elucidates that such biologically synthesized AgNPs exhibit potential antibacterial activity against two Gram positive (Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus aureus) and two Gram-negative (Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa) bacterial strains tested. The bacterial count in treated water was reduced to zero for all the strains. Atomic force microscopy was performed to confirm the pre- and post-state of the bacteria with reference to their treatment with AgNPs. Attributes like facile environment-friendly procedure, stability and high antibacterial potency propel the consideration of these AgNPs as promising antibacterial entities.

The Spectrum of Focal Segmental Glomerulosclerosis from Eastern India: Is It Different?

Focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) is a disease that is defined entirely by its histopathological appearance. The recent Columbian classification has grouped this disease into various types based on the light microscopic description. There is a paucity of data describing the distribution of its various subtypes from the Indian subcontinent. This study was undertaken with the aim to throw light on the epidemiology and clinical features of primary FSGS in Eastern India. This retrospective study includes our cohort of biopsy-proven FSGS who presented to us from June 2009 to July 2011 and the analysis of their presenting clinical and histopathological features from our center in East India. Out of 347 patients diagnosed with FSGS in this period, 224 patients were included in the study. A total of 167 cases were of not otherwise specified (NOS) variant (74.5%), 30 tip variant (13.39%), 14 perihilar (6.25%), 8 cellular (3.57%), and 5 to the collapsing variant (2.23%). The maximum proteinuria at presentation was seen with the tip variant (7.98 ± 6.6 g/24 h), and the renal functions were most deranged at presentation with the collapsing variant. These findings were different from those described in other populations including higher prevalence of the tip and the perihilar variant, significant difference in the degree of hypertension, proteinuria, and renal dysfunction among the different variants. The Columbian classification has helped to stratify the outcomes of this glomerular disease with respect to its clinical presentation as well as histopathological features. However, the characteristics of the various variants do show a distinctive pattern in various populations based on ethnicities.

Abstract P3-04-07: The new oral SERD AZD9496 is efficacious in antagonizing ER and circumventing resistance to endocrine therapy

Background: The selective estrogen receptor (ER) degrader (SERD) fulvestrant (Ful) is a potent ER antagonist that upon binding to ER induces its degradation. Ful has shown clinical efficacy in metastatic disease upon progression on previous endocrine therapies and superior activitycompared to an aromatase inhibitor as first line therapy when given at a high dose, 500mg. However, major clinical limitations of Ful are its low bioavailability and its route of administration. Here, we assess the efficacy and the mechanism of action of the new oral SERD AZD9496 compared to Ful in our panel of endocrine-sensitive and -resistant (EndoR) in vitro and in vivo models.

Methods: The effects of AZD9496 and Ful were studied in vitro in various ER+ MCF7, ZR75-1, T47D, 600MPE, and MDAMB415 parental lines and in MCF7 and T47D derivatives made resistant (R) to estrogen deprivation (ED), tamoxifen (Tam), or Ful. Cell growth, Western blot, Q-RT-PCR, and ERE-reporter assays were conducted to assess treatment efficacy as well as ER levels and activity. Xenografts of parental MCF7 cells were established in ovariectomized nude mice with exogenous estrogen (E2). Mice were then randomized to continued E2 or ED, with and without AZD9496 or Ful. Mice bearing transplantable MCF7 EDR and TamR xenografts were randomized to continue original treatment or to switch to Ful or AZD9496, and tumor size was followed. Expression of classic and nonclassic/indirect ER-regulated genes was evaluated in RNA extracts of short-term-treated xenografts using the BioMark FLUIDIGM platform.

Results: AZD9496 inhibited cell growth (50-100%) of all ER+ parental cells and greatly, though not fully, degraded ER protein levels. AZD9496 also potently reduced ER-dependent exogenous and endogenous gene/protein expression in presence and absence of E2. In parental MCF7 xenograft-bearing mice, 10 days of AZD9496 resulted in a greater inhibition of tumor growth and in a greater reduction of levels of ER-dependent targets in comparison to Ful in the presence of E2. The effects of the 2 SERDs were similar in the absence of E2. In EndoR models that retain ER, AZD9496 inhibited cell growth in vitro by degrading ER, similar to Ful. Both SERDs also delayed tumor growth of EDR and TamR xenografts and effectively reduced levels of ER and ER-induced proteins, though no tumor regression was observed in the TamR model. Notably, AZD9496 failed to inhibit growth of FulR cells and xenografts. Expression analysis showed that the 2 SERDs potently inhibited classic ER activity, while simultaneously increasing expression of some genes known to be regulated by the nonclassic/indirect ER activity, including genes involved in escape pathways of endocrine resistance.

