Omalizumab for the Treatment of Multiple Food Allergies.

BACKGROUND: Food allergies are common and are associated with substantial morbidity; the only approved treatment is oral immunotherapy for peanut allergy. METHODS: In this trial, we assessed whether omalizumab, a monoclonal anti-IgE antibody, would be effective and safe as monotherapy in patients with multiple food allergies. Persons 1 to 55 years of age who were allergic to peanuts and at least two other trial-specified foods (cashew, milk, egg, walnut, wheat, and hazelnut) were screened. Inclusion required a reaction to a food challenge of 100 mg or less of peanut protein and 300 mg or less of the two other foods. Participants were randomly assigned, in a 2:1 ratio, to receive omalizumab or placebo administered subcutaneously (with the dose based on weight and IgE levels) every 2 to 4 weeks for 16 to 20 weeks, after which the challenges were repeated. The primary end point was ingestion of peanut protein in a single dose of 600 mg or more without dose-limiting symptoms. The three key secondary end points were the consumption of cashew, of milk, and of egg in single doses of at least 1000 mg each without dose-limiting symptoms. The first 60 participants (59 of whom were children or adolescents) who completed this first stage were enrolled in a 24-week open-label extension. RESULTS: Of the 462 persons who were screened, 180 underwent randomization. The analysis population consisted of the 177 children and adolescents (1 to 17 years of age). A total of 79 of the 118 participants (67%) receiving omalizumab met the primary end-point criteria, as compared with 4 of the 59 participants (7%) receiving placebo (P<0.001). Results for the key secondary end points were consistent with those of the primary end point (cashew, 41% vs. 3%; milk, 66% vs. 10%; egg, 67% vs. 0%; P<0.001 for all comparisons). Safety end points did not differ between the groups, aside from more injection-site reactions in the omalizumab group. CONCLUSIONS: In persons as young as 1 year of age with multiple food allergies, omalizumab treatment for 16 weeks was superior to placebo in increasing the reaction threshold for peanut and other common food allergens. (Funded by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and others; ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT03881696.).

A whole genome sequencing study of moderate to severe asthma identifies a lung function locus associated with asthma risk.

Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified many common variant loci associated with asthma susceptibility, but few studies investigate the genetics underlying moderate-to-severe asthma risk. Here, we present a whole-genome sequencing study comparing 3181 moderate-to-severe asthma patients to 3590 non-asthma controls. We demonstrate that asthma risk is genetically correlated with lung function measures and that this component of asthma risk is orthogonal to the eosinophil genetics that also contribute to disease susceptibility. We find that polygenic scores for reduced lung function are associated with younger asthma age of onset. Genome-wide, seven previously reported common asthma variant loci and one previously reported lung function locus, near THSD4, reach significance. We replicate association of the lung function locus in a recently published GWAS of moderate-to-severe asthma patients. We additionally replicate the association of a previously reported rare (minor allele frequency < 1%) coding variant in IL33 and show significant enrichment of rare variant burden in genes from common variant allergic disease loci. Our findings highlight the contribution of lung function genetics to moderate-to-severe asthma risk, and provide initial rare variant support for associations with moderate-to-severe asthma risk at several candidate genes from common variant loci.

Tocilizumab and remdesivir in hospitalized patients with severe COVID-19 pneumonia: a randomized clinical trial.

PURPOSE: Trials of tocilizumab in patients with severe COVID-19 pneumonia have demonstrated mixed results, and the role of tocilizumab in combination with other treatments is uncertain. Here we evaluated whether tocilizumab plus remdesivir provides greater benefit than remdesivir alone in patients with severe COVID-19 pneumonia. METHODS: This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicenter trial included patients hospitalized with severe COVID-19 pneumonia requiring > 6 L/min supplemental oxygen. Patients were randomly assigned (2:1 ratio) to receive tocilizumab 8 mg/kg or placebo intravenously plus ≤ 10 days of remdesivir. The primary outcome was time from randomization to hospital discharge or "ready for discharge" (defined as category 1, assessed by the investigator on a 7-category ordinal scale of clinical status) to day 28. Patients were followed for 60 days. RESULTS: Among 649 enrolled patients, 434 were randomly assigned to tocilizumab plus remdesivir and 215 to placebo plus remdesivir. 566 patients (88.2%) received corticosteroids during the trial to day 28. Median time from randomization to hospital discharge or "ready for discharge" was 14 (95% CI 12-15) days with tocilizumab plus remdesivir and 14 (95% CI 11-16) days with placebo plus remdesivir [log-rank P = 0.74; Cox proportional hazards ratio 0.97 (95% CI 0.78-1.19)]. Serious adverse events occurred in 128 (29.8%) tocilizumab plus remdesivir and 72 (33.8%) placebo plus remdesivir patients; 78 (18.2%) and 42 (19.7%) patients, respectively, died by day 28. CONCLUSIONS: Tocilizumab plus remdesivir did not shorten time to hospital discharge or "ready for discharge" to day 28 compared with placebo plus remdesivir in patients with severe COVID-19 pneumonia.

