Lesinurad monotherapy in gout patients intolerant to a xanthine oxidase inhibitor: a 6 month phase 3 clinical trial and extension study.

Objective: To investigate the efficacy and safety of lesinurad, a selective uric acid reabsorption inhibitor, in a 6 month, phase 3 clinical trial and extension study. Methods: Patients with gout who cannot take a xanthine oxidase inhibitor (XOI) and have serum uric acid (sUA) ⩾6.5 mg/dl were randomized to receive oral lesinurad (400 mg daily) or placebo. The primary endpoint was the proportion of patients with sUA <6.0 mg/dl at month 6. Safety assessments included treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs) and laboratory data. Patients who completed the study were eligible for an open-label, uncontrolled extension study of lesinurad 400 mg monotherapy. Results: Patients (n = 214) were primarily white males (mean age 54.4 years; gout duration 11.2 years). Significantly more patients achieved the primary endpoint with lesinurad than placebo (29.9 vs 1.9%; P < 0.0001). Overall TEAE rates were higher with lesinurad (77.6 vs 65.4%); renal-related TEAEs (17.8%), renal-related serious TEAEs (4.7%) and serum creatinine elevations (1.5 times baseline, 24.3%) occurred only with lesinurad. A total of 143 patients (65 lesinurad, 78 placebo) enrolled in the extension study. Treatment with lesinurad 400 mg resulted in rapid and sustained sUA lowering that persisted for up to 18 months before the study was terminated prematurely. No new safety findings were observed in the extension. Conclusion: In patients with gout and intolerance/contraindication to XOIs, lesinurad 400 mg monotherapy demonstrated superior sUA lowering compared with placebo, with sustained effects for up to 18 months. Due to a high incidence of serum creatinine elevations and renal-related adverse events, including serious adverse events with lesinurad 400 mg, lesinurad should not be used as monotherapy. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov (http://clinincaltrials.gov), NCT01508702.

Lesinurad, a Selective Uric Acid Reabsorption Inhibitor, in Combination With Febuxostat in Patients With Tophaceous Gout: Findings of a Phase III Clinical Trial.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the efficacy and safety of lesinurad in combination with febuxostat in a 12-month phase III trial in patients with tophaceous gout. METHODS: Patients with serum urate (UA) ≥8.0 mg/dl (≥6.0 mg/dl with urate-lowering therapy) and ≥1 measurable target tophus were given febuxostat 80 mg/day for 3 weeks before randomization to receive lesinurad (200 or 400 mg daily) or placebo in addition to the febuxostat. The primary end point was the proportion of patients achieving a serum UA level of <5.0 mg/dl (month 6). The key secondary end point was the proportion of patients with complete resolution of ≥1 target tophus (month 12). Other end points included the percentage change in total target tophi area. Safety assessments included adverse events and laboratory data. RESULTS: Patients (n = 324) were predominantly male, with a mean age of 54.1 years. Significantly more patients achieved the serum UA target by month 6 with the addition of lesinurad 400 mg (76.1%; P < 0.0001), but not 200 mg (56.6%; P = 0.13), to the febuxostat therapy as compared with febuxostat alone (46.8%). At all other time points, significantly more patients in the lesinurad 200 mg group achieved the serum UA target. The number of patients with complete tophus resolution was not different between groups. Treatment with lesinurad (200 mg and 400 mg) plus febuxostat reduced the total target tophi area as compared with febuxostat alone (50.1% and 52.9% versus 28.3%, respectively; P < 0.05). Safety was generally comparable with that of febuxostat alone, except for higher rates of predominantly reversible elevations in the serum creatinine level, particularly with lesinurad 400 mg. CONCLUSION: Treatment with lesinurad in combination with febuxostat demonstrated superior lowering of serum UA levels as compared with febuxostat alone, with clinically relevant added effects on tophi and an acceptable safety profile with lesinurad 200 mg in patients with tophaceous gout warranting additional therapy.

