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Montecchi-Palmer M, Wu M, Rolando M, Lau C, Perez Quinones VL, Dana R. Possible Strategies to Mitigate Placebo or Vehicle Response in Dry Eye Disease Trials: A Narrative Review. Ophthalmol Ther 2023; 12:1827-1849. [PMID: 37208548 PMCID: PMC10287883 DOI: 10.1007/s40123-023-00720-1] [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] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2023] [Accepted: 04/17/2023] [Indexed: 05/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Many candidate drugs for dry eye disease (DED) have been assessed over the years in pursuit of demonstrating efficacy in both signs and symptoms. However, patients with DED have very limited treatment options for management of both signs and symptoms of DED. There are several potential reasons behind this including the placebo or vehicle response, which is a frequent issue observed in DED trials. A high magnitude of vehicle response interferes with the estimation of a drug's treatment effect and may lead to failure of a clinical trial. To address these concerns, Tear Film and Ocular Surface Society International Dry Eye Workshop II taskforce has recommended a few study design strategies to minimize vehicle response observed in DED trials. This review briefly describes the factors that lead to placebo/vehicle response in DED trials and focuses on the aspects of clinical trial design that can be improved to mitigate vehicle response. In addition, it presents the observations from a recent ECF843 phase 2b study, wherein the study design approach consisted of a vehicle run-in phase, withdrawal phase, and masked treatment transition, and led to consistent data for DED signs and symptoms and reduced vehicle response post randomization.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Min Wu
- Ocular Surface Disease, Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation, East Hanover, USA
| | | | - Charis Lau
- Ocular Surface Disease, Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation, East Hanover, USA
| | - Victor L Perez Quinones
- Foster Center for Ocular Immunology, Duke Eye Center, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Reza Dana
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Massachusetts Eye and Ear, Boston, MA, USA
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Kate A, Shanbhag SS, Donthineni PR, Amescua G, Quinones VLP, Basu S. Role of topical and systemic immunosuppression in aqueous-deficient dry eye disease. Indian J Ophthalmol 2023; 71:1176-1189. [PMID: 37026249 PMCID: PMC10276741 DOI: 10.4103/ijo.ijo_2818_22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2022] [Revised: 12/19/2022] [Accepted: 01/27/2023] [Indexed: 04/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Immunosuppression in aqueous-deficient dry eye disease (ADDE) is required not only to improve the symptoms and signs but also to prevent further progression of the disease and its sight-threatening sequelae. This immunomodulation can be achieved through topical and/or systemic medications, and the choice of one drug over the other is determined by the underlying systemic disease. These immunosuppressive agents require a minimum of 6-8 weeks to achieve their beneficial effect, and during this time, the patient is usually placed on topical corticosteroids. Antimetabolites such as methotrexate, azathioprine, and mycophenolate mofetil, along with calcineurin inhibitors, are commonly used as first-line medications. The latter have a pivotal role in immunomodulation since T cells contribute significantly to the pathogenesis of ocular surface inflammation in dry eye disease. Alkylating agents are largely limited to controlling acute exacerbations with pulse doses of cyclophosphamide. Biologic agents, such as rituximab, are particularly useful in patients with refractory disease. Each group of drugs has its own side-effect profiles and requires a stringent monitoring schedule that must be followed to prevent systemic morbidity. A customized combination of topical and systemic medications is usually required to achieve adequate control, and this review aims to help the clinician choose the most appropriate modality and monitoring regimen for a given case of ADDE.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anahita Kate
- Shantilal Shanghvi Cornea Institue, LV Prasad Eye Institute, Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh, India
| | - Swapna S Shanbhag
- Shantilal Shanghvi Cornea Institue, LV Prasad Eye Institute, Hyderabad, Telengana, India
| | - Pragnya R Donthineni
- Shantilal Shanghvi Cornea Institue, LV Prasad Eye Institute, Hyderabad, Telengana, India
| | - Guillermo Amescua
- Department of Ophthalmology, Duke Eye Center, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham 27705, NC, USA
| | - Victor L Perez Quinones
- Foster Center for Ocular Immunology, Department of Ophthalmology, Duke Eye Center, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Sayan Basu
- Shantilal Shanghvi Cornea Institue, LV Prasad Eye Institute, Hyderabad, Telengana, India
- Center for Ocular Regeneration (CORE), L. V. Prasad Eye Institute, Hyderabad, Telangana, India
- Brien Holden Eye Research Centre, L. V. Prasad Eye Institute, Hyderabad, Telangana, India
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Lin C, DiCioccio RA, Haykal T, McManigle WC, Li Z, Anand SM, Poe JC, Bracken SJ, Jia W, Alyea EP, Cardones AR, Choi T, Gasparetto C, Grunwald MR, Hennig T, Kang Y, Long GD, Lopez R, Martin M, Minor KK, Quinones VLP, Sung AD, Wiggins K, Chao NJ, Horwitz ME, Rizzieri DA, Sarantopoulos S. A Phase I Trial of SYK Inhibition with Fostamatinib in the Prevention and Treatment of Chronic Graft-Versus-Host Disease. Transplant Cell Ther 2023; 29:179.e1-179.e10. [PMID: 36577483 PMCID: PMC10433369 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtct.2022.12.