Lysophosphatidic acid species are associated with exacerbation in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

BACKGROUND: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) exacerbations are heterogenous and profoundly impact the disease trajectory. Bioactive lipid lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) has been implicated in airway inflammation but the significance of LPA in COPD exacerbation is not known. The aim of the study was to investigate the utility of serum LPA species (LPA16:0, 18:0, 18:1, 18:2, 20:4) as biomarkers of COPD exacerbation. PATIENTS AND METHODS: LPA species were measured in the baseline placebo sera of a COPD randomized controlled trial. Tertile levels of each LPA were used to assign patients into biomarker high, medium, and low subgroups. Exacerbation rate and risk were compared among the LPA subgroups. RESULTS: The levels of LPA species were intercorrelated (rho 0.29-0.91). Patients with low and medium levels of LPA (LPA16:0, 20:4) had significantly higher exacerbation rate compared to the respective LPA-high patients [estimated rate per patient per year (95% CI)]: LPA16:0-low = 1.2 (0.8-1.9) (p = 0.019), LPA16:0-medium = 1.3 (0.8-2.0) (p = 0.013), LPA16:0-high = 0.5 (0.2-0.9); LPA20:4-low = 1.4 (0.9-2.1) (p = 0.0033), LPA20:4-medium = 1.2 (0.8-1.8) (p = 0.0089), LPA20:4-high = 0.4 (0.2-0.8). These patients also had earlier time to first exacerbation (hazard ratio (95% CI): LPA16:0-low = 2.6 (1.1-6.0) (p = 0.028), LPA16:0-medium = 2.7 (1.2-6.3) (p = 0.020); LPA20.4-low = 2.8 (1.2-6.6) (p = 0.017), LPA20:4-medium = 2.7 (1.2-6.4) (p = 0.021). Accordingly, these patients had a significant increased exacerbation risk compared to the respective LPA-high subgroups [odd ratio (95% CI)]: LPA16:0-low = 3.1 (1.1-8.8) (p = 0.030), LPA16:0-medium = 3.0 (1.1-8.3) (p = 0.031); LPA20:4-low = 3.8 (1.3-10.9) (p = 0.012), LPA20:4-medium = 3.3 (1.2-9.5) (p = 0.025). For the other LPA species (LPA18:0, 18:1, 18:2), the results were mixed; patients with low and medium levels of LPA18:0 and 18:2 had increased exacerbation rate, but only LPA18:0-low patients had significant increase in exacerbation risk and earlier time to first exacerbation compared to the LPA18:0-high subgroup. CONCLUSIONS: The study provided evidence of association between systemic LPA levels and exacerbation in COPD. Patients with low and medium levels of specific LPA species (LPA16:0, 20:4) had increased exacerbation rate, risk, and earlier time to first exacerbation. These non-invasive biomarkers may aid in identifying high risk patients with dysregulated LPA pathway to inform risk management and drug development.

Phase 2 trial to assess lebrikizumab in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.

