Matching-adjusted indirect comparison of talquetamab vs selinexor-dexamethasone and vs belantamab mafodotin in patients with relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma.

OBJECTIVE: Talquetamab is the first GPRC5D-targeting bispecific antibody approved for the treatment of triple-class exposed (TCE) relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma (RRMM). This matching-adjusted indirect comparison (MAIC) study was conducted to compare the effectiveness of talquetamab vs selinexor-dexamethasone (sel-dex) and vs belantamab mafodotin (belamaf) in patients with TCE RRMM. METHODS: An unanchored MAIC was performed using individual patient-level data from patients treated with subcutaneous talquetamab 0.4 mg/kg weekly (QW) and 0.8 mg/kg every other week (Q2W) from MonumenTAL-1 (NCT03399799/NCT04636552) and published summary data for sel-dex from STORM (NCT02336815) and belamaf from DREAMM-2 (NCT0325678). Patients from MonumenTAL-1 who met key eligibility criteria for STORM and DREAMM-2 were included. Outcomes of interest were overall response rate (ORR), complete response or better (≥CR), duration of response (DOR), progression-free survival (PFS), and overall survival (OS). RESULTS: After adjustment for cross-trial differences, patients treated with both dosing schedules of talquetamab showed significantly better ORR, ≥CR, and DOR vs sel-dex and significantly higher ORR and ≥ CR vs belamaf; DOR was relatively similar to belamaf. PFS was significantly improved with talquetamab Q2W and numerically in favor of talquetamab QW vs sel-dex and significantly improved with both dosing schedules of talquetamab vs belamaf. OS was significantly improved with both dosing schedules of talquetamab vs sel-dex and was numerically in favor of both dosing schedules of talquetamab vs belamaf. CONCLUSION: These analyses show superior effectiveness of both talquetamab dosing schedules vs sel-dex and vs belamaf for most outcomes and highlight talquetamab as an effective treatment option for patients with TCE RRMM.

Talquetamab Versus Real-World Physician's Choice Treatment: Comparative Effectiveness in Patients With Triple-Class Exposed Relapsed/Refractory Multiple Myeloma.

BACKGROUND: Talquetamab is approved for treatment of triple-class exposed (TCE) patients with relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma (RRMM). We evaluated the comparative effectiveness of talquetamab in the MonumenTAL-1 study versus real-world physician's choice (RW) treatment. MATERIALS AND METHODS: An external control arm for MonumenTAL-1 was created from patients in the Flatiron Health database who satisfied MonumenTAL-1 eligibility criteria (n = 629 with 1169 eligible lines of therapy). Patient-level data from MonumenTAL-1 were included for patients who received subcutaneous talquetamab 0.4 mg/kg QW (n = 143) and 0.8 mg/kg Q2W (n = 145). After adjusting for baseline covariate imbalances, comparative effectiveness was assessed for progression-free survival (PFS), time to next treatment (TTNT), and overall survival (OS). RESULTS: Baseline covariates were comparable across cohorts after adjustment. Talquetamab 0.4 mg/kg QW and 0.8 mg/kg Q2W cohorts, respectively, showed significant improvement in PFS (HR, 0.55 [95% CI, 0.44-0.69; P < .0001; median, 7.5 vs. 4.0 months] and 0.40 [95% CI, 0.31-0.53; P < .0001; median, 14.2 vs. 4.0 months]), TTNT (HR, 0.59 [95% CI, 0.47-0.74; P < .0001; median, 9.1 vs. 5.1 months] and 0.45 [95% CI, 0.35-0.59; P < .0001; median, 13.3 vs. 5.1 months]), and OS (HR, 0.56 [95% CI, 0.40-0.78; P = .0007; median, NR vs. 16.5 months] and 0.48 [95% CI, 0.33-0.70; P = 0.0002; median NR vs. 15.9 months]) versus RW treatment. CONCLUSION: Both talquetamab schedules demonstrated superior effectiveness over RW treatment for all outcomes assessed. These data suggest talquetamab as an effective immunotherapy option in patients with TCE RRMM.

