Exome sequencing implicates ancestry-related Mendelian variation at SYNE1 in childhood-onset essential hypertension.

Childhood-onset essential hypertension (COEH) is an uncommon form of hypertension that manifests in childhood or adolescence and, in the United States, disproportionately affects children of African ancestry. The etiology of COEH is unknown, but its childhood onset, low prevalence, high heritability, and skewed ancestral demography suggest the potential to identify rare genetic variation segregating in a Mendelian manner among affected individuals and thereby implicate genes important to disease pathogenesis. However, no COEH genes have been reported to date. Here, we identify recessive segregation of rare and putatively damaging missense variation in the spectrin domain of spectrin repeat containing nuclear envelope protein 1 (SYNE1), a cardiovascular candidate gene, in 3 of 16 families with early-onset COEH without an antecedent family history. By leveraging exome sequence data from an additional 48 COEH families, 1,700 in-house trios, and publicly available data sets, we demonstrate that compound heterozygous SYNE1 variation in these COEH individuals occurred more often than expected by chance and that this class of biallelic rare variation was significantly enriched among individuals of African genetic ancestry. Using in vitro shRNA knockdown of SYNE1, we show that reduced SYNE1 expression resulted in a substantial decrease in the elasticity of smooth muscle vascular cells that could be rescued by pharmacological inhibition of the downstream RhoA/Rho-associated protein kinase pathway. These results provide insights into the molecular genetics and underlying pathophysiology of COEH and suggest a role for precision therapeutics in the future.

Lemborexant levels in breast milk after single doses in healthy, lactating women.

AIMS: The aim of this study is to determine the cumulative amount of lemborexant (a competitive dual orexin receptor antagonist approved to treat adults with insomnia) excreted in human breast milk and the relative infant dose (RID) as a proportion of daily maternal dose. METHODS: E2006-A001-010 was a single-centre, open-label study that enrolled lactating women (≥18 years) who breastfed for ≥5 weeks postpartum. After overnight fasting, subjects received a single 10-mg oral dose of lemborexant. Using a standardized electric pump, milk was sampled before and ≤240 h (10 days) after dosing; combined and total volume were recorded. The cumulative total amount of lemborexant excreted, fraction of dose excreted, daily infant dose and RID were calculated. Lemborexant concentration in human milk was assessed by liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry. RESULTS: Eight subjects completed the study. The mean cumulative total amount of lemborexant reached 0.0174 mg (coefficient of variation [CV] 54.5%; 0.174% of lemborexant 10 mg administered) in breast milk at 240 h (10 days); ~70% of excreted lemborexant accumulated in the first 24 h. For an infant weighing 6 kg, the daily infant dose was 0.00290 mg kg-1 (CV 54.5%) and the RID was 1.96% (CV 63.1%) of daily maternal dose. Mild treatment-emergent adverse events were reported in 4 subjects; these all resolved by end of study. CONCLUSION: Trace quantities of lemborexant were found in human breast milk. Lemborexant was well tolerated by healthy lactating women.

A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover study of respiratory safety of lemborexant in moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea.

