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Cabrera C, Fernández-Llaneza D, Ghazoui Z, D'Abrantes S, Esparza-Franco MA, Sopp C, Maj B, Chiou VL, Valastro B, Pangalos MN, Galbraith S, Ghiorghiu S, Massacesi C. Diversity of US participants in AstraZeneca-sponsored clinical trials. Contemp Clin Trials 2024; 140:107496. [PMID: 38467274 DOI: 10.1016/j.cct.2024.107496] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2023] [Revised: 02/08/2024] [Accepted: 03/08/2024] [Indexed: 03/13/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND To develop medicines that are safe and efficacious to all patients, clinical trials must enroll appropriate target populations, but imbalances related to race, ethnicity and sex have been reported. A comprehensive analysis and improvement in understanding representativeness of patient enrollment in industry-sponsored trials are key public health needs. METHODS We assessed race/ethnicity and sex representation in AstraZeneca (AZ)-sponsored clinical trials in the United States (US) from 2010 to 2022, compared with the 2019 US Census. RESULTS In total, 246 trials representing 95,372 patients with complete race/ethnicity and sex records were analyzed. The proportions of different race/ethnicity subgroups in AZ-sponsored clinical trials and the US Census were similar (White: 69.5% vs 60.1%, Black or African American: 13.3% vs 12.5%, Asian: 1.8% vs 5.8%, Hispanic: 14.4% vs 18.5%). We also observed parity in the proportions of males and females between AZ clinical trials and US Census (males: 52.4% vs 49.2%, females: 47.6% vs 50.8%). Comparisons of four distinct therapy areas within AZ (Respiratory and Immunology [R&I]; Cardiovascular, Renal, and Metabolism [CVRM]; Solid Tumors; and Hematological Malignancies), including by trial phases, revealed greater variability, with proportions observed above and below US Census levels. CONCLUSION This analysis provides the first detailed insights into the representativeness of AZ trials. Overall, the proportions of different race/ethnicity and sex subgroups in AZ-sponsored clinical trials were broadly aligned with the US Census. We outline some of AZ's planned health equity initiatives that are intended to continue to improve equitable patient enrollment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudia Cabrera
- Real World Science and Analytics, BioPharmaceuticals Medical, AstraZeneca, Gothenburg, Sweden.
| | | | - Zara Ghazoui
- Data Science and Artificial Intelligence, BioPharmaceuticals Research and Development, AstraZeneca, Cambridge, UK
| | - Sofia D'Abrantes
- Data Science and Artificial Intelligence, BioPharmaceuticals Research and Development, AstraZeneca, Cambridge, UK
| | - M Alejandro Esparza-Franco
- Data Science and Artificial Intelligence, BioPharmaceuticals Research and Development, AstraZeneca, Cambridge, UK
| | - Charles Sopp
- Real World Science and Analytics, BioPharmaceuticals Medical, AstraZeneca, Cambridge, UK
| | - Beata Maj
- Chief Medical Office, AstraZeneca, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Victoria L Chiou
- Oncology Research and Development, AstraZeneca, Gaithersburg, MD, USA
| | - Barbara Valastro
- Research and Development Patient Science, Chief Medical Office, AstraZeneca, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | | | - Susan Galbraith
- Oncology Research and Development, AstraZeneca, Gaithersburg, MD, USA
| | - Serban Ghiorghiu
- Chief Medical Office and Oncology Research and Development, AstraZeneca, Cambridge, UK
| | - Cristian Massacesi
- Chief Medical Office and Oncology Research and Development, Research and Development, AstraZeneca, Gaithersburg, MD, USA
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Carpenter L, Rockenschaub P, Hatton GB, D'Abrantes S, Sims E, Scott‐Ram N, Ducès A, Emanuel G, Mead AJ, Drummond MW, Lipunova N. Longitudinal trends of peripheral blood counts in polycythaemia vera and essential thrombocythemia patients in the UK. eJHaem 2022; 3:785-793. [PMID: 36051073 PMCID: PMC9421951 DOI: 10.1002/jha2.519] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2022] [Revised: 06/10/2022] [Accepted: 06/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