Adjusted Indirect Treatment Comparison of Progression-Free Survival with D-Rd and VRd Based on MAIA and SWOG S0777 Individual Patient-Level Data.

INTRODUCTION: Daratumumab plus lenalidomide and dexamethasone (D-Rd) and bortezomib plus lenalidomide and dexamethasone (VRd) are commonly used treatment combinations for transplant-ineligible (TIE) patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma (NDMM). D-Rd and VRd demonstrated superior efficacy relative to lenalidomide and dexamethasone (Rd) in the MAIA and SWOG S0777 trials, respectively, but have not been compared directly in a head-to-head trial. Naïve comparisons of efficacy across the two trials may be biased because MAIA enrolled only TIE patients (median age 73 years), whereas SWOG S0777 enrolled both TIE patients and transplant-eligible patients who chose to defer/refuse frontline stem cell transplantation (median age 63 years). The present study compared progression-free survival (PFS) in TIE patients with NDMM treated with D-Rd versus VRd based on an adjusted indirect treatment comparison (ITC) that leveraged individual patient-level data from MAIA and SWOG S0777. METHODS: Harmonized inclusion/exclusion criteria (including age ≥ 65 years as a proxy for transplant ineligibility) and propensity-score weighting were used to balance the trial populations on measured baseline characteristics. After differences in trial populations were adjusted for, an anchored ITC was performed wherein within-trial PFS hazard ratios (HRs) for D-Rd versus Rd and VRd versus Rd were estimated and used to make indirect inference about PFS for D-Rd versus VRd. RESULTS: PFS HRs were 0.52 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.41-0.67) for D-Rd versus Rd based on MAIA data, 0.88 (95% CI 0.63-1.23) for VRd versus Rd based on SWOG S0777 data, and 0.59 (95% CI 0.39-0.90) for the Rd-anchored ITC of D-Rd versus VRd. Sensitivity and subgroup analyses produced results consistent with the primary results. CONCLUSION: This anchored ITC demonstrated a greater PFS benefit for D-Rd versus VRd in TIE patients with NDMM. In the absence of head-to-head trials comparing D-Rd and VRd, the present trial may help inform treatment selection in this patient population.

Multiple drug combinations can be used to treat patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma (NDMM) who are not eligible for a stem cell transplant. Two of these combinations­daratumumab plus lenalidomide and dexamethasone (D-Rd) and bortezomib plus lenalidomide and dexamethasone (VRd)­have each been studied in clinical trials (MAIA and SWOG S0777) against the combination of lenalidomide plus dexamethasone (Rd), but D-Rd and VRd have not been compared directly in a head-to-head clinical trial. Our study used data from the MAIA and SWOG S0777 trials to indirectly compare outcomes observed with D-Rd and VRd. For this indirect comparison between D-Rd and VRd, we first made adjustments to the patient populations of each trial to make them more similar to each other; this helped to make sure any differences we saw in treatment outcomes between D-Rd and VRd would not be because of differences in the characteristics of the patients who participated in the trials. After we made these adjustments to the patient populations of each trial, both D-Rd and VRd lowered the risk of disease progression or death compared with Rd alone. However, when indirectly compared in our study, D-Rd lowered the risk of disease progression or death by 41% compared with VRd. As data directly comparing treatment outcomes for D-Rd and VRd are not available, this indirect comparison can contribute to the information used to make treatment decisions for patients with NDMM who are not eligible for a stem cell transplant.

Comparative Efficacy of Talquetamab vs. Current Treatments in the LocoMMotion and MoMMent Studies in Patients with Triple-Class-Exposed Relapsed/Refractory Multiple Myeloma.