This phase 2, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial evaluated the efficacy and safety of lebrikizumab, an interleukin (IL)-13 monoclonal antibody, alone or with background pirfenidone therapy, in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF).Patients with IPF aged ≥40 years with forced vital capacity (FVC) of 40%-100% predicted and diffusing capacity for carbon monoxide of 25%-90% predicted and who were treatment-naïve (cohort A) or receiving pirfenidone (2403 mg·day-1; cohort B) were randomised 1:1 to receive lebrikizumab 250 mg or placebo subcutaneously every 4 weeks. The primary endpoint was annualised rate of FVC % predicted decline over 52 weeks.In cohort A, 154 patients were randomised to receive lebrikizumab (n=78) or placebo (n=76). In cohort B, 351 patients receiving pirfenidone were randomised to receive lebrikizumab (n=174) or placebo (n=177). Baseline demographics were balanced across treatment arms in both cohorts. The primary endpoint (annualised rate of FVC % predicted decline) was not met in cohort A (lebrikizumab versus placebo, -5.2% versus -6.2%; p=0.456) or cohort B (lebrikizumab versus placebo, -5.5% versus -6.0%; p=0.557). In cohort B, a non-statistically significant imbalance in mortality favouring combination therapy was observed (hazard ratio 0.42 (95% CI 0.17-1.04)). Pharmacodynamic biomarkers indicated lebrikizumab activity. The safety profile was consistent with that in previous studies of lebrikizumab and pirfenidone as monotherapies.Lebrikizumab alone or with pirfenidone was not associated with reduced FVC % predicted decline over 52 weeks despite evidence of pharmacodynamic activity. Lebrikizumab was well tolerated with a favourable safety profile. These findings suggest that blocking IL-13 may not be sufficient to achieve a lung function benefit in patients with IPF.

A randomized, placebo-controlled trial evaluating effects of lebrikizumab on airway eosinophilic inflammation and remodelling in uncontrolled asthma (CLAVIER).

BACKGROUND: The anti-interleukin 13 (IL-13) monoclonal antibody lebrikizumab improves lung function in patients with moderate-to-severe uncontrolled asthma, but its effects on airway inflammation and remodelling are unknown. CLAVIER was designed to assess lebrikizumab's effect on eosinophilic inflammation and remodelling. OBJECTIVE: To report safety and efficacy results from enrolled participants with available data from CLAVIER. METHODS: We performed bronchoscopy on patients with uncontrolled asthma before and after 12 weeks of randomized double-blinded treatment with lebrikizumab (n = 31) or placebo (n = 33). The pre-specified primary end-point was relative change in airway subepithelial eosinophils per mm2 of basement membrane (cells/mm2 ). Pre-specified secondary and exploratory outcomes included change in IL-13-associated biomarkers and measures of airway remodelling. RESULTS: There was a baseline imbalance in tissue eosinophils and high variability between treatment groups. There was no discernible change in adjusted mean subepithelial eosinophils/mm2 in response to lebrikizumab (95% CI, -82.5%, 97.5%). As previously observed, FEV1 increased after lebrikizumab treatment. Moreover, subepithelial collagen thickness decreased 21.5% after lebrikizumab treatment (95% CI, -32.9%, -10.2%), and fractional exhaled nitric oxide, CCL26 and SERPINB2 mRNA expression in bronchial tissues also reduced. Lebrikizumab was well tolerated, with a safety profile consistent with other lebrikizumab asthma studies. CONCLUSIONS & CLINICAL RELEVANCE: We did not observe reduced tissue eosinophil numbers in association with lebrikizumab treatment. However, in pre-specified exploratory analyses, lebrikizumab treatment was associated with reduced degree of subepithelial fibrosis, a feature of airway remodelling, as well as improved lung function and reduced key pharmacodynamic biomarkers in bronchial tissues. These results reinforce the importance of IL-13 in airway pathobiology and suggest that neutralization of IL-13 may reduce asthmatic airway remodelling. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: NCT02099656.

Seasonal variability of lung function and Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire Scores in adults with uncontrolled asthma.

Introduction: Asthma exacerbations spike in the spring and autumn months, yet the seasonal variation of asthma symptoms and lung function is poorly studied. Methods: Seasonal variation of lung function, rescue medication use and patient-reported symptoms was evaluated by post hoc analyses of the Phase III lebrikizumab (anti-IL-13) LAVOLTA I and II studies in 2148 subjects with uncontrolled asthma. Lung function measurements (prebronchodilator FEV1, forced vital capacity (FVC) and peak expiratory flow (PEF)), rescue medication use and Standardised Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire (AQLQ(S)) were measured every 4 weeks over 52 weeks. By-month estimates normalised by hemispheric season were based on mixed-effect models with repeated measures (MMRM), adjusted by study stratification factors as covariates when appropriate. The dependency of clinical outcomes with seasonal variability was assessed by employing linear contrasts comparing hemisphere normalised December versus July group means from an MMRM regression and presented as the difference in means (adjusted 95% CI). Results: FEV1, FVC and PEF, rescue medication use and AQLQ(S) progressively worsened towards winter, unlike spring and autumn surges in asthma exacerbations. The December versus July mean differences were: (1) PEF=-6.5 (-8.7 to -4.2) L/min, 2) prebronchodilator FEV1=-42 (-57 to -27) mL, (3) FVC=-41 (-59 to -23) mL and (4) AQLQ(S)=-0.15 (-0.19 to -0.1) units. Among AQLQ questions, discomfort or distress related to cough was most variable with respect to season (-0.33 (-0.42 to -0.24) units). Discussion: Interpretation of interventional studies biased by seasonal exposures may be confounded by seasonal variability. Trials registration numbers: NCT01867125 and NCT01868061.