STUDY OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the respiratory safety of lemborexant among adults and older adults with moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). METHODS: E2006-A001-113 (Study 113; NCT04647383) was a double-blind, two-period crossover, placebo-controlled study in adults (ages ≥ 45 to ≤ 90 years, n = 33) with moderate (apnea-hypopnea index [AHI] score ≥ 15 to < 30 events/h, n = 13) or severe (AHI ≥ 30 events/h, n = 20) OSA. Participants were randomized to lemborexant 10 mg (LEM10) or placebo (PBO) for two treatment periods of 8 nights with a ≥ 14-day washout period. AHI and peripheral oxygen saturation were evaluated after treatment on Day 1 (after a single dose) and Day 8 (after multiple doses). RESULTS: No significant differences in AHI were observed after single and multiple doses of LEM10 compared with PBO in participants with moderate to severe OSA (least-squares mean: single-dose LEM10, 41.7; PBO, 44.8; multiple-dose LEM10, 44.9; PBO, 45.7). In addition, there were no significant differences between treatments in peripheral oxygen saturation (least-squares mean: single-dose LEM10, 93.0; PBO, 93.1; multiple-dose LEM10, 93.1; PBO, 93.4). Further, there were no significant differences between treatments in percentage of total sleep time with peripheral oxygen saturation < 90%, < 85%, or < 80%. No significant differences were observed between treatments when AHI and peripheral oxygen saturation outcomes were analyzed by OSA severity. Altogether, 6/33 (18.2%) participants receiving LEM10, vs 3/33 (9.1%) PBO, reported treatment-emergent adverse events, mostly mild in severity. CONCLUSIONS: LEM10 demonstrated respiratory safety and was well tolerated with single-dose and multiple-dose administration in participants with moderate to severe OSA. This suggests that LEM may be a treatment option for patients with OSA and comorbid insomnia. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: Registry: ClinicalTrials.gov; Name: A Study to Evaluate the Respiratory Safety of Lemborexant in Adult and Elderly Participants With Moderate to Severe Obstructive Sleep Apnea and in Adult and Elderly Participants With Moderate to Severe Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease; URL: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04647383; Identifier: NCT04647383. CITATION: Cheng JY, Lorch D, Lowe AD, et al. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover study of respiratory safety of lemborexant in moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea. J Clin Sleep Med. 2024;20(1):57-65.

First-in-Human Study of the Safety, Tolerability, Pharmacokinetics, and Pharmacodynamics of E6742, a Dual Antagonist of Toll-like Receptors 7 and 8, in Healthy Volunteers.

The first-in-human phase I study for E6742, a dual toll-like receptor (TLR) 7 and TLR8 antagonist, has been conducted to assess the safety, tolerability, and pharmacokinetics of E6742 in healthy volunteers. In a single ascending dose (SAD) study, 42 subjects received 10-800 mg of E6742 in the fasted state, as well as a 100-mg cohort in the fed state for evaluating the effect of food. In a multiple ascending dose (MAD) study, 18 subjects received 100-400 mg of E6742 twice daily for 7 days. E6742 was rapidly absorbed with a median tmax ranging from 1.50 to 2.50 hours across dose groups under the fasted condition, and eliminated with a median t½ ranging from 2.37 to 14.4 hours. After multiple oral doses, a steady state was reached by day 7. In the SAD study, dose proportionality was observed for Cmax , AUC(0-t) , and AUC(0-inf) values of E6742 up to 800 mg, but these values were slightly less than dose proportional at 10 mg. In the MAD study, the Cmax and AUC(0-12h)ss of E6742 appeared to be almost dose proportionally increased between 100 and 200 mg, while these parameters showed more than a dose proportional increase at 400 mg. In addition to safety and good tolerability, this study demonstrated cytokine concentrations in cultured peripheral blood in response to E6742 were suppressed in a dose-dependent manner. Further clinical studies targeting systemic lupus erythematosus patients are currently underway.

Acute Cognitive Effects of the Dual Orexin Receptor Antagonist Lemborexant Compared With Suvorexant and Zolpidem in Recreational Sedative Users.