INTRODUCTION: Talquetamab, a bispecific antibody targeting GPRC5D × CD3, is approved for the treatment of patients with triple-class -exposed (TCE) relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma (RRMM) on the basis of the results from the phase I/II MonumenTAL-1 trial. The relative effectiveness of talquetamab vs. real-world physician's choice of therapy (RWPC) was assessed using adjusted comparisons. METHODS: An external control arm for MonumenTAL-1 (subcutaneously administered talquetamab 0.4 mg/kg weekly [QW] and 0.8 mg/kg every other week [Q2W]) was created from two observational real-world studies: LocoMMotion and MoMMent. Imbalances in baseline covariates were adjusted using inverse probability weighting. The relative effectiveness of talquetamab vs. RWPC was estimated for overall response rate (ORR), ≥ very good partial response (VGPR), and ≥ complete response (CR); odds ratios and relative response ratios (RRs) were derived from weighted logistic regression. Hazard ratios (HRs) for duration of response (DOR), progression-free survival (PFS), time to next treatment (TTNT), and overall survival (OS) were estimated using a weighted Cox proportional hazards model. RESULTS: After reweighting, baseline characteristics were balanced across cohorts. In adjusted comparisons, patients treated with talquetamab QW (n = 143) had significantly improved outcomes vs. RWPC; RRs were ORR 2.67, p < 0.0001; ≥ VGPR 4.70, p < 0.0001; ≥ CR 78.05, p = 0.0002; and HRs were PFS 0.52, p < 0.0001; TTNT 0.48, p < 0.0001; OS 0.36, p < 0.0001. Patients treated with talquetamab Q2W (n = 145) also had significantly improved outcomes vs. RWPC; RRs were ORR 2.62, p < 0.0001; ≥ VGPR 5.04, p < 0.0001; ≥ CR 101.14, p = 0.0002; and HRs were PFS 0.40, p < 0.0001; TTNT 0.39, p < 0.0001; OS 0.37, p < 0.0001. CONCLUSION: Effectiveness of talquetamab for both schedules was significantly better than RWPC for ORR, ≥ VGPR, ≥ CR, PFS, OS, and TTNT, highlighting its clinical benefit for patients with TCE RRMM. TRIAL REGISTRATION: MonumenTAL-1, ClinicalTrials.gov identifier NCT03399799/NCT04634552; LocoMMotion, ClinicalTrials.gov identifier NCT04035226; MoMMent, ClinicalTrials.gov identifier NCT05160584.

Epidemiology and clinical outcomes of light-chain amyloidosis in Sweden: A nationwide population-based study.

OBJECTIVES: This study evaluated data from six Swedish national registries to fill current evidence gaps on the epidemiology, clinical burden, and overall survival (OS) associated with light-chain (AL) amyloidosis. METHODS: Patients newly diagnosed with AL amyloidosis were identified using six linked Swedish nationwide population-based registers. For each case, individuals from the general population were selected and matched with a maximum ratio of 1:5 based on age, sex, calendar year, and county. RESULTS: 846 patients newly diagnosed with AL amyloidosis and 4227 demographically matched individuals were identified. From 2011 to 2019, annual AL amyloidosis incidence increased from 10.5 to 15.1 cases per million. At baseline, patients with AL amyloidosis had a significantly higher disease burden including higher rates of cardiac and renal failure relative to the comparison group. Among patients with AL amyloidosis, 21.5% had incident heart failure and 17.1% had incident renal failure after initial diagnosis. Median OS for patients with AL amyloidosis was 56 months versus not reached in the matched general population comparison group. CONCLUSION: The incidence of newly diagnosed AL amyloidosis in Sweden increased over time with AL amyloidosis being associated with a higher risk of cardiac/renal failure and all-cause mortality compared with the general population.

Impact of Treatment Sequencing on Overall Survival in Patients with Transplant-Ineligible Newly Diagnosed Myeloma.