Lesinurad Combined With Allopurinol: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Study in Gout Patients With an Inadequate Response to Standard-of-Care Allopurinol (a US-Based Study).

OBJECTIVE: Lesinurad is a selective uric acid reabsorption inhibitor used for the treatment of gout in combination with a xanthine oxidase inhibitor. The Combining Lesinurad with Allopurinol Standard of Care in Inadequate Responders (CLEAR 1) study, a 12-month, multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase III trial, was conducted to investigate daily lesinurad (200 mg or 400 mg orally) added to allopurinol versus placebo plus allopurinol in patients with serum urate (UA) levels above a target of <6.0 mg/dl. METHODS: Patients receiving ≥300 mg of allopurinol (≥200 mg in those with moderate renal impairment) who had serum UA levels ≥6.5 mg/dl at screening and ≥2 gout flares during the previous year were studied. The primary end point was the proportion of patients achieving a serum UA level of <6.0 mg/dl at month 6. Key secondary end points were the mean gout flare rate requiring treatment (months 7-12) and the proportions of patients with complete resolution of ≥1 target tophus (month 12). Safety assessments included adverse events and laboratory data. RESULTS: The study patients (n = 603) were predominantly male and had a mean ± SD age of 51.9 ± 11.3 years, a gout duration of 11.8 ± 9.4 years, a baseline serum UA level of 6.94 ± 1.27 mg/dl, and were receiving an allopurinol dosage of 306.6 ± 59.58 mg/day. Lesinurad at doses of 200 mg or 400 mg added to allopurinol therapy significantly increased the proportions of patients who achieved serum UA target levels by month 6 as compared with those receiving allopurinol alone (54.2%, 59.2%, and 27.9%, respectively, P < 0.0001). Lesinurad was not significantly superior to allopurinol alone in terms of the secondary end points: rates of gout flares and complete resolution of tophi. Lesinurad was generally well-tolerated; the safety profile of the 200-mg dose was comparable to that of allopurinol alone, except for higher incidences of predominantly reversible elevations of serum creatinine levels. CONCLUSION: Lesinurad added to allopurinol provided benefit as compared with allopurinol alone in reducing serum UA levels and represents a new treatment option for patients needing additional urate-lowering therapy.

Lesinurad in combination with allopurinol: a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled study in patients with gout with inadequate response to standard of care (the multinational CLEAR 2 study).

OBJECTIVES: Determine the efficacy and safety of daily lesinurad (200 or 400 mg orally) added to allopurinol in patients with serum uric acid (sUA) above target in a 12-month, randomised, phase III trial. METHODS: Patients on allopurinol ≥300 mg (≥200 mg in moderate renal impairment) had sUA level of ≥6.5 mg/dL (≥387 µmol/L) at screening and two or more gout flares in the prior year. Primary end point was the proportion of patients achieving sUA level of <6.0 mg/dL (<357 µmol/L) (month 6). Key secondary end points were mean gout flare rate requiring treatment (months 7 through 12) and proportions of patients with complete resolution of one or more target tophi (month 12). Safety assessments included adverse events and laboratory data. RESULTS: Patients (n=610) were predominantly male, with mean (±SD) age 51.2±10.90 years, gout duration 11.5±9.26 years and baseline sUA of 6.9±1.2 mg/dL (410±71 µmol/L). Lesinurad at 200 and 400 mg doses, added to allopurinol, significantly increased proportions of patients achieving sUA target versus allopurinol-alone therapy by month 6 (55.4%, 66.5% and 23.3%, respectively, p<0.0001 both lesinurad+allopurinol groups). In key secondary end points, there were no statistically significant treatment-group differences favouring lesinurad. Lesinurad was generally well tolerated; the 200 mg dose had a safety profile comparable with allopurinol-alone therapy. Renal-related adverse events occurred in 5.9% of lesinurad 200 mg+allopurinol, 15.0% of lesinurad 400 mg+allopurinol and 4.9% of allopurinol-alone groups, with serum creatinine elevation of ≥1.5× baseline in 5.9%, 15.0% and 3.4%, respectively. Serious treatment-emergent adverse events occurred in 4.4% of lesinurad 200 mg+allopurinol, in 9.5% of lesinurad 400 mg+allopurinol and in 3.9% of allopurinol-alone groups, respectively. CONCLUSION: Lesinurad added to allopurinol demonstrated superior sUA lowering versus allopurinol-alone therapy and lesinurad 200 mg was generally well tolerated in patients with gout warranting additional therapy. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT01493531.