PURPOSE/BACKGROUND: As part of a human abuse potential (HAP) study of lemborexant (LEM), the effects of therapeutic (LEM 10 mg), and supratherapeutic doses of LEM 20 mg and LEM 30 mg on cognition and psychomotor performance were compared with placebo (PBO) and supratherapeutic doses of zolpidem (ZOL) 30 mg and suvorexant (SUV) 40 mg. Subjects (n = 32) were healthy, nondependent, recreational sedative users able to discriminate the effects of both SUV and ZOL from PBO on subjective drug measures. METHODS/PROCEDURES: The human abuse potential study was a single-dose, randomized, double-blind, PBO-controlled, 6-way crossover study. Eligible subjects admitted to the treatment phase completed the choice reaction test (CRT) and divided attention test. The CRT included measurements of recognition reaction time (RRT) and motor reaction time. FINDINGS/RESULTS: Recognition reaction time and mean maximum change from baseline (CFB max ) scores were significantly increased (slower performance) versus PBO for all LEM doses (all P < 0.001), ZOL ( P < 0.001), and SUV ( P = 0.004), and LEM (all doses) was not statistically different from ZOL or SUV. Motor reaction time and mean CFB max versus PBO were significantly increased for all LEM doses (all P < 0.001), and ZOL ( P < 0.001) and SUV ( P < 0.001). All LEM doses showed significantly decreased (better performance) mean CFB max versus ZOL (all P < 0.001), but not SUV. Notably, all cognitive effects in the CRT and divided attention test were limited to the main treatment phase (up to 8 hours postdose). IMPLICATIONS/CONCLUSIONS: All active doses of LEM, ZOL, and SUV generally increased reaction time and reduced divided attention capabilities versus PBO. However, at therapeutic/supratherapeutic doses, LEM led to significantly less cognitive impairment than supratherapeutic doses of ZOL in some measures.

Abuse Potential of Lemborexant, a Dual Orexin Receptor Antagonist, Compared With Zolpidem and Suvorexant in Recreational Sedative Users.

BACKGROUND: Lemborexant (LEM) is a dual orexin receptor antagonist approved for the treatment of insomnia in adults in multiple countries including the the United States, Japan, Canada, Australia and several Asian countries. PROCEDURES: This was a randomized, single-dose, single-center, double-blind, active-control, 6-way crossover study to evaluate LEM abuse potential. The study assessed oral doses of LEM 10 mg (LEM10), 20 mg (LEM20), and 30 mg (LEM30) compared with placebo (PBO), zolpidem (ZOL) immediate release 30 mg, and suvorexant (SUV) 40 mg. Subjects were healthy, nondependent, recreational sedative users able to discriminate/like the effects of both SUV and ZOL from PBO during a qualification phase. RESULTS: Abuse potential endpoints were analyzed in qualified subjects who received and completed all treatments (n = 32). On the "at this moment" drug-liking visual analog scale (VAS), mean maximum (peak) effect (primary endpoint) values were 78.4, 80.5, and 83.6 for LEM10, LEM20, and LEM30, respectively, which were all significantly greater than PBO (57.8; all P > 0.05) but not different from SUV (76.1) or ZOL (78.3). Similarly, for secondary endpoints overall drug-liking VAS and take-drug-again VAS, mean maximum (peak) effect values for all LEM doses were significantly greater than PBO ( P > 0.05) but not different compared with ZOL or SUV. CONCLUSIONS: For all doses, LEM demonstrated abuse potential versus PBO and appeared to have a similar abuse potential profile to ZOL and SUV in this study population. Lemborexant was well tolerated. Lemborexant has been placed in Schedule IV, the same drug schedule as ZOL and SUV.

Treating Concomitant Language and/or Phonology Impairment in Children Who Stutter.

Stuttering can co-occur with phonological and/or language impairment in a nontrivial number of children. This article provides a framework for addressing concomitant phonology/language impairment and stuttering through the application of the World Health Organization's International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) framework. Described is a multifactorial approach to understanding stuttering, the application of the ICF to treating children who stutter with concomitant disorders, and models for structuring-related therapy. A case study is explored to illustrate this process and includes a sample treatment plan with goals, short-term objectives, and sample activities.

Public Health Response to Multistate Salmonella Typhimurium Outbreak Associated with Prepackaged Chicken Salad, United States, 2018.

Quantifying the effect of public health actions on population health is essential when justifying sustained public health investment. Using modeling, we conservatively estimated that rapid response to a multistate foodborne outbreak of Salmonella Typhimurium in the United States in 2018 potentially averted 94 reported cases and $633,181 in medical costs and productivity losses.