BACKGROUND: Because patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma (NDMM) do not always receive any treatment beyond first-line (1L) therapy, it is imperative that patients receive the best treatment in the 1L setting. However, the optimal initial treatment remains to be identified. We performed a clinical simulation to assess potential outcomes with different treatment sequences. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We used a partitioned survival model to compare overall survival (OS) with (1) daratumumab, lenalidomide, and dexamethasone (D-Rd) in 1L followed by a pomalidomide- or carfilzomib-based regimen in second line (2L) versus (2) bortezomib, lenalidomide, and dexamethasone (VRd) in 1L followed by a daratumumab-based regimen in 2L versus (3) lenalidomide and dexamethasone (Rd) in 1L followed by a daratumumab-based regimen in 2L. Probabilities of transition between health states (1L, 2L+, and death) were based on published clinical data and real-world data from the Flatiron Health database. The proportion of patients discontinuing treatment after 1L (attrition rates) in the base case was estimated with a binomial logistic model using data from the MAIA trial. RESULTS: Using D-Rd in 1L conferred a longer median OS compared with delaying daratumumab-based regimens until 2L after VRd or Rd, respectively (8.9 [95% CrI 7.58-10.42] vs. 6.92 [5.92-8.33] or 5.75 [4.50-7.25] years). Results of scenario analyses were consistent with the base case. CONCLUSION: Our simulation, which incorporates clinically representative treatments and attrition rates, supports the use of D-Rd as initial therapy, rather than delaying the use of daratumumab until later lines of therapy, in patients with transplant-ineligible NDMM.

Teclistamab versus real-world physician's choice of therapy in triple-class exposed relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma.

Aim: We compared the effectiveness of teclistamab versus real-world physician's choice of therapy (RWPC) in triple-class exposed relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma. Materials & methods: MajesTEC-1 eligibility criteria were applied to the RWPC cohort. Baseline covariate imbalances were adjusted using inverse probability of treatment weighting. Overall survival, progression-free survival and time to next treatment were compared. Results: After inverse probability of treatment weighting, baseline characteristics were similar between cohorts (teclistamab, n = 165; RWPC, n = 364 [766 observations]). Teclistamab treated patients had numerically better overall survival (hazard ratio [HR]: 0.82 [95% CI: 0.59-1.14]; p = 0.233) and significantly greater progression-free survival (HR: 0.43 [0.33-0.56]; p < 0.0001) and time to next treatment (HR: 0.36 [0.27-0.49]; p < 0.0001) versus the RWPC cohort. Conclusion: Teclistamab offered clinical benefit over RWPC in triple-class exposed relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma.

Impact of Disease Progression, Line of Therapy, and Response on Health-Related Quality of Life in Multiple Myeloma: A Systematic Literature Review.

This systematic literature review (SLR) was conducted to better understand the impact of disease progression, line of therapy, and clinical response on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in patients with multiple myeloma (MM). Multiple databases were searched to identify records relating to HRQoL in adult patients with MM. Titles and abstracts were independently screened by 2 reviewers for inclusion based on pre-defined criteria. Records flagged for inclusion had full texts subsequently screened using the same method. A third round of screening was then conducted to identify studies that assessed the relationship of HRQoL to disease progression, line of therapy, or clinical response. Quality assessment was conducted on utility studies using the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence Quality Assessment Checklist for Health State Utility Values. After all rounds of screening were complete, 44 records (representing 41 studies) were included in the SLR. Thirty records reported data relating HRQoL to disease progression, 5 reported data relating HRQoL to line of therapy, and 19 reported data relating HRQoL to response. Despite a lack of homogeneity and small number of studies, the data show overall that progressive disease and increasing lines of therapy were associated with worsened patient HRQoL and increasing depth of response was associated with improved patient HRQoL. The findings from this SLR support that desirable treatment outcomes such as delayed progression, fewer lines of therapy, and achieving the deepest possible clinical response result in improved HRQoL in patients with MM.