Conclusions: The oral SERD AZD9496 is a potent antiestrogen that antagonizes and degrades ER. AZD9496, like Ful, inhibits ER-dependent transcription and tumor growth in both naïve and resistant EDR and TamR models, but shows cross-resistance in FulR models. Both AZD9496 and Ful failed to completely reduce ER protein expression and to induce TamR tumor regression, suggesting that additional strategies to reduce ER levels and to enhance the inhibition of ER signaling and/or of co-operating survival mechanisms may be needed to improve treatment outcome.

Citation Format: Nardone A, Weir H, De Angelis C, Cataldo ML, Fu X, Shea MJ, Mitchell T, Trivedi M, Chamness GC, Osborne CK, Schiff R. The new oral SERD AZD9496 is efficacious in antagonizing ER and circumventing resistance to endocrine therapy [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2016 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2016 Dec 6-10; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(4 Suppl):Abstract nr P3-04-07.

The Epidemiology, Clinical Features, and Outcome of Infection-related Glomerulonephritis from East India: A Single Center Experience

Infection-related glomerulonephritis (IRGN) is an example of immunological renal injury due to non-renal infections. With the changing face of IRGN over the years, renal biopsy definitely has an important role to play in differentiating this disease from the other masquerades and helps in prognosticating the long-term outcomes. This prospective study includes biopsy-proven IRGN cases who presented to us from July 2010 to July 2013 from a single center in East India. Of the 168 patients suspected and screened, 137 patients were proved to have IRGN. About 11.67% cases were proven to be immunoglobulin A-IRGN variant. The mean age of presentation was 22.7 ± 15.8 years with a slight male preponderance. A nephrotic range of proteinuria was seen in 13.8% cases and 17.5% patient required renal replacement therapy at presentation. Around 8.75% patients had persistent proteinuria despite normal renal function beyond 6 months of follow-up and 8.09% patients progressed to chronic kidney disease. It may no longer be classified as a glomerular disease with the definite favorable outcome as an important number of patients may progress to chronicity following this disease. Renal biopsy plays an important role in the assessment of prognosis of IRGN and detection of the presence of other underlying glomerulonephritis and should be considered early, especially in patients with atypical presentation.

Modification of tumor cell exosome content by transfection with wt-p53 and microRNA-125b expressing plasmid DNA and its effect on macrophage polarization

Exosomes are responsible for intercellular communication between tumor cells and others in the tumor microenvironment. These microvesicles promote oncogensis and can support towards metastasis by promoting a pro-tumorogenic environment. Modifying the exosomal content and exosome delivery are emerging novel cancer therapies. However, the clinical translation is limited due to feasibility of isolating and delivery of treated exosomes as well as an associated immune response in patients. In this study, we provide proof-of-concept for a novel treatment approach for manipulating exosomal content by genetic transfection of tumor cells using dual-targeted hyaluronic acid-based nanoparticles. Following transfection with plasmid DNA encoding for wild-type p53 (wt-p53) and microRNA-125b (miR-125b), we evaluate the transgene expression in the SK-LU-1 cells and in the secreted exosomes. Furthermore, along with modulation of wt-p53 and miR-125b expression, we also show that the exosomes (i.e., wt-p53/exo, miR-125b/exo and combination/exo) have a reprogramed global miRNA profile. The miRNAs in the exosomes were mainly related to the activation of genes associated with apoptosis as well as p53 signaling. More importantly, these altered miRNA levels in the exosomes could mediate macrophage repolarization towards a more pro-inflammatory/antitumor M1 phenotype. However, further studies, especially in vivo studies, are warranted to assess the direct influence of such macrophage reprogramming on cancer cells and oncogenesis post-treatment. The current study provides a novel platform enabling the development of therapeutic strategies affecting not only the cancer cells but also the tumor microenvironment by utilizing the 'bystander effect' through genetic transfer with secreted exosomes. Such modification could also support antitumor environment leading to decreased oncogenesis.