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2022] [Revised: 12/02/2022] [Accepted: 12/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Despite the exciting advancement of novel therapies, chronic graft-versus-host disease (cGVHD) remains the most common cause of non-relapse mortality after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HCT). Frontline treatment of cGVHD involves systemic steroids, which are associated with significant morbidities. We previously found that inhibition of spleen tyrosine kinase (SYK) with fostamatinib preferentially eradicated aberrantly activated B cells in both ex vivo studies of cGVHD patient B cells, as well as in vivo mouse studies. These and other preclinical studies implicated hyper-reactive B-cell receptor signaling and increased SYK expression in the pathogenesis of cGVHD and compelled this first in-human allogeneic HCT clinical trial. We investigated the safety and efficacy of the oral SYK inhibitor, fostamatinib, for both the prevention and treatment of cGVHD. The primary objective was to evaluate the safety of fostamatinib and determine its maximum tolerated dose in the post-HCT setting. Secondary objectives included assessing the efficacy of fostamatinib in preventing and treating cGVHD, as well as examining alterations in B-cell compartments with treatment. This was a single-institution phase I clinical trial that evaluated the use of fostamatinib in allogeneic HCT patients before the development of cGVHD or at the time of steroid-refractory cGVHD (SR-cGVHD). Patients received fostamatinib at one of three dose levels using a continual reassessment algorithm to determine the maximum tolerated dose. Multiparameter flow cytometry was used to evaluate changes in B cell subpopulations over the first year of treatment with fostamatinib. Nineteen patients were enrolled in this phase I trial, with 5 in the prophylaxis arm and 14 in the therapeutic arm. One patient (5%) required discontinuation of therapy for a dose-limiting toxicity. At a median follow-up of over 3 years, no patients had cancer relapse while on fostamatinib treatment, and recurrent malignancy was observed in 1 patient 2 years after the end of therapy. In the prophylaxis arm, 1 of 5 patients (20%) developed cGVHD while on fostamatinib. In the therapeutic arm, the overall response rate was 77%, with a complete response rate of 31%. The median duration of response was 19.3 months and the 12-month failure-free survival was 69% (95% confidence interval, 48-100). Patients were able to reduce their steroid dose by a median of 80%, with 73% remaining on a lower dose at 1 year compared to baseline. There was an early reduction in the proportion of IgD-CD38hi plasmablast-like cells with fostamatinib treatment, particularly in those SR-cGVHD patients who had an eventual response. B-cell reconstitution was not significantly impacted by fostamatinib therapy after allogeneic HCT. Fostamatinib featured a favorable safety profile in the post-HCT setting. Our data suggests an early efficacy signal that was associated with effects on expected cell targets in both the prophylaxis and treatment of cGVHD, providing rationale for a phase II investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chenyu Lin
- Division of Hematologic Malignancies and Cellular Therapy, Department of Medicine, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Rachel A DiCioccio
- Division of Hematologic Malignancies and Cellular Therapy, Department of Medicine, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Tarek Haykal
- Division of Hematologic Malignancies and Cellular Therapy, Department of Medicine, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina
| | - William C McManigle
- Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care, Department of Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina
| | - Zhiguo Li
- Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Sarah M Anand
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Jonathan C Poe
- Division of Hematologic Malignancies and Cellular Therapy, Department of Medicine, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Sonali J Bracken
- Division of Rheumatology and Immunology, Department of Medicine, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Wei Jia
- Division of Hematologic Malignancies and Cellular Therapy, Department of Medicine, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Edwin P Alyea
- Division of Hematologic Malignancies and Cellular Therapy, Department of Medicine, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Adela R Cardones
- Division of Dermatology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Kansas Medical Center, Lawrence, Kansas
| | - Taewoong Choi
- Division of Hematologic Malignancies and Cellular Therapy, Department of Medicine, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Cristina Gasparetto
- Division of Hematologic Malignancies and Cellular Therapy, Department of Medicine, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Michael R Grunwald
- Department of Hematologic Oncology and Blood Disorders, Levine Cancer Institute, Atrium Health, Charlotte, North Carolina
| | - Therese Hennig
- Division of Hematologic Malignancies and Cellular Therapy, Department of Medicine, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Yubin Kang
- Division of Hematologic Malignancies and Cellular Therapy, Department of Medicine, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Gwynn D Long
- Division of Hematologic Malignancies and Cellular Therapy, Department of Medicine, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Richard Lopez
- Division of Hematologic Malignancies and Cellular Therapy, Department of Medicine, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Melissa Martin
- Division of Hematologic Malignancies and Cellular Therapy, Department of Medicine, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Kerry K Minor
- Division of Hematologic Malignancies and Cellular Therapy, Department of Medicine, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina
| | | | - Anthony D Sung
- Division of Hematologic Malignancies and Cellular Therapy, Department of Medicine, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Kristi Wiggins
- Division of Hematologic Malignancies and Cellular Therapy, Department of Medicine, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Nelson J Chao
- Division of Hematologic Malignancies and Cellular Therapy, Department of Medicine, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Mitchell E Horwitz
- Division of Hematologic Malignancies and Cellular Therapy, Department of Medicine, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina
| | | | - Stefanie Sarantopoulos
- Division of Hematologic Malignancies and Cellular Therapy, Department of Medicine, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina.
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