Effect of alcohol coadministration on the pharmacodynamics, pharmacokinetics, and safety of lemborexant: A randomized, placebo-controlled crossover study.

BACKGROUND: Lemborexant is a dual orexin receptor antagonist approved to treat insomnia in adults in several countries including the USA, Canada, and Japan. AIMS: This study was conducted to investigate effects of lemborexant and alcohol coadministration on postural stability, cognitive performance, and the pharmacokinetics, safety, and tolerability of lemborexant. METHODS: This was a Phase 1, double-blind, placebo-controlled, four-period crossover study in 32 healthy adults. Individuals were randomized into one of four treatment sequences to receive single doses of placebo, lemborexant 10 mg (LEM10), alcohol (males, 0.7 g/kg; females, 0.6 g/kg), and LEM10 plus alcohol, each separated by a 14-day washout. Postural stability (body sway) was measured by ataxiameter and a cognitive performance assessment battery evaluated four domains of attention and memory. RESULTS: Pharmacodynamic outcomes were analyzed for the 18 participants who completed all four treatments. Change from baseline in body sway showed no significant differences between lemborexant plus alcohol versus alcohol alone. Compared with alcohol alone, coadministration of lemborexant with alcohol showed additive negative effects on cognitive performance domains, corresponding approximately with peak plasma lemborexant concentrations (median = 1.5 h). Cognitive performance was also impaired with lemborexant alone at 0.5 and 2 h in this experimental paradigm with morning dosing. Alcohol increased plasma lemborexant exposure by 70% based on area under the curve to 72 h, and increased peak plasma lemborexant concentrations by 35%. The most commonly reported treatment-emergent adverse event was somnolence. CONCLUSION: Coadministration of lemborexant with alcohol showed additive negative effects on cognitive measures, but not on postural stability, compared with alcohol alone. Lemborexant exposure was increased with alcohol. Lemborexant alone or with alcohol was well tolerated. Patients are advised not to consume alcohol with lemborexant.

Sex-specific phenotypic effects and evolutionary history of an ancient polymorphic deletion of the human growth hormone receptor.

The common deletion of the third exon of the growth hormone receptor gene (GHRd3) in humans is associated with birth weight, growth after birth, and time of puberty. However, its evolutionary history and the molecular mechanisms through which it affects phenotypes remain unresolved. We present evidence that this deletion was nearly fixed in the ancestral population of anatomically modern humans and Neanderthals but underwent a recent adaptive reduction in frequency in East Asia. We documented that GHRd3 is associated with protection from severe malnutrition. Using a novel mouse model, we found that, under calorie restriction, Ghrd3 leads to the female-like gene expression in male livers and the disappearance of sexual dimorphism in weight. The sex- and diet-dependent effects of GHRd3 in our mouse model are consistent with a model in which the allele frequency of GHRd3 varies throughout human evolution as a response to fluctuations in resource availability.

Effects of Lemborexant on the Pharmacokinetics of Oral Contraceptives: Results From a Phase 1 Drug-Drug Interaction Study in Healthy Females.

Lemborexant is a dual orexin receptor antagonist approved in multiple countries including the United States, Canada, and Japan for the treatment of insomnia in adults. As women of childbearing potential may be prescribed insomnia drugs, a drug-drug interaction study was conducted. This single-center, open-label, fixed-sequence study examined potential drug-drug interactions between lemborexant and an oral contraceptive (OC) in healthy females (18-44 years, n = 20). The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of lemborexant 10 mg (at steady state) on the pharmacokinetics of a single dose of OC (0.03 mg ethinyl estradiol and 1.5 mg norethindrone acetate), assess the effect of a single dose of OC on lemborexant pharmacokinetics, and evaluate safety and tolerability of lemborexant and OC coadministration. Ethinyl estradiol maximum plasma drug concentration was not altered by lemborexant coadministration; area under the curve from zero time to the last quantifiable concentration was slightly increased, by 13%. No clinically relevant effects on norethindrone acetate pharmacokinetics were observed. Coadministration of OC with lemborexant had no clinically relevant effect on the steady-state pharmacokinetics of lemborexant. Adverse events were consistent with the known safety profile. These results support the conclusion that lemborexant and OC can be coadministered without dose adjustment.