Abstract P2-02-07: Collection, high-resolution imaging, and single cell isolation of circulating tumor cells from patient derived xenograft models using the AccuCyte® – CyteFinder® system

Background: Patient-derived xenograft (PDX) models of human tumors offer many advantages over traditional cell line xenograft models and other mouse models of cancer. A PDX model may be used to randomize a given patient's tumor to multiple treatment regimens in order to predict treatment responses. When PDX models are grouped, they represent a clinical trial "cohort" for testing new therapies and identifying biomarkers of response. One such biomarker is circulating tumor cells (CTCs), which provide a window of the metastatic process. CTCs have been reported in several PDX models, further supporting their clinical relevance. Thus, PDX models may also be used to study the utility of CTC analysis to inform treatment decisions. However, most current CTC technologies intended for use with human samples cannot be used with the small blood volume from mice. The objective of our study was to adapt the AccuCyte® – CyteFinder® (AC-CF) system to detect CTCs from low volumes of mouse blood, and apply this method for the analysis of CTCs in a PDX model, including individual cell retrieval for molecular analysis. Methods: The AC-CF PDX process was modified to include a red blood cell lysis step instead of the density-based separation for the removal of red blood cells. The isolated cells were spread onto microscope slides using a stabilization solution, stained by multi-color immunofluorescence, and visualized by the CF high-resolution multi-channel fluorescence scanner. Automated image analysis identified CTCs, which was followed by single cell retrieval. For optimization of the assay, BT474 breast cancer cells were spiked into blood from a tumor-free control mouse ( approx. 500 cells in 250 µl). Slides with BT474 cells were used to test sensitivity by using antibodies against human cytokeratins (pan-CK), epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EpCAM), and erbB family growth factor receptors (EGFR and HER2) to detect the spiked-in cells. Assay specificity was tested by using antibodies specific for the mouse isoform of CD45. The antibody panel was tested on blood samples from 6 mice carrying small (300-400 mm3) tumors of the breast cancer PDX model (BCM-4888) previously published to have CTCs. Results: BT474 were identified by their large nuclei, positive staining with human specific antibodies against pan-CK, EpCAM, and EGFR/HER2 markers, and negative staining for mouse CD45. BT474 were detected in approximately the same amount as were spiked in. CTCs were identified in the blood of all 6 PDX mice tested. We found 1-6 CTCs per 330 µl of blood, and clusters of CTCs were also identified in 4 mice. Overall, these findings agree with published data on this PDX model. Single CTCs will be isolated using the CytePicker® retrieval module for single cell sequencing to confirm the human origin of these cells. These results along with ongoing work on additional PDX models will be presented at the meeting. Conclusion: The modified AC-CF process is a simple and sensitive method of analyzing small volumes of blood for CTC detection and isolation, features that are critical for the longitudinal analysis of CTCs in PDX models of cancer.

Citation Format: Ramirez AB, Sahay D, Lewis MT, Schiff R, Stilwell JL, Trivedi M, Kaldjian EP. Collection, high-resolution imaging, and single cell isolation of circulating tumor cells from patient derived xenograft models using the AccuCyte® – CyteFinder® system. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Thirty-Eighth Annual CTRC-AACR San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium: 2015 Dec 8-12; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(4 Suppl):Abstract nr P2-02-07.

Pattern recognition analysis of anterior cingulate cortex blood flow to classify depression polarity

Differentiating bipolar from recurrent unipolar depression is a major clinical challenge. In 18 healthy females and 36 females in a depressive episode--18 with bipolar disorder type I, 18 with recurrent unipolar depression--we applied pattern recognition analysis using subdivisions of anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) blood flow at rest, measured with arterial spin labelling. Subgenual ACC blood flow classified unipolar v. bipolar depression with 81% accuracy (83% sensitivity, 78% specificity).

The spectrum of glomerular diseases in a single center: A clinicopathological correlation

We report the spectrum of biopsy-proven glomerular disease (GD) in a single center in Eastern India. Medical records of 666 patients with biopsy-proven GD over a period of 2 years from July 2010 to July 2012 were retrospectively analyzed. The clinical, laboratory, and histological data were recorded. All biopsy specimens were examined by the same pathologist with light and immunofluorescence microscopy. Electron microscopic analysis was performed only in selected cases. Histologic spectrum of various GDs was studied along with its correlation with the clinical and laboratory parameters. The clinical diagnosis was nephrotic syndrome (NS) in 410 (61.56%), rapidly progressive renal failure/glomerulonephritis in 130 (19.52%), subnephrotic proteinuria/asymtomatic urinary abnormalities in 52 (7.81%), acute kidney injury/acute nephritic syndrome in 40 (6.01%), and macroscopic hematuria in 4 (0.6%) patients. Male: Female ratio was 1.05; 27.92% (n = 186) were < 18 years, 68.47% (n = 456) were 18–59 years, and 3.6% (n = 24) were ≥ 60 years of age. The most common GD was minimal change disease (MCD) (20.12%, n = 134); others were focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) (18.02%, n = 15.32%), lupus nephritis (LN) (15.32%, n = 102), membranous nephropathy (MN) (12.01%, n = 80), and IgA nephropathy (IgAN) (8.11%, n = 54). Primary GD was present in 79.13% (n = 527) and common histologies were MCD (25.42%), FSGS (22.58%), MN (14.42%), and IgAN (10.25%). Secondary GD was present in 20.87% (n = 139), with the most common being LN (73.38%, n = 102). Among the NS (n = 410), the most common GD was MCD (31.46%), followed by FSGS (25.6%), MN (15.58%), LN (7.8%), IgAN (6.09%), and membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis (4.88%). FSGS was the most common primary GD in adults, MCD in children, and MN in the elderly patients. The spectrum of GD varies according to the area of study and changes over time. A biopsy registry is needed for documenting this variation.