Serum periostin levels in adults of Chinese descent: an observational study.

BACKGROUND: Periostin has been shown to be a marker of Type 2 airway inflammation, associated with airway eosinophilia. It has a potential role in identifying asthmatics who may be responsive to treatment with monoclonal antibody therapy directed against Type 2 cytokines, such as interleukin (IL)-13, IL-4 receptor subunit-α and immunoglobulin E. The clinical utility of periostin measurements depends on better understanding of factors that may affect serum periostin levels, such as race. We aimed to identify the ranges of serum periostin in Chinese adults both with and without asthma, and compare them with those previously identified in Caucasian adults. METHODS: A two-centred cross-sectional study, recruiting 188 Chinese adults, aged 18 to 75 years. 120 participants had no history of asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. 68 participants had a doctor's diagnosis of asthma and were on current treatment. Univariate comparisons of periostin by dichotomous variables were made using t-tests with logarithmic transformation as the distribution of periostin was skewed. RESULTS: In the Chinese non-asthma group, periostin levels were sex-, but not age-dependent, with females having higher periostin levels. The individual predicted (90% CI) reference range for periostin in females was 61.1 ng/ml (41.6 to 89.8) ng/ml and in males was 53.2 ng/ml (36.1 to 78.3) ng/ml. There was no difference in median serum periostin levels between Chinese non-asthmatics and Chinese asthmatics, 57.0 versus 56.8 ng/ml, difference (95% CI) 0.1 (- 4.2 to 4.2) ng/ml, P = 0.94. The median serum periostin levels were higher in Chinese non-asthmatics than Caucasian non-asthmatics, 57.0 versus 49.7 ng/ml, difference (95% CI) 8.2 (5.8-10.6) ng/ml, P < 0.001. CONCLUSIONS: Serum periostin does not discriminate between asthmatics and non-asthmatics and is therefore not a good biomarker to diagnose asthma. Serum periostin levels were higher in the Chinese compared to the Caucasian non-asthma group, and also sex dependent in the Chinese participants. There was no difference in serum periostin levels between Chinese non-asthma and asthma groups. This suggests that ethnicity should be considered in the interpretation of periostin levels in asthma patients and sex is an additional consideration in Chinese patients.Trial registration This trial was prospectively registered with Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ACTRN12614000122651).

Efficacy and safety of lebrikizumab in adult patients with mild-to-moderate asthma not receiving inhaled corticosteroids.

BACKGROUND: Asthma is a heterogeneous and complex disease in both its clinical course and response to treatment. IL-13 is central to Type 2 inflammation and contributes to many features of asthma. In a previous Phase 2 study, lebrikizumab, an anti-IL-13 monoclonal antibody, did not significantly improve FEV1 in mild-to-moderate asthma patients not receiving ICS therapy. This Phase 3 study was designed to further assess the efficacy and safety of lebrikizumab in adult patients with mild-to-moderate asthma treated with daily short-acting ß2-agonist therapy alone. METHODS: Adult patients with mild-to-moderate asthma were randomised to receive lebrikizumab 125 mg subcutaneously (SC), placebo SC, or montelukast 10 mg orally for 12 weeks, with an 8-week follow-up period. The primary efficacy endpoint was absolute change in pre-bronchodilator FEV1 from baseline at Week 12. FINDINGS: A total of 310 patients were randomised and dosed in the study. The mean absolute change in FEV1 from baseline at Week 12 was higher in the lebrikizumab-treated arm compared with placebo (150 mL versus 67 mL); however, this improvement did not achieve statistical significance (overall adjusted difference of 83 mL [95% CI: -3, 170]; p = .06). Montelukast did not improve FEV1 as compared with placebo. Lebrikizumab was generally safe and well tolerated during the study. INTERPRETATION: Lebrikizumab did not significantly improve FEV1 in mild-to-moderate asthma patients at a dose expected to inhibit the IL-13 pathway. Inhibiting IL-13 in this patient population was not sufficient to improve lung function. These data support the findings of a previous trial of lebrikizumab in patients not receiving ICS. CLINICAL TRIALS REGISTRY NUMBER: This trial was registered under NCT02104674 at http://www.clinicaltrials.gov.