Effect of hepatic impairment on pharmacokinetics, safety, and tolerability of lemborexant.

Lemborexant, a dual orexin receptor antagonist, is approved in the United States, Japan, and Canada for the treatment of insomnia in adults. This phase I, multicenter, open-label, parallel-group study assessed the impact of mild or moderate hepatic impairment (HI) on lemborexant pharmacokinetics and metabolism. The pharmacokinetics, tolerability, and safety of lemborexant were evaluated in subjects with mild (Child-Pugh class A) or moderate (Child-Pugh class B) HI and healthy age-, sex-, and body mass index (BMI)-matched control subjects (n = 8 subjects/group). Subjects received a single oral dose of lemborexant 10 mg (LEM10). Blood samples were collected up to 312 hours post dosing for lemborexant pharmacokinetics assessments. Median time to maximum plasma concentration was similar across all groups. Compared with healthy subjects, exposure measures (maximum plasma concentration [Cmax ] and area under the curve extrapolated to infinity [AUC0-inf ]) increased by ~58% (Cmax ) and ~25% (AUC0-inf ) in subjects with mild HI and ~22% (Cmax ) and ~54% (AUC0-inf ) in subjects with moderate HI. Clearance decreased by 20% and 35% in subjects with mild and moderate HI, respectively, versus healthy subjects. Lemborexant unbound fraction was similar in all groups (range: 0.060-0.065). All treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs) were mild in severity; no serious TEAEs occurred. In conclusion, following a single LEM10 dose, lemborexant exposure was similar in subjects with mild HI and increased in subjects with moderate HI versus healthy subjects. No dose adjustment is required in subjects with mild HI. Dosing in subjects with moderate HI should be restricted to 5 mg. Lemborexant was well tolerated in all groups.

Effect of severe renal impairment on pharmacokinetics, safety, and tolerability of lemborexant.

The primary aim of this study was to examine the effect of severe renal impairment (SRI) on the pharmacokinetics of lemborexant, a dual orexin receptor antagonist indicated for the treatment of insomnia. A phase 1 multicenter, single-dose, open-label, parallel-group study was conducted in subjects with SRI not requiring dialysis (estimated glomerular filtration rate 15-29 ml/min/1.73 m2 ; n = 8) compared with demographically matched healthy subjects with normal renal function (n = 8). Plasma levels of lemborexant and its metabolites were measured over 240 h following a single oral 10-mg dose administered in the morning. Relative to subjects with normal renal function, lemborexant maximum plasma concentration (Cmax ) was similar, whereas area under the plasma concentration-time curve from zero to time of last quantifiable concentration (AUC(0-t) ) and AUC from zero to infinity (AUC(0-inf) ) were about 1.5-fold higher in subjects with SRI. The geometric mean ratios (90% confidence interval) were 104.8 (77.4-142.0), 150.5 (113.2-200.3), and 149.8 (113.1-198.6) for Cmax , AUC(0-t) , and AUC(0-inf) , respectively. In both groups, the median lemborexant time to Cmax (tmax ) was 1 h, and the mean unbound fraction of lemborexant was ~7%. For the M4, M9, and M10 metabolites, Cmax was reduced ~20% and exposure (AUC(0-t) and AUC(0-inf) ) was ~1.4- to 1.5-fold higher in subjects with SRI versus healthy subjects; tmax was delayed ~1.5-2 h for M4 and M10. All treatment-emergent adverse events were mild or moderate. Lemborexant pharmacokinetics were not sufficiently altered to warrant a dose adjustment for subjects with renal impairment.

