Trial of Solanezumab for Mild Dementia Due to Alzheimer's Disease.

BACKGROUND: Alzheimer's disease is characterized by amyloid-beta (Aß) plaques and neurofibrillary tangles. The humanized monoclonal antibody solanezumab was designed to increase the clearance from the brain of soluble Aß, peptides that may lead to toxic effects in the synapses and precede the deposition of fibrillary amyloid. METHODS: We conducted a double-blind, placebo-controlled, phase 3 trial involving patients with mild dementia due to Alzheimer's disease, defined as a Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) score of 20 to 26 (on a scale from 0 to 30, with higher scores indicating better cognition) and with amyloid deposition shown by means of florbetapir positron-emission tomography or Aß1-42 measurements in cerebrospinal fluid. Patients were randomly assigned to receive solanezumab at a dose of 400 mg or placebo intravenously every 4 weeks for 76 weeks. The primary outcome was the change from baseline to week 80 in the score on the 14-item cognitive subscale of the Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale (ADAS-cog14; scores range from 0 to 90, with higher scores indicating greater cognitive impairment). RESULTS: A total of 2129 patients were enrolled, of whom 1057 were assigned to receive solanezumab and 1072 to receive placebo. The mean change from baseline in the ADAS-cog14 score was 6.65 in the solanezumab group and 7.44 in the placebo group, with no significant between-group difference at week 80 (difference, -0.80; 95% confidence interval, -1.73 to 0.14; P=0.10). As a result of the failure to reach significance with regard to the primary outcome in the prespecified hierarchical analysis, the secondary outcomes were considered to be descriptive and are reported without significance testing. The change from baseline in the MMSE score was -3.17 in the solanezumab group and -3.66 in the placebo group. Adverse cerebral edema or effusion lesions that were observed on magnetic resonance imaging after randomization occurred in 1 patient in the solanezumab group and in 2 in the placebo group. CONCLUSIONS: Solanezumab at a dose of 400 mg administered every 4 weeks in patients with mild Alzheimer's disease did not significantly affect cognitive decline. (Funded by Eli Lilly; EXPEDITION3 ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT01900665 .).

Issues Impacting Adverse Event Frequency and Severity: Differences Between Randomized Phase 2 and Phase 3 Clinical Trials for Lasmiditan.

OBJECTIVE: We explore factors that may have contributed to differences in treatment-emergent adverse events in the phase 2 and phase 3 lasmiditan clinical trials. BACKGROUND: Phase 2 and phase 3 trials showed that the centrally penetrant 5-HT1F agonist, lasmiditan, was effective; higher frequency and severity of adverse events (AEs) were seen in phase 2. METHODS: This work represents a hybrid of a review of primary documents and study reports with additional post hoc analyses. Protocols, informed consents, data collection forms, and methodologies were reviewed. This information was supplemented by results from the clinical study reports and post hoc analyses of individual patient data from each trial. RESULTS: For lasmiditan 100 and 200 mg, in phase 2, the incidence of ≥1 AE was 72-86% (26% severe), while in phase 3 was 36-43% (2% severe). The most common AEs in all studies were CNS-related. The phase 2 consent form was more descriptive of AEs than phase 3. In phase 2, patients recorded AEs and severity in a paper diary that warned about drowsiness and dizziness. In phase 3, patients recorded in electronic diaries whether they experienced unusual feelings after dosing with lasmiditan that they had not felt with a migraine before, and were contacted to determine if an AE had occurred. In phase 2, the AE Schwindel was variably translated from German as "vertigo" or "dizziness," while phase 3 vertigo cases were queried to ensure there was a sensation of rotation or movement. History of recurrent dizziness and/or vertigo was exclusionary in phase 3. CONCLUSIONS: This work illustrates how informed consent wording, AE collection methods, translation, exclusion criteria, and other factors may be important determinants for reporting of the frequency and severity of AEs in clinical trials.

Interim results of a prospective, randomized, open-label, Phase 3 study of the long-term safety and efficacy of lasmiditan for acute treatment of migraine (the GLADIATOR study).