There is sparse evidence of how well haematological targets are met in practice for essential thrombocythemia (ET) and polycythaemia vera (PV) patients. Patient data was collected between 2008 and 2020 from two UK NHS Trusts for ET and PV patients. Longitudinal changes in peripheral blood counts, including the proportion of patients meeting peripheral blood count remission, was modelled. Relative risk of cardiovascular‐related events for patients achieving remission within 3‐months was estimated. A total of 620 ET and 429 PV patients were analysed. For high‐risk patients, haematological parameters decreased in the first months of observation then stabilised within normal reference ranges until year 5. Total time spent in peripheral blood count remission was 39.2% for ET and 29.1% for PV. A lower proportion of ET patients reached target platelet counts (48.3%) compared to WBC (79.1%), whilst PV patients were less likely to reach target haematocrit levels (56.9%) compared to platelets (77.3%) or WBC (74.6%). There was no statistically significant association between reaching target blood counts within 3‐months and cardiovascular risk. Complete haematological remission remains a challenging target in managing PV and ET, however this study was unable to show statistically‐significant evidence that this was associated with increased risk of cardiovascular events.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Edward Sims
- Sensyne Health Oxford Science Park Oxford UK
| | | | - Aurélie Ducès
- Bristol Myers Squibb Ltd Uxbridge Business Park Uxbridge UK
| | | | - Adam J. Mead
- Medical Research Council Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine John Radcliffe Hospital, Headington Oxford UK
| | - Mark W. Drummond
- Department of Haemato‐Oncology Beatson West of Scotland Cancer Centre Glasgow UK
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Ahmed AR, Candeo A, D'Abrantes S, Needham SR, Yadav RB, Botchway SW, Parker AW. Directly imaging the localisation and photosensitization properties of the pan-mTOR inhibitor, AZD2014, in living cancer cells. J Photochem Photobiol B 2020; 213:112055. [PMID: 33142217 PMCID: PMC7762844 DOI: 10.1016/j.jphotobiol.2020.112055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2020] [Revised: 09/24/2020] [Accepted: 10/12/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
The range of cellular functions the mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) protein performs makes it an attractive drug target for cancer therapy. However, the cellular localisation and mode of action of second generation inhibitors of mTOR is poorly understood despite the level of attention there is in targeting the mTOR protein. We have therefore studied the properties of the pan-mTOR inhibitor AZD2014, an ideal candidate to study because it is naturally fluorescent, characterising its photochemical properties in solution phase (DMSO, PBS and BSA) and within living cells, where it localises within both the nucleus and the cytoplasm but with different excited state lifetimes of 4.8 (+/- 0.5) and 3.9 (+/- 0.4) ns respectively. We measure the uptake of the inhibitor AZD2014 (7 μM) in monolayer HEK293 cells occurring with a half-life of 1 min but observe complex behaviour for 3D spheroids with the core of the spheroid showing a slower uptake and a slow biphasic behaviour at longer times. From a cellular perspective using fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy AZD2014 was found to interact directly with GFP-tagged mTORC1 proteins including the downstream target, S6K1. We observe light sensitive behaviour of the cells containing AZD2014 which leads to cell death, in both monolayer and spheroids cells, demonstrating the potential of AZD2014 to act as a possible photodynamic drug under both single photon and multiphoton excitation and discuss its use as a photosensitizer. We also briefly characterise another pan-mTOR inhibitor, INK128.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abdullah R Ahmed
- Central Laser Facility, Science & Technology Facilities Council, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Harwell Campus, Didcot, Oxfordshire OX11 0QX, UK; Larch House, Woodlands Business Park, Breckland, Linford Wood, Milton Keynes MK14 6FG, UK
| | - Alessia Candeo
- Central Laser Facility, Science & Technology Facilities Council, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Harwell Campus, Didcot, Oxfordshire OX11 0QX, UK
| | - Sofia D'Abrantes
- Central Laser Facility, Science & Technology Facilities Council, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Harwell Campus, Didcot, Oxfordshire OX11 0QX, UK; CRUK/MRC Oxford Institute for Radiation Oncology, University of Oxford, Gray Laboratories, ORCRB Roosevelt Drive, Oxford OX3 7DQ, UK
| | - Sarah R Needham
- Central Laser Facility, Science & Technology Facilities Council, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Harwell Campus, Didcot, Oxfordshire OX11 0QX, UK
| | - Rahul B Yadav
- Evotec (UK) Ltd, 114 Innovation Drive, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxfordshire OX14 4RZ, UK
| | - Stanley W Botchway
- Central Laser Facility, Science & Technology Facilities Council, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Harwell Campus, Didcot, Oxfordshire OX11 0QX, UK.
