A systematic literature review of the disease burden in patients with recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE: Recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa (RDEB) is a genetic collagen disorder characterized by skin fragility leading to blistering, wounds, and scarring. There are currently no approved curative therapies. The objective of this manuscript is to provide a comprehensive literature review of the disease burden caused by RDEB. METHODS: A systematic literature review was conducted in MEDLINE and Embase in accordance with PRISMA guidelines. Observational and interventional studies on the economic, clinical, or humanistic burden of RDEB were included. RESULTS: Sixty-five studies were included in the review. Patients had considerable wound burden, with 60% reporting wounds covering more than 30% of their body. Increases in pain and itch were seen with larger wound size. Chronic wounds were larger and more painful than recurrent wounds. Commonly reported symptoms and complications included lesions and blistering, anemia, nail dystrophy and loss, milia, infections, musculoskeletal contractures, strictures or stenoses, constipation, malnutrition/nutritional problems, pseudosyndactyly, ocular manifestations, and dental caries. Many patients underwent esophageal dilation (29-74%; median dilations, 2-6) and gastrostomy tube placement (8-58%). In the severely affected population, risk of squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) was 76% and mortality from SCC reached 84% by age 40. Patients with RDEB experienced worsened quality of life (QOL), decreased functioning and social activities, and increased pain and itch when compared to other EB subtypes, other skin diseases, and the general population. Families of patients reported experiencing high rates of burden including financial burden (50-54%) and negative impact on private life (79%). Direct medical costs were high, though reported in few studies; annual payer-borne total medical costs in Ireland were $84,534 and annual patient-borne medical costs in Korea were $7392. Estimated annual US costs for wound dressings ranged from $4000 to $245,000. Patients spent considerable time changing dressings: often daily (13-54% of patients) with up to three hours per change (15-40%). CONCLUSION: Patients with RDEB and their families/caregivers experience significant economic, humanistic, and clinical burden. Further research is needed to better understand the costs of disease, how the burden of disease changes over the patient lifetime and to better characterize QOL impact, and how RDEB compares with other chronic, debilitating disorders.

First-in-human, randomized dose-escalation study of the safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics and immunogenicity of PF-06480605 in healthy subjects.

AIMS: Human genetic, tissue expression, proteomics, transcriptomics and nonclinical studies implicate tumour necrosis factor α-like ligand 1A (TL1A) as a novel target in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). PF-06480605, a fully human immunoglobulin G1 monoclonal antibody, targets TL1A. This first-in-human, Phase 1, dose-escalation study assessed safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics and immunogenicity of intravenous (IV) and subcutaneous (SC) PF-06480605 in healthy subjects (NCT01989143). METHODS: Ninety-two subjects were randomized to single ascending doses (SAD), PF-06480605 1 mg, 3 mg, 10 mg, 30 mg, 100 mg, 300 mg, 600 mg or 800 mg IV, or multiple ascending doses (MAD), PF-06480605 3 × 500 mg IV, or 3 × 30 mg, 3 × 100 mg, or 3 × 300 mg SC every 2 weeks for three doses, or placebo. Safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics, immunogenicity profiles and total TL1A, anti-drug antibody (ADA) and neutralizing antibody (NAb) levels were assessed at pre-determined times. RESULTS: PF-06480605 SAD up to 800 mg IV and MAD up to 300 mg ×3 SC and 500 mg ×3 IV were well tolerated. Overall, there were 45 and 44 treatment-emergent adverse events in SAD and MAD cohorts, respectively, and no deaths or serious adverse events. PF-06480605 exposure generally increased dose-dependently. ADA and NAb levels did not impact safety, pharmacokinetics, or pharmacodynamics at higher doses. Target engagement was demonstrated through dose-dependent differences in serum total soluble TL1A concentrations for PF-06480605 vs placebo cohorts. CONCLUSIONS: PF-06480605 was generally well tolerated, and binding of soluble TL1A was maintained throughout the dose interval, supporting further study of PF-06480605 in patients with IBD and other inflammatory conditions.