Respiratory Safety of Lemborexant in Healthy Subjects: A Single-Dose, Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled, Crossover Study.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Lemborexant is a dual orexin receptor antagonist recently approved in the USA, Japan, and Canada for the treatment of adults with insomnia. Because some pharmacotherapy for insomnia causes respiratory depression, this study assessed the effects of lemborexant treatment on respiratory safety parameters. METHODS: This single-dose, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, three-period crossover study enrolled healthy adult and elderly subjects (n = 17). Subjects were randomized to one of three treatment sequences, each consisting of three treatment periods in which they received a single dose of placebo, lemborexant 10 mg, or lemborexant 25 mg. Each treatment period was separated by a washout period of at least 14 days. Assessments included pharmacodynamic respiratory parameters (peripheral capillary oxygen saturation (SpO2) and apnea-hypopnea index (AHI)) and safety. RESULTS: There were no significant differences for either dose of lemborexant versus placebo in mean peripheral capillary oxygen saturation (SpO2; least squares mean (LSM) difference (95% confidence interval (CI)): lemborexant 10 mg, -0.36 (-0.78 to 0.07); lemborexant 25 mg, - 0.29 (- 0.72 to 0.14)) or AHI (LSM difference (95% CI): lemborexant 10 mg, 0.52 (- 1.72 to 2.76); lemborexant 25 mg, - 1.16 (- 3.40 to 1.08)) during sleep. Additionally, significant differences were not observed for the percentage of total sleep during which SpO2 was < 85% (LSM difference (95% CI): lemborexant 10 mg, 0.004 (- 0.058 to 0.067); lemborexant 25 mg, 0.044 (- 0.018 to 0.107)) or < 80% (LSM difference (95% CI): lemborexant 10 mg, 0.001 (- 0.002 to 0.005); lemborexant 25 mg, 0.002 (-0.001 to 0.006)) for either lemborexant dose versus placebo. There was also no significant difference for lemborexant 10 mg versus placebo, for which SpO2 was < 90% during total sleep time (LSM difference (95% CI): 0.185 (- 0.034 to 0.405)). CONCLUSION: Overall, lemborexant at recommended doses did not have a negative effect on mean SpO2 or AHI and was well tolerated in this cohort of healthy subjects.

Insomnia is a sleep disorder in which people have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep, or both. People can take prescription medicines to help improve sleep, but these drugs can have side effects including making breathing more difficult during sleep. We looked at a new medicine for insomnia, lemborexant, and with the aim of finding out how it affects breathing during sleep and if there were any side effects. A group of 17 healthy adult and elderly people took a normal or high dose of lemborexant or a placebo that did not contain active medicine. Researchers measured people's breathing while they slept. We found that lemborexant did not change the amount of oxygen in people's blood during sleep, and that lemborexant did not cause people to have shallow breathing or to have brief pauses in their breathing. People who took lemborexant reported few side effects and these were all mild. In this study, lemborexant was well tolerated in healthy adults and elderly people and did not make breathing more difficult during sleep.

Evaluation of the CYP3A and CYP2B6 Drug-Drug Interaction Potential of Lemborexant.

