Efficacy and safety of ritlecitinib, an oral JAK3/TEC family kinase inhibitor, in adolescent and adult patients with alopecia totalis and alopecia universalis.

This post-hoc analysis of the ALLEGRO phase 2b/3 study (NCT03732807) evaluated the efficacy and safety of ritlecitinib, an oral Janus kinase 3/TEC family kinase inhibitor, in patients with alopecia totalis (AT) and alopecia universalis (AU). Patients aged ≥ 12 years with alopecia areata (AA) and ≥50% scalp hair loss received once-daily ritlecitinib 50 or 30 mg (± 4-week 200-mg loading dose) or placebo for 24 weeks. In a subsequent 24-week extension period, the ritlecitinib groups continued their doses and patients initially assigned to placebo switched to ritlecitinib (200/50 or 50 mg daily). In this analysis, clinician- and patient-reported hair regrowth outcomes were assessed at weeks 24 and 48 in four AA subgroups: AT/AU, AT, AU, and non-AT/AU. Safety was monitored throughout. Of the 718 randomized patients, 151 (21%) and 147 (20%) were defined as having AT or AU, respectively. At week 24, Severity of Alopecia Tool (SALT) score ≤20 (≤20% scalp hair loss) response rates were higher in the ritlecitinib-treated AT/AU, AT, and AU groups (7%-14%, 7%-21%, and 4%-10%, respectively) vs the placebo group (0% in the AT/AU, AT, and AU groups). The proportions of patients with a SALT score of ≤20 increased through week 48 (AT/AU, 13%-31%; AT, 11%-27%; AU, 6%-41%). Additionally, at week 24, 25%-43%, 32%-42%, and 12%-50% of patients with AT/AU, AT, and AU, respectively, who received ritlecitinib achieved a moderately or greatly improved response based on the Patient Global Impression of Change scale. Response rates generally increased through week 48 and were similar across AA subgroups. In patients with AT/AU, ritlecitinib was well tolerated with a safety profile consistent with that of the overall AA population. Ritlecitinib demonstrated clinical efficacy, patient-reported improvement, and an acceptable safety profile in patients with AT and AU through week 48. A plain language summary of this study is available at https://doi.org/10.25454/pfizer.figshare.26879161. Clinicaltrials.gov: NCT03732807.

A phase 2a study investigating the effects of ritlecitinib on brainstem auditory evoked potentials and intraepidermal nerve fiber histology in adults with alopecia areata.

Reversible axonal swelling and brainstem auditory evoked potential (BAEP) changes were observed in standard chronic (9-month) toxicology studies in dogs treated with ritlecitinib, an oral Janus kinase 3/tyrosine kinase expressed in hepatocellular carcinoma family kinase inhibitor, at exposures higher than the approved 50-mg human dose. To evaluate the clinical relevance of the dog toxicity finding, this phase 2a, double-blind study assessed BAEP changes and intraepidermal nerve fiber (IENF) histology in adults with alopecia areata treated with ritlecitinib. Patients were randomized to receive oral ritlecitinib 50 mg once daily (QD) with a 4-week loading dose of 200 mg QD or placebo for 9 months (placebo-controlled phase); they then entered the active-therapy extension and received ritlecitinib 50 mg QD (with a 4-week loading dose of 200 mg in patients switching from placebo). Among the 71 patients, no notable mean differences in change from baseline (CFB) in Waves I-V interwave latency (primary outcome) or Wave V amplitude on BAEP at a stimulus intensity of 80 dB nHL were observed in the ritlecitinib or placebo group at Month 9, with no notable differences in interwave latency or Wave V amplitude between groups. The CFB in mean or median IENF density and in percentage of IENFs with axonal swellings was minimal and similar between groups at Month 9. Ritlecitinib treatment was also not associated with an imbalanced incidence of neurological and audiological adverse events. These results provide evidence that the BAEP and axonal swelling finding in dogs are not clinically relevant in humans.

Ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration cytology as an addendum to sentinel lymph node biopsy can perfect the staging strategy in melanoma patients.

BACKGROUND: Ultrasound guided fine needle aspiration cytology (US-guided FNAC) can identify microscopic involvement of lymph nodes as in breast cancer and avoid surgical sentinel node (SN). Its utility in melanoma patients is controversial and subject of this study. METHODS: Between 2001 and 2010 over 1000 stage I/II consecutive melanoma patients prospectively underwent US-FNAC prior to SN biopsy. All patients underwent lymphoscintigraphy prior to US-FNAC. The Berlin US morphology criteria: Peripheral perfusion (PP), loss of central echoes (LCE) and balloon shaped (BS) were registered. FNAC was performed in case of presence of any of these factors. SN tumour burden was measured according to the Rotterdam criteria. All patients underwent SN or lymph node dissection (LND) in case of positive FNAC. FINDINGS: Mean/median Breslow thickness was 2.58/1.57 mm. Mean/median follow-up was 56/53 months (1-132). SN positivity rate was 21%. US-FNAC Sensitivity was 71% (US only) and 51% (US-FNAC). Sensitivity of US-FNAC was highest for T4 (76%) and ulcerated melanomas (63%). PP, LCE and BS had sensitivity of 69%, 24% and 24% respectively. Sensitivity of US-FNAC increased with increasing SN tumour burden. PP was an early sign of metastasis (58% in <0.1mm metastases). Threshold size of a metastasis for FNAC was 0.3mm. Five-year survival correlated to US-FNAC status (95% in negative and 59% in positive). INTERPRETATION: Ultrasound guided FNAC (US-FNAC) according to the Berlin morphology criteria could correctly identify at least half of all tumour positive sentinel nodes, prior to the surgical SN procedure. Peripheral perfusion is an early sign of metastasis, which is very sensitive, but with lower positive predictive value (PPV). It is responsible for the sensitivity of the procedure. Balloon shape is a sign of advanced metastases, with lower sensitivity, but high PPV. US-FNAC sensitivity correlated with increasing T-stage, ulceration of the primary and increasing SN tumour burden. US-FNAC status accurately predicts survival.

Transcutaneous anti-influenza vaccination promotes both CD4 and CD8 T cell immune responses in humans.

Induction of T cell responses has become one of the major goals in therapeutic vaccination against viral diseases and cancer. The use of the skin as target organ for vaccine has been spurred by recent implication of epithelial dendritic cells in CD8 cell cross-priming and suggests that vaccination via the transcutaneous (TC) route may be relevant in the induction of cellular immune responses. We have previously shown that TC application of nanoparticles, on human skin explants, allows targeting of epidermal dendritic cells, possibly via hair follicles. In this study, we have investigated cellular immune responses against an influenza protein-based vaccine by TC vaccination, compared with i.m. vaccination in humans. In this study on 11 healthy volunteers, we found that a newly developed protocol based on cyanoacrylate skin surface stripping induced a significant increase in IFN-gamma-producing T cells specific for influenza vaccine by ELISPOT assays. Interestingly, TC vaccination induced both effector CD4 and CD8 T cell responses, whereas i.m. injection induced strong effector CD4 in the absence of CD8 T cells, as assessed by intracellular cytokine staining and tetramer analyses. This study proposes new perspectives for the development of vaccination strategies that trigger T cell immune responses in humans.