Comparative Efficacy of Teclistamab Versus Physician's Choice of Therapy in the Long-term Follow-up of APOLLO, POLLUX, CASTOR, and EQUULEUS Clinical Trials in Patients With Triple-class Exposed Relapsed or Refractory Multiple Myeloma.

BACKGROUND: The efficacy and safety of teclistamab in patients with RRMM who received ≥3 prior lines of therapy and were triple-class exposed (TCE) are being evaluated in the single-arm, multicohort, phase I/II MajesTEC-1 trial (NCT04557098). We evaluated the comparative effectiveness of teclistamab versus physician's choice (PC) of therapy in TCE RRMM patients. METHODS: Individual patient-level data from MajesTEC-1 patients who received teclistamab (1.5 mg/kg weekly; clinical cutoff March 16, 2022) were included. An external control arm was created from patients in long-term follow-up of 4 clinical trials of daratumumab who were treated with PC therapy after discontinuation of trial treatments. In the primary analysis, inverse probability of treatment weighting was used to adjust for imbalances in 9 baseline covariates. A fully adjusted model included 5 additional prognostic factors. Outcomes included overall response rate (ORR), very good partial response or better (≥VGPR) rate, overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), and time to next treatment (TTNT). RESULTS: After adjustment, baseline characteristics were balanced between cohorts. In the primary analysis, outcomes were significantly improved with teclistamab versus PC: ORR (OR [95% CI] 4.81 [3.04-7.72]; P < .0001); ≥VGPR rate (OR, 12.07 [6.91-22.11]; P < .0001); OS (HR, 0.54 [0.40-0.73]; P < .0001); PFS (HR, 0.59 [0.46-0.78]; P = .0001); and TTNT (HR, 0.32 [0.24-0.42]; P < .0001). Results of the fully adjusted model were consistent with the primary analysis. CONCLUSION: Teclistamab showed significantly improved effectiveness versus PC on all outcomes, highlighting its clinical benefit in patients with TCE RRMM and limited treatment options.

Characteristics, management, and blood pressure control in patients with apparent resistant hypertension in the US.

Background: Per treatment guidelines, resistant hypertension is defined as uncontrolled blood pressure (BP) while taking 3 concomitant antihypertensives (AHTs) or controlled BP while taking ≥4 AHTs. Characteristics, AHT therapy use, and BP control were analyzed in US patients with hypertension who were prescribed ≥3 classes of AHT medications. Methods: This retrospective analysis of the Optum® Electronic Health Record Database evaluated patients ≥18 years of age with a diagnosis of hypertension classified based on the number of prescribed AHT medication classes (3, 4, or ≥5). For the primary analysis, uncontrolled hypertension was defined as systolic BP (SBP) ≥140 mmHg or diastolic BP (DBP) ≥90 mmHg. For secondary analyses, uncontrolled hypertension was defined as SBP ≥130 mmHg or DBP ≥80 mmHg. Results: 207,705 patients with hypertension and concurrent use of ≥3 AHT medication classes were included. Diuretics, beta blockers, ACE inhibitors and/or ARBs, and CCBs were the most prescribed classes; thiazides and thiazide-like agents were the most prescribed diuretics. Among patients who were prescribed 3, 4, or ≥5 AHT medication classes, approximately 70% achieved a BP goal of <140/90 mmHg; approximately 40% achieved BP <130/80 mmHg. After ≥1 year of follow-up, the number of concurrent AHT medication classes was unchanged from baseline in the majority of patients and the prevalence of uncontrolled hypertension (≥140/90 mmHg) was similar. Conclusions: This study illustrates suboptimal BP control in many patients with apparent resistant hypertension despite the use of multidrug regimens and suggests a need for new drug classes and regimens that effectively manage resistant hypertension.