Evaluation of the effect of food and ketoconazole on the pharmacokinetics of the smoothened inhibitor PF-04449913 in healthy volunteers.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the effect of a potent cytochrome P450 3A4 (CYP3A4) inhibitor, ketoconazole, and separately the effect of food on PF-04449913 pharmacokinetics in healthy volunteers. METHODS: This was an open-label, two-sequence, three-period, three-treatment, single-dose, crossover study. Subjects were randomized to receive single doses of 200 mg PF-04449913 after an overnight fast or after consuming a high-fat meal during Period 1 or 2, with a washout period of at least 8 days. In Period 3, all subjects received ketoconazole (400 mg/day) (days 1-7) and a co-administered single 200-mg PF-04449913 dose (day 4). RESULTS: Geometric mean ratio of PF-04449913 in the presence of ketoconazole versus PF-04449913 alone was 2.40 [90% confidence interval (CI) 2.15, 2.68] for area under the plasma concentration-time curve from time zero to infinity (AUC(0-inf)) and 1.40 (90% CI 1.24, 1.58) for peak plasma concentration (C max). The geometric mean ratio for fed state compared with fasted state for AUC(0-inf) was 0.87 (90% CI 0.78, 0.97) and for C max was 0.66 (90% CI 0.56, 0.78). PF-04449913 was well tolerated, and all adverse events were mild to moderate. CONCLUSIONS: PF-04449913 plasma exposures and peak concentrations were increased following concurrent administration of ketoconazole in healthy volunteers. These findings provide the upper limit for expected PF-04449913 exposures after co-administration of a strong CYP3A4 inhibitor in patients with cancer who routinely receive antifungal azoles. While a high-fat meal decreased PF-04449913 exposure, the differences in plasma exposure under the two conditions were not considered clinically meaningful.

Gemcitabine Cytotoxicity: Interaction of Efflux and Deamination.

Gemcitabine is a cytidine analogue used in the treatment of various solid tumors. Little is known about how gemcitabine and its metabolites are transported out of cells. We set out to study the efflux of gemcitabine and the possible consequences of that process in cancer cells. We observed the efflux of gemcitabine and its deaminated metabolite, 2',2'-difluorodeoxyuridine (dFdU) using high performance liquid chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) after gemcitabine treatment. Non-selective ABCC-transport inhibition with probenecid significantly increased intracellular dFdU concentrations, with a similar trend observed with verapamil, a non-selective ABCB1 and ABCG2 transport inhibitor. Neither probenecid nor verapamil altered intracellular gemcitabine levels after the inhibition of deamination with tetrahydrourudine, suggesting that efflux of dFdU, but not gemcitabine, was mediated by ABC transporters. MTS assays showed that probenecid increased sensitivity to gemcitabine. While dFdU displayed little cytotoxicity, intracellular dFdU accumulation inhibited cytidine deaminase, resulting in increased gemcitabine levels and enhanced cytotoxicity. Knockdown of ABCC3, ABCC5 or ABCC10 individually did not significantly increase gemcitabine sensitivity, suggesting the involvement of multiple transporters. In summary, ABCC-mediated efflux may contribute to gemcitabine resistance through increased dFdU efflux that allows for the continuation of gemcitabine deamination. Reversing efflux-mediated gemcitabine resistance may require broad-based efflux inhibition.

Frequently overlooked and rarely listened to: music therapy in gastrointestinal endoscopic procedures.

To elucidate the role of music therapy in gastrointestinal endoscopic procedures following the conflicting outcomes reported in two recent studies. The findings of our recent meta-analysis that examined this matter were discussed in the context of later studies. Our meta-analysis illustrated the beneficial effects of music therapy on patient anxiety levels when used as a single measure of relaxation and analgesia. Beneficial effects were also shown on analgesia and sedation requirements and procedure duration times when used as an adjunct to pharmacotherapy. These findings are in agreement with those of both studies excluded from analysis and those that followed it. Music therapy is an effective tool for stress relief and analgesia in patients undergoing gastrointestinal endoscopic procedures.