A Phase 2 Open Label Study of Efficacy, Safety, and Tolerability of SLS-002 (Intranasal Racemic Ketamine) in Adults with MDD at Imminent Risk of Suicide.

Background: Despite the prevalence of Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) and the propensity of affected individuals to eventually die by suicide, there is no therapeutic approved specifically for suicidal ideation and behavior (SI/B) in MDD. The NMDA receptor antagonist ketamine has been investigated for the treatment of depression and shown to have a rapid effect on symptoms. Spravato® (esketamine) is approved by the FDA for use in treatment-resistant depression and Major Depressive Episodes with Suicidal Ideation based on studies conducted in adults also taking standard antidepressants. While esketamine was associated with a large reduction in suicidality indicators, the effects did not significantly exceed those associated with placebo. Racemic ketamine, a mixture of both esketamine and arketamine, may hold greater potential for the rapid alleviation of SI/B. SLS-002 was developed as an investigational intranasal racemic ketamine for the treatment of SI/B in individuals with MDD. Methods: In part one of a two-part clinical trial, the safety, tolerability, and potential effectiveness of SLS-002 were evaluated in an open label study of 17 patients with MDD hospitalized with acute SI/B. Results: Treatment with SLS-002 was associated with a significant reduction in depression and suicidality indicators on four clinical scales: the Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale, the Sheehan-Suicidality Tracking Scale, and the Clinical and Patient Global Impression Scales for SI/B. SLS-002 was well tolerated with an acceptable safety profile. Conclusions: The results of this open label study support the continued development of SLS-002. The randomized double-blind placebo-controlled part two of this trial was recently completed.

Prevalence of Diagnosed Dry Eye Disease in the United States Among Adults Aged 18 Years and Older.

PURPOSE: To provide current estimates of the prevalence of diagnosed dry eye disease (DED) and associated demographics among US adults aged ≥18 years. DESIGN: Cross-sectional, population-based survey. METHODS: Data were analyzed from 75 000 participants in the 2013 National Health and Wellness Survey to estimate prevalence/risk of diagnosed DED overall, and by age, sex, insurance, and other demographic factors. We weighted the observed DED prevalence to project estimates to the US adult population and examined associations between demographic factors and DED using multivariable logistic regression. RESULTS: Based on weighted estimates, 6.8% of the US adult population was projected to have diagnosed DED (∼16.4 million people). Prevalence increased with age (18-34 years: 2.7%; ≥75 years: 18.6%) and was higher among women (8.8%; ∼11.1 million) than men (4.5%; ∼5.3 million). After adjustment, there were no substantial differences in prevalence/risk of diagnosed DED by race, education, or US census region. However, there was higher risk of diagnosed DED among those aged 45-54 years (odds ratio [OR]: 1.95; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.74-2.20) and ≥75 years (OR: 4.95; 95% CI: 4.26-5.74), vs those aged 18-34 years. Risk was also higher among women vs men (OR: 2.00; 95% CI: 1.88-2.13) and insured vs uninsured participants (OR: 2.12; 95% CI: 1.85-2.43 for those on government and private insurance vs none). CONCLUSIONS: We estimate that >16 million US adults have diagnosed DED. Prevalence is higher among women than men, increases with age, and is notable among those aged 18-34 years.

Challenges of Developing an Observable Parent-Reported Measure: A Qualitative Study of Functional Impact of ADHD in Children.

BACKGROUND: Informant-reported outcome measures, usually completed by parents, are often administered in pediatric clinical trials with the intention of collecting data to support claims in a medical product label. Recently, there has been an emphasis on limiting these measures to observable content, as recommended in the US Food and Drug Administration guidance on patient-reported outcomes. This qualitative study explores the concept of observability using the example of childhood attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). METHODS: Concept elicitation interviews were conducted with children (aged 6-12 years) diagnosed with ADHD and parents of children with ADHD to identify concepts for a potential parent-reported measure of functional impact of childhood ADHD. The observability of each concept was considered. RESULTS: Of the 30 parents (90% females; mean age = 42.0 years), 24 had a child who was also interviewed (87.5% males; mean age = 9.6 years). Areas of functional impact reported by parents and/or children included the following: 1) functioning within the home/family, 2) academic performance, 3) school behavior, 4) social functioning, 5) emotional functioning, and 6) decreased self-efficacy. Parents cited many examples of direct observation at home, but opportunities for observation of some important areas of impact (e.g., school behavior and peer relationships) were limited. CONCLUSIONS: Findings illustrate the substantial functional impairment associated with childhood ADHD while highlighting the challenges of developing informant-reported outcome measures limited to observable content. Because ADHD has an impact on children's functioning in a wide range of contexts, a parent-report measure that includes only observable content may fail to capture important aspects of functional impairment. Approaches for addressing this observability challenge are discussed.

Analysis of serum phosphate control and phosphate binder utilization in incident hemodialysis patients.

The purpose of this study was to conduct a retrospective analysis of serum phosphate level variability in patients new to hemodialysis (HD) and to identify patient characteristics associated with this variability. The medical records of 47,742 incident HD patients attending US outpatient dialysis centers between January 1, 2006 and March 31, 2009 were analyzed. Monthly mean serum phosphate levels determined over a 6-month evaluation period (months 4-9 after HD initiation) were assigned to one of three strata: low (<1.13 mmol/L [<3.5 mg/dL]); target (1.13-1.78 mmol/L [3.5-5.5 mg/dL]); or high (>1.78 mmol/L [>5.5 mg/dL]). Patients were classified into one of six serum phosphate variability groups based on variability among monthly mean phosphate levels over the 6-month evaluation period: consistently target; consistently high; high-to-target; high-to-low; target-to-low; or consistently low. Only 15% of patients (consistently target group) maintained monthly mean serum phosphate levels within the target range throughout the 6-month evaluation period. Age, Charlson comorbidity index, serum phosphate, and intact parathyroid hormone levels prior to HD initiation were strongly associated (P<0.001) with serum phosphate levels after HD initiation. Overall patient-reported phosphate binder usage increased from 35% at baseline to 52% at end of study. The low proportion of patients achieving target phosphate levels and low rates of phosphate binder usage observed during the study suggest that alternative strategies could be developed to control serum phosphate levels. Possible strategies that might be incorporated to help improve the management of hyperphosphatemia in incident HD patients include dietary modification, dialysis optimization, and earlier and sustained use of phosphate binders.