Assessing the prognostic utility of hematologic response for overall survival in patients with newly diagnosed AL amyloidosis: results of a meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVES: Amyloid light-chain (AL) amyloidosis is a rare disease characterized by amyloid fibril deposits made up of toxic light chains causing progressive organ dysfunction and death. Recent studies suggest that hematologic response may be an important prognostic indicator of overall survival (OS) in AL amyloidosis. The aim of this study was to evaluate the trial-level association between hematologic complete response (CR) or very good partial response or better (≥ VGPR) and OS in newly diagnosed patients. METHODS: Studies were identified via systematic literature review. Pooled effect estimates were generated by a random-effects model. RESULTS: Nine observational studies reporting hematologic CR or ≥VGPR and OS hazard ratios (HRs) were included in the meta-analysis. Achieving hematologic CR was associated with improved OS (HR, 0.21; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.13-0.34). Achieving ≥ VGPR was also associated with improved OS (HR 0.21; 95% CI 0.17-0.26). Results of a sensitivity analysis excluding one outlier study revealed no heterogeneity and a better overall HR estimate. Potential limitations of this meta-analysis include the small number of eligible studies (consistent with the rarity of the disease) and inconsistencies in reporting of results. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, our findings support the use of deep hematologic response (CR or ≥VGPR) as a clinical trial endpoint in newly diagnosed AL amyloidosis. This study provides evidence that early hematologic response is a strong patient-level surrogate for long-term OS in patients with AL amyloidosis receiving frontline therapy. Structured data collection of depth of response in future trials will further strengthen these observations.

Real-world treatment patterns, costs, and outcomes in patients with AL amyloidosis: analysis of the Optum EHR and commercial claims databases.

BACKGROUND: This study characterised real-world treatment patterns, clinical outcomes, and cost-of-illness in patients with light-chain (AL) amyloidosis. METHODS: Data were extracted from the US-based Optum® EHR and Clinformatics® Data Mart (claims) databases (2008-2019) for patients newly diagnosed with AL amyloidosis and who initiated anti-plasma cell therapies. Healthcare resource utilisation (HCRU) and related costs were compared across lines of therapy (LOT). Incidences of cardiac and renal failure were evaluated using the Kaplan-Meier method. RESULTS: About 1347 patients (EHR, n = 776; claims, n = 571) were included. Median age was 68 years; 56.8% were male. At initial diagnosis, 33.1% and 15.1% of patients had cardiac and renal failure, respectively. Most patients received bortezomib-containing treatment in LOT1 (69%); bortezomib-cyclophosphamide-dexamethasone was most common (26%). HCRU was similar across LOTs. Mean per-patient-per-month and per-patient-per-LOT costs were $19,343 and $105,944 for LOT1, $19,183 and $95,793 for LOT2, and $16,611 and $128,446 for LOT3, respectively. Costs were primarily driven by anti-plasma cell therapies, outpatient visits, and hospitalisations. The 5-year cardiac and renal failure rates following initial diagnosis were 64.5% and 39.0%, respectively. CONCLUSION: AL amyloidosis is associated with substantial costs and suboptimal outcomes, highlighting the need for new therapeutic approaches to prevent organ deterioration, and reduce disease burden.

Treatment Regimens for Transplant-Ineligible Patients With Newly Diagnosed Multiple Myeloma: A Systematic Literature Review and Network Meta-analysis.