Disease Control, Health Resource Use, Healthcare Costs, and Predictors in Gout Patients in the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, and France: A Retrospective Analysis.

INTRODUCTION: The present study aimed to assess disease control, health resource utilization (HRU), and healthcare costs, and their predictors in gout patients across the USA, UK, Germany, and France. METHODS: Data were extracted from the PharMetrics Plus (USA), Clinical Practice Research Datalink-Hospital Episode Statistics (UK), and Disease Analyzer databases (Germany and France) for adult gout patients over a 3-year period: 2009-2011 (all dates +1 year for France). Patients had "prevalent established gout" (i.e., were treated with urate-lowering therapy [ULT] or eligible for ULT based on American College of Rheumatology guidelines) in the preindex panel-year, with January 1 of the second study year as the study index date. Assessments of disease control (uncontrolled gout definition: ≥1 serum urate (sUA) elevation or ≥2 flares; analysis limited to the subpopulation with sUA) data, HRU, and costs were in the second post-index panel-year, while potential predictors (demographics and gout treatment characteristics) were identified in the first post-index panel-year. RESULTS: Treatment rates were high (>70% with chronic urate-lowering treatment in all countries but France), while between 31.3% (France) and 62.9% (USA) of patients remained uncontrolled. Predictors of control included female gender and high adherence. In Germany, the UK, and France, lack of disease control predicted increased gout-attributed costs and increased HRU, both gout-attributed (also in the USA) and non-gout-attributed. CONCLUSION: Gout management remains suboptimal, as many patients remain uncontrolled despite using urate-lowering treatment. Effective and convenient treatment options are needed to improve disease control and minimize additional HRU and costs. FUNDING: AstraZeneca.

Comorbidity Burden in Trial-Aligned Patients with Established Gout in Germany, UK, US, and France: a Retrospective Analysis.

INTRODUCTION: Patients with gout have numerous comorbidities. We aimed to estimate the prevalence and incidence rates of renal and cardiovascular morbidities in trial-aligned patients with established gout in Germany (DE), the United Kingdom (UK), the United States (US), and France (FR). METHODS: This longitudinal cohort study used retrospective data from IMS Disease Analyzer™ (DE, FR), Clinical Practice Research Datalink-Hospital Episode Statistics (UK), and IMS' PharMetrics Plus database linked with outpatient laboratory results (US). Included patients were ≥18 years at index date (January 1, 2010; all dates +1 year for FR), with continuous enrollment during the pre-index year, had "prevalent established gout" determined by data in the pre-index year, and ≥1 documented visit after index date; additional inclusion/exclusion criteria were aligned with recent gout clinical trials. Look-back for comorbidity prevalence extended to January 1, 2003 (US: January 1, 2009). Follow-up for incidence extended from index date to at most March 26, 2013 (FR: May 31, 2014). Events of interest were identified by diagnostic codes and/or laboratory data. RESULTS: The trial-aligned cohorts included 35,118 (DE), 24,607 (UK), 121,591 (US), and 17,338 (FR) patients. Among renal conditions, baseline diagnosis of chronic kidney disease/renal failure was most prevalent in the UK followed by DE; abnormal serum creatinine was most prevalent in the UK. Hypertension was the most prevalent cardiovascular diagnosis in all countries, followed by ischemic heart disease (IHD) and myocardial infarction. Incidence rates (per 100 patient-years) for new/worsening renal impairment ranged from 1.67 (DE) to 4.34 (US) and for nephrolithiasis diagnosis from 0.31 (FR) to 3.79 (US). The incidence rates for hypertension diagnosis were highest among cardiovascular-related events, ranging from 3.23 (UK) to 20.27 (US), followed by IHD. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with established gout such as those included in gout trials have a high burden of established morbidity and new diagnoses of morbid events. Consideration of comorbidities, which greatly exacerbate disease burden, is important in gout management. FUNDING: AstraZeneca.