Model-based clinical pharmacology profiling and exposure-response relationships of the efficacy and biomarker of lebrikizumab in patients with moderate-to-severe asthma.

Lebrikizumab is a humanized monoclonal antibody that binds to interleukin-13 and has been evaluated as a treatment for moderate-to-severe asthma. Objectives of this work were to characterize lebrikizumab pharmacokinetics (PK), identify influential covariates, and graphically explore exposure-response relationships in moderate-to-severe asthmatics. Pooled PK data from 11 studies were used in the population PK model development. Full covariate modeling was used to evaluate the impact of pre-specified covariates. Response data (exacerbation rate, forced expiratory volume in 1 s [FEV1], and fractional exhaled nitric oxide [FeNO]) were obtained from moderate-to-severe asthmatics (n = 2148) who received placebo, lebrikizumab 37.5 mg or 125 mg every 4 weeks (Q4W) in two replicate phase 3 studies. Graphical exposure-response analyses were stratified by numerous covariates, including biomarker subgroups defined by serum periostin level and blood eosinophil count at baseline. Lebrikizumab PK was described by a two-compartment model with first-order absorption. Population typical values were estimated as 0.156 L/day for clearance (CL), 4.10 L for central volume (Vc), and 0.239 day-1 for absorption rate (ka), 85.6% for bioavailability (inter-subject variability: CL, 33.3%; Vc, 36.3%; ka, 40.8%). The estimated mean terminal half-life was 25.7 days. Body weight was the most influential covariate. Generally, the exposure-response analyses of FEV1 and FeNO showed increased response at higher exposure quartiles, while flat or unclear exposure-response relationships were observed in exacerbation rate. Lebrikizumab PK is as expected for a typical immunoglobulin G4 monoclonal antibody. Results from the exposure-response analyses suggested that, compared to 125 mg Q4W, the 37.5 mg Q4W dose did not achieve the maximum responses for FEV1 and FeNO, although it appeared to maximize the effect on exacerbation reduction. This suggests that the antibody levels needed to improve these outcomes may not be the same. In addition, the role of IL-13 in airflow obstruction/airway inflammation and asthma exacerbations might be different and targeting multiple pathways may be required to treat this heterogeneous disease and provide clinically meaningful benefits to asthma patients.

Efficacy and safety of lebrikizumab in patients with uncontrolled asthma (LAVOLTA I and LAVOLTA II): replicate, phase 3, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials.