OBJECTIVES: To address the need for long-term lasmiditan data, the GLADIATOR study evaluated the safety (primary) and efficacy (secondary) of lasmiditan for the intermittent, acute treatment of migraine attacks for up to 1 year. METHODS: In this prospective, randomized, open-label, Phase 3 study, patients who had completed either of two single-attack studies were offered the opportunity to be randomized 1:1 to lasmiditan 100 mg or 200 mg. Patients were asked to use lasmiditan as the first treatment for each new migraine attack of at least moderate severity. Assessments occurred at baseline and at prespecified time increments up to 48 hours after each dose of study drug using an electronic diary, and safety was assessed throughout the study. Migraine Disability Assessment (MIDAS) was assessed at each visit. RESULTS: As of the cut-off date for this interim analysis (6 March 2018), 1978 patients had received ≥ 1 lasmiditan dose and treated 19,058 migraine attacks. Overall, treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs) were similar to those in the single-attack studies and included dizziness (18.6%), somnolence (8.5%), and paresthesia (6.8%). The frequency of TEAEs generally decreased with subsequent attacks. No treatment-related serious adverse events and no cardiovascular TEAEs potentially due to vasoconstriction were observed. For both lasmiditan doses, efficacy measures were generally consistent over study quarters and treated attacks. Overall, across all treated attacks at 2 hours post-dose, pain freedom was observed in 26.9% of the attacks treated with lasmiditan 100 mg and 32.4% of the attacks treated with lasmiditan 200 mg. MIDAS total scores decreased over time. CONCLUSIONS: The interim results of this long-term study showed intermittent lasmiditan (100 mg and 200 mg) to be generally well tolerated and efficacious for the acute treatment of migraine over a 1-year period. Trial registration number: NCT02565186; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02565186.

Lasmiditan for acute treatment of migraine in patients with cardiovascular risk factors: post-hoc analysis of pooled results from 2 randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, phase 3 trials.

BACKGROUND: In addition to the increased risk for cardiovascular (CV) disease and CV events associated with migraine, patients with migraine can also present with a number of CV risk factors (CVRFs). Existing treatment options can be limited due to contraindications, increased burden associated with monitoring, or patient avoidance of side effects. Safe and effective migraine treatment options are needed for patients with migraine and a history of CV or cerebrovascular disease or with increased risk for CV events. This analysis was designed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of oral lasmiditan, a selective serotonin 5-hydroxytryptamine 1F receptor agonist, in acute treatment of migraine attacks in patients with CVRFs. METHODS: SAMURAI and SPARTAN were similarly designed, Phase 3, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials in adults treating a single migraine attack with lasmiditan 50, 100, or 200 mg. Both studies included patients with CVRFs, and SPARTAN allowed patients with coronary artery disease, clinically significant arrhythmia, or uncontrolled hypertension. Efficacy and safety of lasmiditan in subgroups of patients with differing levels of CVRFs are reported. For efficacy analyses, logistic regression was used to assess treatment-by-subgroup interactions. For safety analyses, Cochran-Mantel-Haenszel test of general association evaluated treatment comparisons; Mantel-Haenszel odds ratio assessed significant treatment effects. RESULTS: In this pooled analysis, a total of 4439 patients received ≥1 dose of study drug. A total of 3500 patients (78.8%) had ≥1 CVRF, and 1833 patients (41.3%) had ≥2 CVRFs at baseline. Both trials met the primary endpoints of headache pain freedom and most bothersome symptom freedom at 2 h. The presence of CVRFs did not affect efficacy results. There was a low frequency of likely CV treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs) overall (lasmiditan, 30 [0.9%]; placebo, 5 [0.4%]). There was no statistical difference in the frequency of likely CV TEAEs in either the absence or presence of any CVRFs. The only likely CV TEAE seen across patients with ≥1, ≥ 2, ≥ 3, or ≥ 4 CVRFs was palpitations. CONCLUSIONS: When analyzed by the presence of CVRFs, there was no statistical difference in lasmiditan efficacy or the frequency of likely CV TEAEs. Despite the analysis being limited by a single-migraine-attack design, the lack of differences in efficacy and safety with increasing numbers of CVRFs indicates that lasmiditan might be considered in the treatment algorithm for patients with CVRFs. Future studies are needed to assess long-term efficacy and safety. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02439320 (SAMURAI), registered 18 March 2015 and ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02605174 (SPARTAN), registered 11 November 2015.

Olanzapine long-acting injection: a review of first experiences of post-injection delirium/sedation syndrome in routine clinical practice.