| | - Anthony W Parker
- Central Laser Facility, Science & Technology Facilities Council, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Harwell Campus, Didcot, Oxfordshire OX11 0QX, UK.
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D'Abrantes S, Gratton S, Reynolds P, Kriechbaumer V, McKenna J, Barnard S, Clarke DT, Botchway SW. Super-Resolution Nanoscopy Imaging Applied to DNA Double-Strand Breaks. Radiat Res 2017; 189:19-31. [PMID: 29053406 DOI: 10.1667/rr14594.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
Genomic deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) is continuously being damaged by endogenous processes such as metabolism or by exogenous events such as radiation. The specific phosphorylation of histone H2AX on serine residue 139, described as γ-H2AX, is an excellent indicator or marker of DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs). The yield of γ-H2AX (foci) is shown to have some correlation with the dose of radiation or other DSB-causing agents. However, there is some discrepancy in the DNA DSB foci yield among imaging and other methods such as gel electrophoresis. Super-resolution imaging techniques are now becoming widely used as essential tools in biology and medicine, after a slow uptake of their development almost two decades ago. Here we compare several super-resolution techniques used to image and determine the amount and spatial distribution of γ-H2AX foci formation after X-ray irradiation: stimulated emission depletion (STED), ground-state depletion microscopy followed by individual molecule return (GSDIM), structured illumination microscopy (SIM), as well as an improved confocal, Airyscan and HyVolution 2. We show that by using these super-resolution imaging techniques with as low as 30-nm resolution, each focus may be further resolved, thus increasing the number of foci per radiation dose compared to standard microscopy. Furthermore, the DNA repair proteins 53BP1 (after low-LET irradiations) and Ku70/Ku80 (from laser microbeam irradiation) do not always yield a significantly increased number of foci when imaged by the super-resolution techniques, suggesting that γ-H2AX, 53PB1 and Ku70/80 repair proteins do not fully co-localize on the units of higher order chromatin structure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sofia D'Abrantes
- a Central Laser Facility, Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) Rutherford Appleton, Laboratory, Research Complex at Harwell, Didcot OX11 0QX, United Kingdom
| | - Sarah Gratton
- a Central Laser Facility, Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) Rutherford Appleton, Laboratory, Research Complex at Harwell, Didcot OX11 0QX, United Kingdom
| | - Pamela Reynolds
- b Gray Institute for Radiation Oncology and Biology, Department of Oncology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 7DQ, United Kingdom
| | - Verena Kriechbaumer
- c Plant Cell Biology, Biological and Medical Sciences, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford OX3 0BP, United Kingdom
| | - Joseph McKenna
- c Plant Cell Biology, Biological and Medical Sciences, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford OX3 0BP, United Kingdom
| | - Stephen Barnard
- d Public Health England, Centre for Radiation, Chemical and Environmental Hazards, Chilton, Didcot OX11 0RQ, United Kingdom
| | - Dave T Clarke
- a Central Laser Facility, Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) Rutherford Appleton, Laboratory, Research Complex at Harwell, Didcot OX11 0QX, United Kingdom
| | - Stanley W Botchway
- a Central Laser Facility, Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) Rutherford Appleton, Laboratory, Research Complex at Harwell, Didcot OX11 0QX, United Kingdom
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