Lesinurad in combination with allopurinol: results of a phase 2, randomised, double-blind study in patients with gout with an inadequate response to allopurinol.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the efficacy and tolerability of lesinurad, an oral selective uric acid reabsorption inhibitor, in combination with allopurinol versus allopurinol alone in patients with gout and an inadequate response to allopurinol. METHODS: Patients (N=227) with an inadequate response to allopurinol, defined as serum urate (sUA) ≥6 mg/dL on ≥2 occasions ≥2 weeks apart despite ≥6 weeks of allopurinol, were randomised 2:1 to 4 weeks of double-blind treatment with lesinurad (200, 400 or 600 mg/day) or matching placebo in combination with their prestudy allopurinol dose (200-600 mg/day). Colchicine prophylaxis for gout flares was required. The primary end point was percent reduction from baseline sUA levels at 4 weeks. A pharmacokinetic substudy was also conducted. Safety was assessed throughout. RESULTS: Patients (n=208) received ≥1 dose of blinded medication. Lesinurad 200, 400 and 600 mg in combination with allopurinol produced significant mean percent reductions from baseline sUA of 16%, 22% and 30%, respectively, versus a mean 3% increase with placebo (p<0.0001, all doses vs placebo). Similar results were observed in patients with mild or moderate renal insufficiency (estimated creatinine clearance 30 to <90 mL/min). The incidence of ≥1 treatment-emergent adverse event was 46%, 48% and 54% with lesinurad 200, 400 and 600 mg, respectively, and 46% with placebo (most frequent, gout flares, arthralgia, headache and nasopharyngitis), with no deaths or serious adverse events. CONCLUSIONS: Lesinurad achieves clinically relevant and statistically significant reductions in sUA in combination with allopurinol in patients who warrant additional therapy on allopurinol alone. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT01001338.

A world of hurt: failure to achieve treatment goals in patients with gout requires a paradigm shift.

BACKGROUND: Gout continues to be underdiagnosed and poorly managed despite the potential for cure. US and European management guidelines recommend treating to target serum urate (sUA) levels of <6 mg/dL (or <5 mg/dL to durably improve severe symptoms), with use of regular sUA monitoring, but studies suggest relatively poor adherence to these recommendations. This study investigates the real-world state of gout management in the United States by describing the characteristics of a large patient population treated in primary care and rheumatology settings. METHODS: A retrospective chart audit, conducted among 124 primary care physicians and 125 rheumatologists, included 1245 patients with gout. Physicians completed structured case report forms capturing 12 months of sUA laboratory values, flare counts, comorbidities, types and doses of treatment, treatment duration, diagnosis date, physician specialty and socio-demographic factors. Focusing on the xanthine oxidase inhibitors (n = 858), descriptive statistics and multivariate models characterized relationships between patient characteristics, disease control, and treatment. RESULTS: Only 83 (11%) patients achieved disease control, defined as a 12-month average sUA ≤6 mg/dL, no flares, and no tophi. Patients with greatest disease severity (defined as sUA >6 mg/dL, ≥2 flares per year, and tophi) were more likely to have kidney disease and other comorbidities. In a multivariate model, predictors of more severe gout were rheumatologist (vs primary care) management, febuxostat (vs allopurinol) use and presence of comorbid conditions. CONCLUSION: Our findings confirm the inadequacy of gout management in the real-world setting. Regular monitoring, including sUA measurement as recommended in guidelines, is important to assess gout control. Our analyses also demonstrate that patients with more severe gout are more likely to have comorbid conditions, be treated by a specialist and use newer therapies.