BACKGROUND: Olanzapine long-acting injection (LAI) for the treatment of schizophrenia was associated with a cluster of symptoms termed post-injection delirium/sedation syndrome (PDSS) in a small percentage (~2%) of patients during clinical trials. The objective of this analysis was to evaluate the rate and clinical characteristics of PDSS since olanzapine LAI entered commercial use. METHODS: Cases of PDSS were identified from all reported adverse events during worldwide commercial use of olanzapine LAI through to 1 March 2014. Data sources included two ongoing post-marketing safety studies as well as spontaneously reported adverse events from routine clinical practice over a 5-year period (1 March 2009 to 1 March 2014). RESULTS: A total of 338 PDSS events were identified. Of these, 91% occurred within 1 hour of injection, and 52% of these occurred within 15 minutes. None of the PDSS events in this analysis were fatal, and most resolved within 72 hours. The most common symptoms (occurring in >30% of cases) were sedation (61%), confusion (56%), dysarthria (54%), somnolence (46%), dizziness (45%) and disorientation (35%). Overall, PDSS occurred with approximately 0.07% of injections and in 0.46-1.03% of patients (reporting and incidence rates from spontaneous reports and post-marketing safety studies, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: The PDSS events reported during routine clinical use of olanzapine LAI are generally similar in incidence and presentation to those reported in clinical trials. Caution should be applied when interpreting spontaneously reported rates of adverse events, however, due to potential under-reporting. Implemented risk-minimisation activities may contribute substantially to the identification and appropriate management of patients with PDSS in clinical practice.

Baseline characteristics and hospitalizations in patients with schizophrenia receiving olanzapine long-acting injection: an interim analysis from a non-interventional, prospective observational safety study.

BACKGROUND: Depot antipsychotics are a treatment option for medication nonadherence in patients with schizophrenia. Nonadherence can lead to increased relapse and hospitalization rates. This article reports hospitalization data before and after initiation of olanzapine long-acting injection (LAI), a depot antipsychotic. METHODS: Data were assessed from an ongoing, multinational, prospective, observational post-authorisation safety study being conducted to evaluate post-injection delirium/sedation syndrome (PDSS), an adverse reaction that can occur following injection of olanzapine LAI. Eligible patients were aged ≥18 years, diagnosed with schizophrenia, were prescribed olanzapine LAI, and lived outside the United States. Psychiatric hospitalization and medication data were collected retrospectively for the 6-month period before study entry and prospectively throughout the study. Paired t-tests and McNemar's tests were used to assess changes in hospitalization incidence and duration. Stepwise Cox proportional hazards models assessed factors associated with hospitalizations. Analyses were based on data from the first 3 years of the continuously enrolling study (N = 668). RESULTS: The average duration of olanzapine LAI exposure for all patients was 0.768 years. Of the 529 patients who received at least 1 injection of olanzapine LAI and were not hospitalized at study entry, 8.1% had at least 1 subsequent psychiatric hospitalization with a mean duration of 2.0 days. Of the 288 patients who had a >6-month follow-up, 8.3% had at least 1 post-baseline psychiatric hospitalization with a mean duration of 2.3 days. The incidence of hospitalizations in the 6-month period after treatment was significantly lower than that in the 6-month period prior to treatment (8.3 vs 32.6%, respectively; P < 0.001). Furthermore, mean hospitalization duration decreased from 11.5 days in the 6-month period before treatment to 2.3 days in the 6-month period after treatment (P < 0.001). Psychiatric hospitalization in the prior 12 months (P < 0.0001) and recreational drug use within 24 h of baseline visit (P = 0.015) were identified as potential predictors of time to first psychiatric hospitalization after beginning to take olanzapine LAI. At the time of interim analysis, 5 PDSS events had occurred, which was too few for a full analysis of those events. CONCLUSIONS: Results indicate a significant reduction in the incidence and days of hospitalization from the 6-month period before to the 6-month period after olanzapine LAI initiation, which suggests reduced relapse and hospitalization during treatment. Results should be interpreted with caution due to the observational nature of the study and use of retrospective baseline data.

Safety profile of lasmiditan in patients with migraine in an Asian population.

BACKGROUND: MONONOFU, a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase 2 study of Japanese patients with migraine, was pivotal for lasmiditan approval in Japan. However, treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs) were more common than in global studies. A detailed safety profile would assist patient management. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: Safety assessments in MONONOFU included specific terms reported, frequency, severity, time to onset, duration, TEAE management, common TEAE risk factors, and TEAE-efficacy associations. RESULTS: Of 846 participants, 691 were assessed for safety. The proportion of participants reporting ≥1 TEAE was 23.4% with placebo and 70.9% with lasmiditan; 87.3% of TEAEs with lasmiditan were mild. The most frequent TEAEs with lasmiditan, dizziness (39.4%) and somnolence (19.3%), started ≤1 hour postdose (median durations: 2.5 and 3.3 hours, respectively). Higher lasmiditan dose, but not patient factors including body size, was identified as a clinically meaningful predictor of dizziness and somnolence. There were no adverse consequences of neurological TEAEs, which did not appear to adversely affect lasmiditan efficacy. CONCLUSIONS: In the MONONOFU study, TEAEs appeared typically mild, transient, and self-limiting. Lasmiditan may represent a useful and well-tolerated acute treatment option for smaller (body mass index <30 kg/m2) patients and Asian patients with migraine.