Lemborexant is approved for treating insomnia and is under investigation for treating irregular sleep-wake rhythm disorder. Based on in vitro drug-drug interaction (DDI) characteristics, phase 1, open-label DDI studies were conducted to evaluate lemborexant's cytochrome P450 3A (CYP3A) and CYP2B6 interaction potential. Interactions between lemborexant 10 mg and strong and moderate CYP3A inhibitors (itraconazole and fluconazole), a strong CYP3A inducer (rifampin), and CYP3A (midazolam) and CYP2B6 substrates (bupropion) were evaluated. Coadministration of lemborexant with itraconazole or fluconazole resulted in 1.4- to 1.6-fold and 3.7- to 4-fold increases in lemborexant maximum observed concentration (Cmax ) and area under the concentration-time curve from zero time extrapolated to infinity (AUC0-inf ), respectively. Coadministration of lemborexant with rifampin resulted in >90% decreases in lemborexant Cmax and AUC0-inf . Midazolam exposure was not affected. Coadministration of lemborexant with bupropion resulted in 49.9% and 45.5% decreases in S-bupropion Cmax and AUC0-inf , respectively.Comparison of estimated exposures for patients in phase 3 trials who were/were not receiving concomitant weak CYP3A inhibitors substantiated the DDI pharmacokinetic findings. Lemborexant was generally well tolerated in the phase 1 studies. In summary, lemborexant does not affect the pharmacokinetics of CYP3A substrates and has potential to induce CYP2B6. Consistent with in vitro findings, moderate and strong CYP3A inhibitors and inducers affected the pharmacokinetics of lemborexant; hence, patients taking lemborexant 5 or 10 mg should avoid coadministration with moderate and strong CYP3A inhibitors and inducers.

Pharmacokinetics, Pharmacodynamics, and Safety of the Dual Orexin Receptor Antagonist Lemborexant: Findings From Single-Dose and Multiple-Ascending-Dose Phase 1 Studies in Healthy Adults.

Lemborexant, a dual orexin receptor antagonist, is approved for the treatment of insomnia and is under investigation for treating other sleep disorders. Here we summarize pharmacokinetic, pharmacodynamic, and safety data from 3 randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase 1 studies: single ascending doses in healthy adults (Study 001; 1-200 mg; N = 64), multiple ascending doses in healthy and elderly adults (Study 002; 2.5-75 mg; N = 55), and multiple doses in healthy white and Japanese adults (Study 003; 2.5-25 mg; N = 32). Lemborexant exposure increased with increasing dose. The time to maximum concentration ranged from approximately 1 to 3 hours for the 5- and 10-mg doses. The mean effective half-life was 17 hours for lemborexant 5 mg and 19 hours for lemborexant 10 mg. The plasma concentration at 9 hours postdose was 27% of the maximum concentration following multiple dosing with lemborexant 10 mg. There were no clinically relevant effects on next-morning residual sleepiness (Karolinska Sleepiness Scale, Digital Symbol Substitution Test, Psychomotor Vigilance Test) for doses through 10 mg/day, indicating no effect of residual plasma concentrations on next-day residual effects. Lemborexant was well tolerated across the doses tested. There were no clinically relevant effects of age, sex, or race on lemborexant pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, or safety. These results suggest that lemborexant at doses through 25 mg provides an overall pharmacokinetic, pharmacodynamic, and safety profile suitable for obtaining the target pharmacologic effect supporting treatment of insomnia while minimizing residual effects during wake time.

Effect of gastric acid-reducing agents on the pharmacokinetics and efficacy of lemborexant.

Lemborexant is a dual orexin receptor antagonist approved for treating insomnia. As the solubility of lemborexant is pH-sensitive, the impact of the gastric acid-reducing agent (ARA), famotidine, on lemborexant pharmacokinetics was evaluated in a Phase 1 study. Additionally, post hoc analysis of data from Phase 3 studies examined the potential effect of concomitant ARAs on patient-reported/subjective sleep onset latency (sSOL) in subjects with insomnia. Coadministration of lemborexant 10 mg with famotidine decreased the maximum observed concentration by 27% and delayed time of maximum observed concentration by 0.5 hours. Famotidine did not affect overall lemborexant exposure based on comparison of area under the concentration curves. Concomitant ARA use in the Phase 3 studies did not impact the effect of lemborexant on sSOL; the change from baseline during the last 7 nights of 1 month of treatment with lemborexant 10 mg was -17.1 minutes with vs -17.9 minutes without ARAs. Collectively, these results indicate that lemborexant can be coadministered with ARAs.

First-in-human study of the PARP/tankyrase inhibitor E7449 in patients with advanced solid tumours and evaluation of a novel drug-response predictor.