INTRODUCTION: Many treatment regimens have been evaluated in transplant-ineligible (TIE) patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma (NDMM). The objective of this study was to compare the efficacy of relevant therapies for the treatment of TIE patients with NDMM. METHODS: Progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) from large randomised controlled trials (RCTs) evaluating different treatment options for TIE patients with NDMM were compared in a network meta-analysis (NMA). The NMA includes recent primary and long-term OS readouts from SWOG S0777, ENDURANCE, MAIA, and ALCYONE. Relevant trials were identified through a systematic literature review. Relative efficacy measures (i.e., hazard ratios [HRs] for PFS and OS) were extracted and synthesised in random-effects NMAs. RESULTS: A total of 122 publications describing 45 unique RCTs was identified. Continuous lenalidomide/dexamethasone (Rd) was selected as the referent comparator. Daratumumab-containing treatments (daratumumab/lenalidomide/dexamethasone [D-Rd], daratumumab/bortezomib/melphalan/prednisone [D-VMP]) and bortezomib/lenalidomide/dexamethasone (VRd) had the highest probabilities of being more effective than Rd continuous for PFS (HR: D-Rd, 0.53; D-VMP, 0.57, VRd, 0.77) and OS (HR: D-Rd, 0.68; VRd, 0.77, D-VMP, 0.78). D-Rd had the highest chance of being ranked as the most effective treatment with respect to PFS and OS. Results using a smaller network focusing on only those regimens that are relevant in Europe were consistent with the primary analysis. CONCLUSIONS: These comparative effectiveness data may help inform treatment selection in TIE patients with NDMM.

Systematic literature review of evidence in amyloid light-chain amyloidosis.

Introduction: Treatment of amyloid light-chain (AL) amyloidosis, a rare disease with a <5-year lifespan, remains challenging. This systematic literature review (SLR) aimed to evaluate the current evidence base in AL amyloidosis. Methods: Literature searches on clinical, health-related quality of life, economic and resource use evidence were conducted using the Embase, MEDLINE and Cochrane databases as well as gray literature. Results: This SLR yielded 84 unique studies from: five randomized controlled trials; 54 observational studies; 12 health-related quality of life studies, none with utility values; no economic evaluation studies; and 16 resource use studies, none with indirect costs. Conclusion: This SLR highlights a paucity of published literature relating to randomized controlled trials, utility values, economic evaluations and indirect costs in AL amyloidosis.

Treatment patterns, economic burden, and overall survival in US Medicare Advantage beneficiaries newly diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) in 2015-2020.

The present study assessed changes in patient management, economic burden, and overall survival (OS) in a contemporary cohort of 2775 US Medicare Advantage beneficiaries aged ≥66 years newly diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) between 01 January 2015 and 30 June 2020. Use of venetoclax-based therapy increased and replaced hypomethylating agent (HMA) monotherapy as the most common first-line treatment choice in 2019-2020. In newly diagnosed AML patients aged ≥75 and 66-74 years, mean per-patient 1-year healthcare expenditures were $81,818 and $156,033 (2020 USD) and median OS was 2.3 and 8.5 months, respectively. In addition, 40% of Medicare Advantage patients with newly diagnosed AML continue to receive supportive care alone. These findings indicate that at the population level clinical outcomes remain poor for older adults with AML, pointing to a continuing unmet medical need.

The influence of social support on cognitive health in older women: a Women's Health Initiative study.

Social support is associated prospectively with cognitive decline and dementia among the elderly; however, little is known about the impact of social support on healthy neurological aging. The current study investigates whether perceived social support has an influence on neurological health among a large sample of healthy postmenopausal women. Social support and neuropsychological outcomes were measured annually for six years through the Women's Health Initiative Study of Cognitive Aging. In postmenopausal women, higher perceived social support was associated with significantly better overall neuropsychological functioning at baseline, especially in the domains of short-delay figural memory, short-delay verbal memory, and semantic fluency. No significant associations were found between social support and longitudinal changes in neuropsychological function over a median follow-up period of six years. Additionally, there was no significant relationship between social support and regional brain volumes. These findings suggest that social support is related to performance in a subset of neuropsychological domains and contributes to the existing literature that points to the importance of social support as a modifiable lifestyle factor that has the potential to help protect against the decline of cognitive aging, specifically among older adult women.

Self-controlled assessment of thromboembolic event (TEE) risk following intravenous immune globulin (IGIV) in the U.S. (2006-2012).