Serotonin syndrome in the acute treatment landscape of migraine: the lasmiditan experience.

Background: Serotonin syndrome (SS) symptoms overlap with adverse events associated with lasmiditan, a 5-HT (serotonin)1F receptor agonist for acute treatment of migraine. Because SS symptoms are heterogeneous, diagnosis can be challenging, and potential cases observed with lasmiditan treatment led to questions about SS pathophysiology. Here, we provide an overview of the potential risk of SS based on experience with lasmiditan. Methods: Results of eight phase 2 and phase 3 lasmiditan trials (n = 5,916) and a controlled intravenous trial of lasmiditan (n = 88) were analyzed for symptomatology consistent with SS. Post-marketing surveillance data from lasmiditan's US launch date (January 2020) until data cut-off (April 2021) were also examined. Established Sternbach and Hunter diagnostic criteria were used for formal determination of SS. Results: Of 6,004 lasmiditan-treated clinical trial patients, 15 reported ≥1 treatment-emergent adverse event consistent with signs and symptom(s) of SS. After review, one case met Sternbach and Hunter criteria, two cases potentially met Sternbach criteria, and three cases reported as SS had limited/no information to determine if either criterion was met. During post-marketing surveillance (approximately 13,400 lasmiditan prescriptions), 17 cases with symptom complexes consistent with SS were reported; 3/17 cases had adequate case descriptions to apply predefined criteria. Of these, two met Sternbach and Hunter criteria, and one met Sternbach criteria. Conclusion: Awareness of clinical symptomatology and diagnostic criteria of SS can help clinicians with recognition of rare instances of SS that may occur with lasmiditan. Clinical trial registration: NCT03670810, NCT00384774, NCT00883051, NCT02565186.

Tolerability and Safety of Lasmiditan Treatment in Elderly Patients With Migraine: Post Hoc Analyses From Randomized Studies.

PURPOSE: Limited information is available on acute treatments for migraine in elderly patients. Our objective was to evaluate the tolerability and safety of lasmiditan, a serotonin 1F agonist, for the acute treatment of migraine in elderly compared with nonelderly patients, with special emphasis on cardiovascular-related issues because cardiovascular comorbidities are more common in the elderly population. METHODS: These post hoc analyses evaluated the incidence of treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs) in elderly (≥65 years of age) versus nonelderly (<65 years of age) lasmiditan-treated patients. Two clinical trials entitled A Study of Two Doses of LAsMiditan (100 mg and 200 mg) Compared to Placebo in the AcUte Treatment of MigRAIne (SAMURAI) and A Study of Three Doses of Lasmiditan (50 mg, 100 mg and 200 mg) Compared to Placebo in the Acute TReaTment of MigrAiNe (SPARTAN) were randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, Phase III studies in adults (no upper age limit) who took placebo or lasmiditan 50 (SPARTAN only), 100, or 200 mg for a single migraine attack within 4 hours of the onset of moderate or severe pain. Patients who completed SAMURAI or SPARTAN were eligible to enroll in An Open-label, LonG-term, Safety Study of LAsmiDItan (100 mg and 200 mg) in the Acute Treatment Of MigRaine (GLADIATOR), a Phase III, randomized, open-label, multiattack study of lasmiditan 100 or 200 mg. For pooled SAMURAI+SPARTAN data, treatment × age subgroup interactions were examined using logistic regression analyses. In addition, common cardiovascular event rates were assessed from GLADIATOR during 3 periods: treatment-emergent (<48 hours after dosing), intermediate (48 hours to 1 week after dosing), and remote (>1 week after dosing). FINDINGS: Of 3177 lasmiditan-treated patients in SAMURAI or SPARTAN, 132 (4.2%) were elderly, and of 1262 placebo-treated patients, 54 (4.3%) were elderly. Of 2030 lasmiditan-treated patients in GLADIATOR, 85 (4.2%) were elderly. The incidences of at least 1 TEAE with lasmiditan in nonelderly and elderly patients with migraine were 36% and 35% in pooled SAMURAI+SPARTAN, respectively, and 49% and 38% in GLADIATOR, respectively. No significant treatment × age subgroup interactions were observed in patients with ≥1 TEAE overall or for any individual TEAE in pooled SPARTAN+SAMURAI; however, numerical differences in the incidence of some specific TEAEs were seen. No treatment × age subgroup interactions and no tolerability concerns for individual TEAEs were detected. Cardiovascular TEAEs were much more frequent in the nonelderly population than the elderly population. Cardiovascular events were not reported in the elderly population during the treatment-emergent period or intermediate period. There were 2 cases of increased blood pressure in elderly patients during the remote period. IMPLICATIONS: The incidence of TEAEs was similar for elderly and nonelderly patients, and cardiovascular safety of lasmiditan was generally consistent with that in single-attack studies. No safety signals were observed with the limited number of patients in the elderly population. ClinicalTrials.gov identifiers: NCT02565186 (GLADIATOR), NCT02439320 (SAMURAI), and NCT02605174 (SPARTAN).