An open-label, 6-month study of allopurinol safety in gout: The LASSO study.

OBJECTIVES: Allopurinol is the most widely prescribed serum uric acid-lowering therapy (ULT) in gout. To achieve serum uric acid (sUA) concentrations associated with clinical benefit, allopurinol is serially uptitrated with sUA monitoring. Suboptimal dosing is a key contributor to poor clinical outcomes, but few data are available on the safety and efficacy of dose-titrated allopurinol, particularly at doses > 300 mg/d. The objective of this open-label study was to investigate the safety and efficacy of allopurinol under conditions where investigators were encouraged to titrate to optimal, medically appropriate doses. METHODS: Long-term Allopurinol Safety Study Evaluating Outcomes in Gout Patients (LASSO) was a large, 6-month, multicenter study of allopurinol (NCT01391325). Adults meeting American Rheumatism Association Criteria for Classification of Acute Arthritis of Primary Gout and ≥ 2 gout flares in the previous year were eligible. Investigators were encouraged (but not required) to titrate allopurinol doses to achieve target sUA < 6.0mg/dL. The primary objective was evaluation of the safety of dose-titrated allopurinol by clinical and laboratory examinations at monthly visits. Secondary objectives included sUA-lowering efficacy and gout flare frequency. RESULTS: Of 1735 patients enrolled, 1732 received ≥ 1 allopurinol doses. The maximal daily allopurinol dose during study was < 300 mg in 14.4%, 300 mg in 65.4%, and > 300 mg in 20.2% of patients; dosing duration was 115.5, 152.0, and 159.7 days, respectively. Overall, baseline demographic characteristics and comorbidity rates were similar across these three categories, but patients receiving > 300-mg maximal dose had more severe gout. Treatment-emergent adverse events possibly related to allopurinol occurred in 15.2%, 9.5%, and 11.4% of patients in the < 300-, 300-, and > 300-mg categories, respectively. Rash incidence was low (1.5%) and allopurinol hypersensitivity syndrome was not reported. No clinically meaningful changes occurred in laboratory values. sUA < 6.0mg/dL at month 6 was achieved by 35.9% of patients overall: 22.4%, 35.0%, and 48.3% in dosing categories < 300, 300, and > 300 mg, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: This large multicenter study found that the allopurinol dose-titration strategy was well tolerated, without new safety signals emerging over 6 months. However, despite encouragement to treat to target, significant proportions of patients did not achieve target sUA.

Pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, and safety of lesinurad, a selective uric acid reabsorption inhibitor, in healthy adult males.

Lesinurad is a selective uric acid reabsorption inhibitor under investigation for the treatment of gout. Single and multiple ascending dose studies were conducted to evaluate pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, and safety of lesinurad in healthy males. Lesinurad was administered as an oral solution between 5 mg and 600 mg (single ascending dose; N=34) and as an oral solution or immediate-release capsules once daily (qday) between 100 mg and 400 mg for 10 days under fasted or fed condition (multiple ascending dose; N=32). Following single doses of lesinurad solution, absorption was rapid and exposure (maximum observed plasma concentration and area under the plasma concentration-time curve) increased in a dose-proportional manner. Following multiple qday doses, there was no apparent accumulation of lesinurad. Urinary excretion of unchanged lesinurad was generally between 30% and 40% of dose. Increases in urinary excretion of uric acid and reductions in serum uric acid correlated with dose. Following 400 mg qday dosing, serum uric acid reduction was 35% at 24 hours post-dose, supporting qday dosing. A relative bioavailability study in healthy males (N=8) indicated a nearly identical pharmacokinetic profile following dosing of tablets or capsules. Lesinurad was generally safe and well tolerated.

Phase I study of BIIB028, a selective heat shock protein 90 inhibitor, in patients with refractory metastatic or locally advanced solid tumors.