BACKGROUND: In phase 2 trials, lebrikizumab, an anti-interleukin-13 monoclonal antibody, reduced exacerbation rates and improved FEV1 in patients with uncontrolled asthma, particularly in those with high concentrations of type 2 biomarkers (eg, periostin or blood eosinophils). We undertook replicate phase 3 studies to assess the efficacy and safety of lebrikizumab in patients with uncontrolled asthma despite inhaled corticosteroids and at least one second controller medication. METHODS: Adult patients with uncontrolled asthma, pre-bronchodilator FEV1 40-80% predicted, and stable background therapy were randomly assigned (1:1:1) with an interactive voice-web-based response system to receive lebrikizumab 37·5 mg or 125 mg, or placebo subcutaneously, once every 4 weeks. Randomisation was stratified by screening serum periostin concentration, history of asthma exacerbations within the last 12 months, baseline asthma medications, and country. The primary efficacy endpoint was the rate of asthma exacerbations over 52 weeks in biomarker-high patients (periostin ≥50 ng/mL or blood eosinophils ≥300 cells per µL), analysed with a Poisson regression model corrected for overdispersion with Pearson χ2 that included terms for treatment group, number of asthma exacerbations within the 12 months before study entry, baseline asthma medications, geographic region, screening periostin concentration, and blood eosinophil counts as covariates. Both trials are registered at ClinicalTrials.gov, LAVOLTA I, number NCT01867125, and LAVOLTA II, number NCT01868061. FINDINGS: 1081 patients were treated in LAVOLTA I and 1067 patients in LAVOLTA II. Over 52 weeks, lebrikizumab reduced exacerbation rates in biomarker-high patients in the 37·5 mg dose group (rate ratio [RR] 0·49 [95% CI 0·34-0·69], p<0·0001) and in the 125 mg dose group (RR 0·70 [0·51-0·95], p=0·0232) versus placebo in LAVOLTA I. Exacerbation rates were also reduced in biomarker-high patients in both dose groups versus placebo in LAVOLTA II (37·5 mg: RR 0·74 [95% CI 0·54-1·01], p=0·0609; 125 mg: RR 0·74 [0·54-1·02], p=0·0626). Pooling both studies, the proportion of patients who experienced treatment-emergent adverse events (79% [1125 of 1432 patients] for both lebrikizumab doses vs 80% [576 of 716 patients] for placebo), serious adverse events (8% [115 patients] for both lebrikizumab doses vs 9% [65 patients] for placebo), and adverse events leading to study drug discontinuation (3% [49 patients] for both lebrikizumab doses vs 4% [31 patients] for placebo) were similar between lebrikizumab and placebo. The following serious adverse events were reported in the placebo-controlled period: one event of aplastic anaemia and five serious adverse events related to raised concentrations of eosinophils in patients treated with lebrikizumab and one event of eosinophilic pneumonia in the placebo group. INTERPRETATION: Lebrikizumab did not consistently show significant reduction in asthma exacerbations in biomarker-high patients. However, it blocked interleukin-13 as evidenced by the effect on interleukin-13-related pharmacodynamic biomarkers, and clinically relevant changes could not be ruled out. FUNDING: F Hoffmann-La Roche.

Lebrikizumab in moderate-to-severe asthma: pooled data from two randomised placebo-controlled studies.

INTRODUCTION: In a subset of patients with asthma, standard-of-care treatment does not achieve disease control, highlighting the need for novel therapeutic approaches. Lebrikizumab is a humanised, monoclonal antibody that binds to and blocks interleukin-13 activity. METHODS: LUTE and VERSE were replicate, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled studies, evaluating multiple doses of lebrikizumab in patients with uncontrolled asthma despite the use of medium-to-high-dose inhaled corticosteroid and a second controller. Patients received lebrikizumab 37.5, 125, 250 mg or placebo subcutaneously every four weeks. The primary endpoint was the rate of asthma exacerbations during the placebo-controlled period. Analyses were performed on prespecified subgroups based on baseline serum periostin levels. Following the discovery of a host-cell impurity in the study drug material, protocols were amended to convert from phase III to phase IIb. Subsequently, dosing of study medication was discontinued early as a precautionary measure. The data collected for analysis were from a placebo-controlled period of variable duration and pooled across both studies. RESULTS: The median duration of treatment was approximately 24 weeks. Treatment with lebrikizumab reduced the rate of asthma exacerbations, which was more pronounced in the periostin-high patients (all doses: 60% reduction) than in the periostin-low patients (all doses: 5% reduction); no dose-response was evident. Lung function also improved following lebrikizumab treatment, with greatest increase in FEV1 in periostin-high patients (all doses: 9.1% placebo-adjusted improvement) compared with periostin-low patients (all doses: 2.6% placebo-adjusted improvement). Lebrikizumab was well tolerated and no clinically important safety signals were observed. CONCLUSIONS: These data are consistent with, and extend, previously published results demonstrating the efficacy of lebrikizumab in improving rate of asthma exacerbations and lung function in patients with moderate-to-severe asthma who remain uncontrolled despite current standard-of-care treatment. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBERS: The LUTE study was registered under NCT01545440 and the VERSE study under NCT01545453 at http://www.clinicaltrials.gov.

Future directions in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis research. An NHLBI workshop report.