Is unrecognized bipolar disorder a frequent contributor to apparent treatment resistant depression?

BACKGROUND

There is widespread clinical belief that unrecognized bipolar disorder (BD) is a frequent contributor to apparent treatment resistant depression (TRD). This review attempts to assess the degree to which prevailing empirical data supports that view.

METHODS

All English-language articles published between January 1998 and January 2008 that focused on adults with major depressive disorder (MDD) and BD bearing on the question "Is unrecognized BD a frequent contributor to apparent TRD in patients initially diagnosed with MDD?" were reviewed.

RESULTS

196 articles were reviewed; the preponderance of the data suggested: 1) TRD populations demonstrate high rates of hidden bipolar disorder, 2) there is not sufficient evidence to unequivocally support or reject the hypothesis that patients who relapse despite continued antidepressant treatment are likely to have bipolar spectrum disorder, 3) patients initially diagnosed with MDD do not demonstrate high rates of switching to mania or hypomania when treated with antidepressants and 4) in patients diagnosed with BD, antidepressants are not robustly effective and are poorly tolerated.

LIMITATIONS

The main limitation of this review is that none of the individual studies were designed to test our primary hypothesis.

CONCLUSIONS

This review provides at least moderate support to the hypothesis that BD is a contributor to apparent TRD. Thus, clinicians treating MDD are urged to search for "soft" signs of bipolarity and to be prepared to alter diagnosis and treatment strategies accordingly.

Preadult onset vs. adult onset of major depressive disorder: a replication study

OBJECTIVE

In the first 1500 participants with major depressive disorder (MDD) that entered the sequenced treatment alternatives to relieve depression (STAR*D) study, those with preadult onset MDD were more likely to be women and to have a more chronic, severe and disabling form of depression than those with adult onset MDD. This study seeks to replicate these findings.

METHOD

The second wave of STAR*D enrollees included 2541 out-patients with MDD, divided into preadult (before age 18) and adult (age 18 or later) onset groups.

RESULTS

Participants with a preadult onset of MDD (38%) were younger, ill for longer and more likely to be women than those with adult onset MDD (62%). After adjusting for age, duration of illness and gender, participants with preadult onset MDD also had higher rates of family history of depression, more past suicide attempts, and lower rates of obsessive compulsive and panic disorder.

CONCLUSION

Preadult onset MDD may be associated with a more familial form of depression with more suicidality than adult onset MDD.

Automatic segmentation of pancreatic images using ISODATA alorithm

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Background: Pancreatic cancer is the second most common gastrointestinal malignancy in the United States, where it ranks 4th among all deaths caused by cancers. Early detection of pancreatic cancer remains a challange. Methods: MR images with different T1 and T2 weighting from the anatomical regions with the same imaging parameters were obtained. ISODATA segmentation algorithm, a multivariate method was used to reliable detect the various clusters in the data sets. Results: In all the four subjects, the pancreatic region was found to be from a different (and unique) cluster. This cluster covered the pancreatic region in all the four subjects. Conclusions: The ISODATA algorithm presented could detect the pancreatic region without manual tracing.

No significant financial relationships to disclose.

Strengthening clinical effectiveness trials: equipoise-stratified randomization

As psychiatric practice patterns evolve to take advantage of the growing list of treatments with proven efficacy, research studies with broader aims will become increasingly important. Randomized trials may need to accommodate multiple treatment options. In completely randomized designs, patients are assigned at random to one of the options, requiring that patients and clinicians find each of the options acceptable. In "clinician's choice" designs, patients are randomized to a small number of broad strategies and the choice of specific option within the broad strategy is left up to the clinician. The clinician's choice design permits some scope to patient and clinician preferences, but sacrifices the ability to make randomization-based comparisons of specific options. We describe a new approach, which we call the "equipoise stratified" design, that merges the advantages and avoids the disadvantages of the other two designs for clinical trials. The three designs are contrasted, using the National Institute of Mental Health Sequenced Treatment Alternatives to Relieve Depression trial as an example.