PURPOSE: Heat shot protein 90 (Hsp90) is a ubiquitous molecular chaperone involved in protein folding, activation, and assembly, including key mediators of signal transduction, cell-cycle control, and transcriptional regulation. We conducted a phase I dose-finding and pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic study of BIIB028, a prodrug designed to inhibit Hsp90 activity. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: Patients with advanced solid tumors were enrolled and received escalating doses of BIIB028 intravenously twice a week in 21-day cycles (3+3 design). Response was evaluated after two cycles. RESULTS: Forty-one patients received doses of 6 to 192 mg/m2. The maximum tolerated dose was 144 mg/m2. Dose-limiting toxicities were syncope (n=1) and fatigue (n=1). Common toxicities at least possibly related to drug were grades 1 to 2, including fatigue (46%), diarrhea (44%), nausea (44%), vomiting (29%), hot flushes (29%), and abnormal dreams (17%). The concentration-time curves for day 1 and day 18 for both prodrug and active metabolite (CF2772) showed a negligible difference. There was a dose-dependent increase in plasma exposure for BIIB028 (CF3647) and CF2772 with plasma half-life of 0.5 and 2.1 hours, respectively. Pharmacodynamic analyses showed significant increases in Hsp70 in peripheral blood mononuclear cells and significantly decreased circulating human EGF receptor-2 extracellular domain in all patients who received BIIB028 at dose levels of 48 mg/m2 or more. Stable disease for at least eight cycles (24 weeks) was achieved in 5 (12%) patients (for durations of 6, 6, 8, 12.5, and 19 months). CONCLUSION: BIIB028 is a well-tolerated molecule that showed target impact and was associated with prolonged stable disease in two patients.

Targeted measles virus vector displaying echistatin infects endothelial cells via alpha(v)beta3 and leads to tumor regression.

Targeting tumor-associated vascular endothelium by replication-competent viral vectors is a promising strategy for cancer gene therapy. Here we describe the development of a viral vector based on the Edmonston vaccine strain of measles virus targeted to integrin alpha(v)beta3, which is expressed abundantly on activated but not quiescent vascular endothelium. We displayed a disintegrin, M28L echistatin that binds with a high affinity to integrin alpha(v)beta3 on the COOH terminus of the viral attachment (H) protein and rescued the replication-competent recombinant virus by reverse genetics. The new targeted virus was named measles virus echistatin vector (MV-ERV). Its native binding to CD46 was purposefully retained to allow virus infection of tumor cells expressing this receptor. MV-ERV correctly displayed echistatin on the outer surface of its envelope and produced interesting ring formation phenomena due to cell detachment upon infection of susceptible Vero cells in vitro. MV-ERV grew to 10(6) plaque-forming units/mL, slightly lower than the parental Edmonston strain of measles virus (MV-Edm), but it selectively infected Chinese hamster ovary cells expressing integrin alpha(v)beta3. It also selectively infected both bovine and human endothelial cells on matrigels and unlike MV-Edm, MV-ERV infected newly formed blood vessels in chorioallantoic membrane assays. In animal models, MV-ERV but not the control MV-Edm caused the regression of s.c. xenografts of resistant multiple myeloma tumors (MM1) in severe combined immunodeficient mice. The tumors were either completely eradicated or their growth was significantly retarded. The specificity, potency, and feasibility of MV-ERV infection clearly show the potential use of MV-ERV in gene therapy for targeting tumor-associated vasculature for the treatment of solid tumors.

Angiogenesis assays in the chick CAM.

The growth of new blood vessels from pre-existing vascular elements, or angiogenesis, involves coordinated signals to the adhesion, migration, and survival machinery within the target endothelial cell. Agents that interfere with any of these processes may therefore influence angiogenesis. Here, we describe the angiogenesis assay in the chick chorioallantoic membrane (CAM). The CAM is a useful tool to studying angiogenesis because 1) it is amenable to both intravascular and topical administration of study agents, 2) it is a relatively rapid assay, and 3) it can be adapted very easily to study angiogenesis-dependent processes, such as tumor growth. Importantly, the CAM provides a physiological setting that permits investigation of pro- and anti-angiogenic agent interactions in vivo.