The median survival of patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) continues to be approximately 3 years from the time of diagnosis, underscoring the lack of effective medical therapies for this disease. In the United States alone, approximately 40,000 patients die of this disease annually. In November 2012, the NHLBI held a workshop aimed at coordinating research efforts and accelerating the development of IPF therapies. Basic, translational, and clinical researchers gathered with representatives from the NHLBI, patient advocacy groups, pharmaceutical companies, and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to review the current state of IPF research and identify priority areas, opportunities for collaborations, and directions for future research. The workshop was organized into groups that were tasked with assessing and making recommendations to promote progress in one of the following six critical areas of research: (1) biology of alveolar epithelial injury and aberrant repair; (2) role of extracellular matrix; (3) preclinical modeling; (4) role of inflammation and immunity; (5) genetic, epigenetic, and environmental determinants; (6) translation of discoveries into diagnostics and therapeutics. The workshop recommendations provide a basis for directing future research and strategic planning by scientific, professional, and patient communities and the NHLBI.

Hospital characteristics associated with timeliness of care in veterans with lung cancer.

RATIONALE: Timeliness is one of six important dimensions of health care quality recognized by the Institute of Medicine. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate timeliness of lung cancer care and identify institutional characteristics associated with timely care within the Veterans Affairs (VA) health care system. METHODS: We used data from a VA nation-wide retrospective chart review and an independent audit of VA cancer programs to examine the association between time to first treatment and potentially explanatory institutional characteristics (e.g., volume of lung cancer patients) for 2,372 veterans diagnosed with lung cancer between 1 January 2002 and 1 September 2005 at 127 VA medical centers. We developed linear mixed effects models to control for clustering of patients within hospitals and we stratified analyses by stage. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Median time to treatment varied widely between (23 to 182 d) and within facilities. Median time to treatment was 90 days in patients with stage I or II cancer and 52 days in those with more advanced disease (P < 0.0001). Factors associated with shorter times to treatment included a nonacademic setting and the existence of a specialized diagnostic clinic (in patients with limited-stage disease), performing a patient flow analysis (in patients with advanced disease), and leadership beliefs about providing timely care (in both groups). However, institutional characteristics explained less than 1% of the observed variation in treatment times. CONCLUSIONS: Time to lung cancer treatment in U.S. veterans is highly variable. The numerous institutional characteristics we examined explained relatively little of this variability, suggesting that patient, clinician, and/or unmeasured institutional characteristics may be more important determinants of timely care.

Timeliness of care in veterans with non-small cell lung cancer.

BACKGROUND: Timeliness is an important dimension of quality of care for patients with lung cancer. METHODS: We reviewed the records of consecutive patients in whom non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) had been diagnosed between January 1, 2002, and December 31, 2003, at the Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System. We used multivariable statistical methods to identify independent predictors of timely care and examined the effect of timeliness on survival. RESULTS: We identified 129 veterans with NSCLC (mean age, 67 years; 98% men; 83% white), most of whom had adenocarcinoma (51%) or squamous cell carcinoma (30%). A minority of patients (18%) presented with a solitary pulmonary nodule (SPN). The median time from the initial suspicion of cancer to treatment was 84 days (interquartile range, 38 to 153 days). Independent predictors of treatment within 84 days included hospitalization within 7 days (odds ratio [OR], 8.2; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.9 to 23), tumor size of > 3.0 cm (OR, 4.8; 95% CI, 1.8 to 12.4), the presence of additional chest radiographic abnormalities (OR, 3.0; 95% CI, 1.1 to 8.5), and the presence of one or more symptoms suggesting metastasis (OR, 2.6; 95% CI, 1.1 to 6.2). More timely care was not associated with better survival time (adjusted hazard ratio, 1.6; 95% CI, 1.3 to 1.9). However, in patients with SPNs, there was a trend toward better survival time when the time to treatment was < 84 days. CONCLUSIONS: The time to treatment for patients with NSCLC was often longer than recommended. Patients with larger tumors, symptoms, and other chest radiographic abnormalities receive more timely care. In patients with malignant SPNs, survival may be better when treatment is initiated promptly.

Surgical and interventional therapies for pulmonary arterial hypertension.

Surgical and interventional therapies for pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) in appropriately selected patients have the potential to dramatically improve or, in some cases, cure PAH. These include atrial septostomy, a palliative procedure or bridge to transplantation in patients with refractory right heart failure, pulmonary thromboendarterectomy for pulmonary hypertension associated with chronic thromboembolic disease, and closure of congenital systemic-pulmonary shunts in patients with PAH but without significant pulmonary vascular disease. Lung transplantation should be considered for patients with all forms of PAH who demonstrate advanced or progressive disease.