Treatment of Sarcopenia with Bimagrumab: Results from a Phase II, Randomized, Controlled, Proof-of-Concept Study.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the effects of bimagrumab on skeletal muscle mass and function in older adults with sarcopenia and mobility limitations. DESIGN: A 24-week, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-arm, proof-of-concept study. SETTING: Five centers in the United States. PARTICIPANTS: Community-dwelling adults (N = 40) aged 65 and older with gait speed between 0.4 and 1.0 m/s over 4 m and an appendicular skeletal muscle index of 7.25 kg/m2 or less for men and 5.67 kg/m2 or less for women. INTERVENTION: Intravenous bimagrumab 30 mg/kg (n = 19) or placebo (n = 21). MEASUREMENTS: Change from baseline in thigh muscle volume (TMV), subcutaneous and intermuscular fat, appendicular and total lean body mass, grip strength, gait speed, and 6-minute walk distance (6MWD). RESULTS: Thirty-two (80%) participants completed the study. TMV increased by Week 2, was sustained throughout the treatment period, and remained above baseline at the end of study in bimagrumab-treated participants, whereas there was no change with placebo treatment (Week 2: 5.15 ± 2.19% vs -0.34 ± 2.59%, P < .001; Week 4: 6.12 ± 2.56% vs 0.16 ± 3.42%, P < .001; Week 8: 8.01 ± 3.70% vs 0.35 ± 3.32%, P < .001; Week 16: 7.72 ± 5.31% vs 0.42 ± 5.14%, P < .001; Week 24: 4.80 ± 5.81% vs -1.01 ± 4.43%, P = .002). Participants with slower walking speed at baseline receiving bimagrumab had clinically meaningful and statistically significantly greater improvements in gait speed (mean 0.15 m/s, P = .009) and 6MWD (mean 82 m, P = .022) than those receiving placebo at Week 16. Adverse events in the bimagrumab group included muscle-related symptoms, acne, and diarrhea, most of which were mild in severity and resolved by the end of study. CONCLUSION: Treatment with bimagrumab over 16 weeks increased muscle mass and strength in older adults with sarcopenia and improved mobility in those with slow walking speed.

Randomized, multicenter trial to assess the efficacy, safety and tolerability of a single dose of a novel AMPA receptor antagonist BGG492 for the treatment of acute migraine attacks.

BACKGROUND: Glutamate is implicated in migraine pathophysiology; amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazole propionic acid (AMPA) receptor antagonists represent a potential therapeutic approach because of their anti-excitatory actions. METHODS: This randomized, double-blind, proof-of-concept study assessed the efficacy of the AMPA receptor antagonist, BGG492 (250 mg), vs placebo and sumatriptan (100 mg), in 75 subjects with acute migraine attacks. Efficacy was measured using the Patient Migraine Diary. Pharmacokinetic and safety data were collected. RESULTS: Improvement from severe/moderate to mild/no headache pain (primary response) was reported in 58%, 58%, and 54% of BGG492-treated subjects at 2, 3, and 4 hours post-dose ( P = 0.2, 0.5, and 0.5 vs placebo), respectively, compared with 68%, 84%, and 92% sumatriptan-treated subjects, and 40%, 48%, and 44% in the placebo group. Percentages of subjects with ≥ 2-point improvement in pain score from baseline at 2 hours were 29%, 40%, and 16% for BGG492, sumatriptan, and placebo, respectively. Pain-free response at 2 hours was reported for 25%, 24%, and 16% of BGG492, sumatriptan, and placebo subjects, respectively. Adverse events were reported by 80%, 56%, and 60% of BGG492, sumatriptan, and placebo subjects, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Proof-of-concept criterion was not met (≥ 25% BGG492 subjects with a primary response vs placebo at two timepoints). BGG492 was comparable to sumatriptan in terms of pain-free response.

Placebo-controlled study of the effects of fingolimod on cardiac rate and rhythm and pulmonary function in healthy volunteers.

PURPOSE: Fingolimod (FTY720) is a sphingosine-1 phosphate-receptor (S1PR) modulator recently approved as a once-daily oral therapy for relapsing multiple sclerosis (MS) in many countries. As S1PRs are widely expressed, including in heart and lung tissues, this study investigated the possible effects of fingolimod on heart-rate circadian rhythm and pulmonary function. METHODS: Healthy volunteers (n = 39) were randomized to receive fingolimod 0.5 mg, 1.25 mg, or placebo for 14 days. Heart rate and measures of cardiac and pulmonary function were assessed during the study. RESULTS: Mean heart rate for the first 12 h postdose was lower for both fingolimod than for placebo groups (p < 0.001) and remained 10-15 bpm lower than placebo until day 14 (p < 0.05). Heart rate circadian rhythm, cardiac output, stroke volume, and systemic vascular resistance were similar among treatment groups throughout the study. There was no evidence of an effect of fingolimod on pulmonary function. Absolute lymphocyte counts decreased by approximately 70% from baseline in both fingolimod groups (day 14) and began to increase within 14 days of stopping treatment. CONCLUSIONS: In healthy volunteers treated for 14 days, once-daily fingolimod doses of 0.5 mg and 1.25 mg had no effect on cardiac or pulmonary function beyond a transient decrease in heart rate at treatment initiation.

Intestinal OATP1A2 inhibition as a potential mechanism for the effect of grapefruit juice on aliskiren pharmacokinetics in healthy subjects.