Pharmacokinetics, Safety, and Tolerability of Lasmiditan in Pediatric Patients with Migraine.

INTRODUCTION: Lasmiditan is a selective serotonin (5-HT1F) receptor agonist approved in the US for the acute treatment ofmigraine in adults. This phase I, open-label, two-cohort study assessed the pharmacokinetics (PK), safety, and tolerability of lasmiditan in patients with migraine aged 6 to < 18 years. METHODS: Cohort 1 (15 to ≤ 40 kg) and Cohort 2 (> 40 to ≤ 55 kg) received single oral doses of lasmiditan (100 mg and 200 mg, respectively).Blood samples for the assessment of PK and safety parameters were collected over a 24-h period. Follow-up was approximately 14 days after dosing. RESULTS: Eighteen patients received lasmiditan (11 in Cohort 1, 7 in Cohort 2) and 17 patients completed the study. One patient in Cohort 2 discontinued due to adverse events. Plasma concentrations peaked at 1.5-2 h post dose and then declined, with a terminal half-life of approximately 4 h in both cohorts. While the exposure to lasmiditan was generally similar between cohorts, PK parameters, such as apparent total body clearance and volume of distribution, were greater for the 200 mg cohort relative to the 100 mg cohort. No deaths or serious adverse events were reported. The frequency and severity of adverse events (including somnolence, dizziness, and fatigue) were generally mild and similar to those in adult studies. CONCLUSION: The PK results support weight-based dosing of lasmiditan in pediatric patients with migraine and no new safety or tolerability issues were identified. These findings support further investigation of lasmiditan as a potential treatment in pediatric patients with migraine. Clinical Trial Registration Numbers NCT03988088 and EMEA-002166-PIP01-17M02.

Postinjection delirium/sedation syndrome in patients with schizophrenia receiving olanzapine long-acting injection: results from a large observational study.

BACKGROUND: Postinjection delirium/sedation syndrome (PDSS) has been reported uncommonly during treatment with olanzapine long-acting injection (LAI), a sustained-release formulation of olanzapine. AIMS: The primary aim of the study was to estimate the incidence per injection and per patient of PDSS events in adult patients with schizophrenia who were receiving olanzapine LAI in real-world clinical practice. Secondary aims were to further characterise the clinical presentation of PDSS events, to identify potential risk factors associated with PDSS events and to characterise hospitalisations at baseline and post-baseline. METHOD: A prospective observational study of adult patients with schizophrenia receiving olanzapine LAI from 24 countries. Data were collected on patient characteristics, olanzapine LAI treatment and any adverse events (AEs). All AEs were reviewed and adjudicated for PDSS using predetermined criteria. RESULTS: There were 46 confirmed PDSS events (0.044% of the 103 505 injections) in 45 patients (1.17% of the 3858 patients). Based on 45 confirmed events with time-to-onset information, 91.1% (n=41) occurred within 1 h of injection. Time-to-recovery from the event was within 72 h for 95.6% of patients (range 6 h to 11 days). Risk factors for PDSS (per-injection) included high dose (odds ratio (OR)high/low=3.95; P=0.006) and male gender (ORfemale/male=0.42; P=0.017). CONCLUSIONS: Results of this study confirm previously reported PDSS rates, time to onset and recovery, and the severity of PDSS events, and suggest that higher doses and male gender are potential risk factors associated with PDSS. DECLARATION OF INTEREST: All authors are full-time employees and hold stock/stock options in Eli Lilly, which funded this study. This post-authorisation safety study (PASS) was proposed by Eli Lilly when submitting the original marketing authorisation application for olanzapine LAI in 2007. The protocol and final study report for this European Union regulatory commitment are publicly accessible via the European Network of Centres for Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacovigilance (ENCePP) European Union PASS Register (www.encepp.eu/encepp/viewResource.htm?id=16847). The current manuscript describes the results within the final study report. COPYRIGHT AND USAGE: © The Royal College of Psychiatrists 2017. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Non-Commercial, No Derivatives (CC BY-NC-ND) license.