Since 2013, the U.S. Food and Drug administration (FDA) has required that intravenous immune globulin (IGIV) products carry a boxed warning concerning the risk of thromboembolic events (TEEs). This study assessed the incidence of TEEs attributable to IGIV in a large population-based cohort. A self-controlled risk interval design was used to quantify the transient increase in TEE risk during the risk interval (days 0-2 and 0-13 following IGIV for arterial and venous TEEs, respectively) relative to a later control interval (days 14-27 following IGIV). Potential IGIV-exposed TEE cases from 2006 to 2012 were identified from the FDA-sponsored Sentinel Distributed Database and confirmed through medical record review. Inpatient IGIV exposures were not included in the venous TEE analysis due to concerns about time-varying confounding. 19,069 new users of IGIV who received 93,555 treatment episodes were included. Charts were retrieved for 62% and 70% of potential venous and arterial cases, respectively. There was a transient increase in the risk of arterial TEEs during days 0-2 following IGIV treatment (RR = 4.69; 95% CI 1.87, 11.90; absolute increase in risk = 8.86 events per 10,000 patients, 95% CI 3.25, 14.6), but no significant increase in venous TEE risk during days 0-13 following outpatient IGIV treatments (RR = 1.07, 95% CI 0.34, 3.48). Our results suggest there is a small increase in the absolute risk of arterial TEEs following IGIV. However, lower-than-expected chart retrieval rates and the possibility of time-varying confounding mean that our results should be interpreted cautiously. Continued pharmacovigilance efforts are warranted.

Association of In-Hospital Surgical Bleeding Events with Prolonged Hospital Length of Stay, Days Spent in Critical Care, Complications, and Mortality: A Retrospective Cohort Study Among Patients Undergoing Neoplasm-Directed Surgeries in English Hospitals.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the association of in-hospital surgical bleeding events with the outcomes of hospital length of stay (LOS), days spent in critical care, complications, and mortality among patients undergoing neoplasm-directed surgeries in English hospitals. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This is a retrospective cohort study using English hospital discharge data (Hospital Episode Statistics [HES]) linked to electronic health records (Clinical Practice Research Datalink [CPRD]). HES includes information on patient demographics, admission and discharge dates, diagnoses and procedures, days spent in critical care, and discharge status. CPRD includes information on patient demographics, diagnoses and symptoms, drug exposures, vaccination history, and laboratory tests. Patients aged ≥18 years who underwent selected neoplasm-directed surgeries between 1-Jan-2010 and 29-February-2016: hysterectomy, low anterior resection (LAR), lung resection, mastectomy, and prostate surgery were included. The primary independent variable was in-hospital surgical bleeding events identified by diagnosis of haemorrhage and haematoma complicating a procedure or reopening/re-exploration and surgical arrest of postoperative bleeding. Outcomes included LOS, days spent in critical care, in-hospital complications (diagnoses of infections, acute renal failure, vascular events), and in-hospital mortality, identified during surgery through discharge. Multivariable regression was used to examine the adjusted association of bleeding events with outcomes. RESULTS: The study included 26,437 neoplasm-directed surgeries (hysterectomy=6092; LAR=2957; lung=1538; mastectomy=12,806; prostate=3044). Incidence proportions of bleeding events were: hysterectomy=1.9% (95% confidence interval=1.1-2.5%); LAR=3.0% (CI=2.3-3.6%); lung=1.8% (CI=1.1-2.5%); mastectomy=1.6% (CI=1.3-1.8%); prostate=1.0% (CI=0.6-1.3%). In adjusted analyses, bleeding events were associated with: prolonged LOS: 3.1 (CI=1.1-6.3) mastectomy to 5.7 (CI=3.6-8.2) LAR days longer; more days spent in critical care: 0.4 (CI=0.03-0.27) mastectomy to 6.5 (CI=2.5-13.6) hysterectomy days more; and higher incidence proportions of all examined complications; all P<0.05. CONCLUSION: This study quantifies a substantial clinical and healthcare resource utilization burden associated with surgical bleeding among patients undergoing neoplasm-directed surgery in England hospitals.