PURPOSE: To conduct a mechanistic investigation of the interaction between aliskiren and grapefruit juice in healthy subjects. METHODS: Twenty-eight subjects received an oral dose of aliskiren 300 mg (highest recommended clinical dose) with 300 mL of either water or grapefruit juice in a two-way crossover design. Safety and pharmacokinetic analyses were performed. In vitro studies were performed in HEK293 cells to investigate the role of organic anion transporting polypeptide (OATP) transporter-mediated uptake of aliskiren. RESULTS: Co-administration of a single dose of aliskiren with grapefruit juice decreased the plasma concentration of aliskiren, with mean decreases in the AUC(inf), AUC(last), and C(max) of 38, 37, and 61%, respectively. The uptake of [¹4C]aliskiren into OATP2B1-expressing cells was essentially the same as that into control cells, and the inhibitor combination atorvastatin and rifamycin had no effect on [¹4C]aliskiren accumulation in either cell type. The uptake of [¹4C]aliskiren and [³H]fexofenadine was linear in OATP1A2-expressing cells and was reduced by naringin, with IC50 values of 75.5 ± 11.6 and 24.2 ± 2.0 µM, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Grapefruit juice decreases exposure of aliskiren partially via inhibition of intestinal OATP1A2.

AFQ056 treatment of levodopa-induced dyskinesias: results of 2 randomized controlled trials.

Study objectives were to assess the efficacy, safety, and tolerability of AFQ056 in Parkinson's disease patients with levodopa-induced dyskinesia. Two randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group, in-patient studies for Parkinson's disease patients with moderate to severe levodopa-induced dyskinesia (study 1) and severe levodopa-induced dyskinesia (study 2) on stable dopaminergic therapy were performed. Patients received 25-150 mg AFQ056 or placebo twice daily for 16 days (both studies). Study 2 included a 4-day down-titration. Primary outcomes were the Lang-Fahn Activities of Daily Living Dyskinesia Scale (study 1), the modified Abnormal Involuntary Movement Scale (study 2), and the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale-part III (both studies). Secondary outcomes included the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale-part IV items 32-33. The primary analysis was change from baseline to day 16 on all outcomes. Treatment differences were assessed. Fifteen patients were randomized to AFQ056 and 16 to placebo in study 1; 14 patients were randomized to each group in study 2. AFQ056-treated patients showed significant improvements in dyskinesias on day 16 versus placebo (eg, Lang-Fahn Activities of Daily Living Dyskinesia Scale, P = .021 [study 1]; modified Abnormal Involuntary Movement Scale, P = .032 [study 2]). No significant changes were seen from baseline on day 16 on the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale-part III in either study. Adverse events were reported in both studies, including dizziness. Serious adverse events (most commonly worsening of dyskinesias, apparently associated with stopping treatment) were reported by 4 AFQ056-treated patients in study 1, and 3 patients (2 AFQ056-treated patient and 1 in the placebo group) in study 2. AFQ056 showed a clinically relevant and significant antidyskinetic effect without changing the antiparkinsonian effects of dopaminergic therapy. © 2011 Movement Disorder Society.

Effect of cyclosporine on the pharmacokinetics of aliskiren in healthy subjects.

To explore the clinical relevance of inhibition of multidrug resistance transporter 1 and organic anion transporting polypeptide transporter, a drug-drug interaction study was conducted using aliskiren and cyclosporine. This was an open-label, single-sequence, parallel-group, single-dose study in healthy subjects. Subjects (n = 14) first received aliskiren 75 mg orally (period 1), followed by aliskiren 75 mg + cyclosporine 200 mg (period 2) after a 7-day washout period, and aliskiren 75 mg + cyclosporine 600 mg (period 3) after a 14-day washout period. Safety and pharmacokinetics were analyzed during each period. The primary objective was to characterize pharmacokinetics of aliskiren (single-dose and combination with cyclosporine). The increases in area under the time-concentration curve from time 0 to infinity and maximum concentration associated with cyclosporine 200 mg or 600 mg were 4- to 5-fold and 2.5-fold, respectively. Mean half-life increased from 25 to 45 hours. Based on comparison to literature, a single-dose of aliskiren 75 mg did not alter the pharmacokinetics of cyclosporine. Aliskiren 75 mg was well tolerated. Combination with cyclosporine increased the number of adverse events, mainly hot flush and gastrointestinal symptoms, with no serious adverse events. Two adverse events led to withdrawal (ligament rupture, not suspected to be study-drug related; and vomiting, suspected to be study-drug related). Laboratory parameters, vital signs, and electrocardiographs showed no time- or treatment-related changes. As cyclosporine significantly altered the pharmacokinetics of aliskiren in humans, its use with aliskiren is not recommended.

Effect of verapamil on the pharmacokinetics of aliskiren in healthy participants.

The authors describe the drug-drug interaction between aliskiren and verapamil in healthy participants. Eighteen participants first received an oral dose of aliskiren 300 mg (highest recommended clinical dose) in period 1. After a 10-day washout period, the participants received verapamil 240 mg/d for 8 days (period 2). On day 8, the participants also received an oral dose of aliskiren 300 mg. Safety and pharmacokinetic analyses were performed during each treatment period. Concomitant administration of a single dose of aliskiren during steady-state verapamil resulted in an increase in plasma concentration of aliskiren. The mean increase in AUC(0-∞), AUC(last), and C(max) was about 2-fold. On day 8, in the presence of aliskiren, AUC(τ,ss) of R-norverapamil, R-verapamil, S-norverapamil, and S-verapamil was decreased by 10%, 16%, 10%, and 25%, respectively. Similarly, the C(max,ss) of R-norverapamil, R-verapamil, S-norverapamil, and S-verapamil was decreased by 13%, 18%, 12%, and 24%, respectively. Aliskiren did not affect the AUC(τ,ss) ratios of R-norverapamil/R-verapamil and S-norverapamil/S-verapamil. Aliskiren administered alone or in combination with verapamil was well tolerated in healthy participants. In conclusion, no dose adjustment is necessary when aliskiren is administered with moderate ABCB1 inhibitors such as verapamil (240 mg/d).