BACKGROUND: This phase 1 study examined the safety, maximum-tolerated dose (MTD) and antitumour activity of E7449, a novel PARP 1/2 and tankyrase 1/2 inhibitor. METHODS: E7449 was orally administered once daily in 28-day cycles to patients with advanced solid tumours (50-800-mg doses). Archival tumour samples from consenting patients were evaluated for the expression of 414 genes in a biomarker panel (2X-121 drug-response predictor [DRP]) found to be predictive of the response to E7449 in cell lines. RESULTS: Forty-one patients were enrolled (13 pancreatic, 5 ovarian, 4 each with breast, lung or colorectal cancer and 11 with other tumour types). The most common grade ≥3 treatment-related adverse event was fatigue (n = 7, 17.1%). Five patients experienced a dose-limiting toxicity (fatigue, n = 4, 800 mg; anaphylaxis, n = 1, 600 mg) for an MTD of 600 mg. E7449 exhibited antitumour activity in solid tumours, including 2 partial responses (PRs), and stable disease (SD) in 13 patients, which was durable (>23 weeks) for 8 patients. In 13 patients, the 2X-121 DRP identified those achieving PR and durable SD. E7449 showed good tolerability, promising antitumour activity and significant concentration-dependent PARP inhibition following 50-800-mg oral dosing. CONCLUSION: The results support further clinical investigation of E7449 and its associated biomarker 2X-121 DRP. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: www.ClinicalTrials.gov code: NCT01618136.

Respiratory safety of lemborexant in healthy adult and elderly subjects with mild obstructive sleep apnea: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover study.

Lemborexant is a dual orexin receptor antagonist indicated for the treatment of adult and elderly individuals with insomnia. Some current pharmacologic treatments for insomnia cause respiratory depression, a serious safety concern, particularly for individuals with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). This phase 1, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, two-period crossover study examined respiratory safety parameters in individuals with mild OSA following treatment with lemborexant. Participants (n = 39) were randomized to one of two treatment sequences, including placebo and lemborexant 10 mg. Each treatment period lasted 8 days and was separated by a washout of at least 14 days. Following single or multiple doses, there were no significant differences in mean apnea-hypopnea index for lemborexant 10 mg versus placebo (least squares mean [LSM] difference [95% confidence interval {CI}]: day 1, -0.03 [-2.22, 2.17]; day 8, -0.06 [-1.95, 1.83]) or peripheral capillary oxygen saturation during sleep (LSM difference [95% CI]: day 1, 0.07 [-0.31, 0.46]; day 8, 0.25 [-0.11, 0.61]). There were no significant differences versus placebo for the percentage of total sleep time during which peripheral capillary oxygen saturation was <80% (LSM difference [95% CI]: day 1, 0.002 [-0.019, 0.023]; day 8, 0.006 [-0.015, 0.026]), <85% (LSM difference [95% CI]: day 1, 0.067 [-0.124, 0.258]; day 8, 0.056 [-0.117, 0.228]) or <90% (LSM difference [95% CI]: day 1, 0.312 [-0.558, 1.181]; day 8, 0.088 [-0.431, 0.607]). The incidence of treatment-emergent adverse events was low and similar for lemborexant and placebo. Lemborexant demonstrated respiratory safety in this study population and was well tolerated.

Lexical diversity and lexical skills in children who stutter.

PURPOSE: Numerous "small N" studies of language ability in children who stutter have produced differing conclusions. We combined test and spontaneous language data from a large cohort of children who stutter (CWS) and typically fluent peers, gathered from independent laboratories across the US, to appraise a variety of lexical measures. METHOD: Standardized receptive and expressive vocabulary test data and spontaneous language samples from 99 pairs of CWS (ages 25-100 months), and age-, gender-, and SES-matched children who do not stutter (CWNS) were compared. Language sample transcripts were analyzed with four measures of lexical diversity. Correlations between lexical diversity measures and expressive vocabulary scores were also calculated. RESULTS: On standardized tests of both receptive and expressive vocabulary, there were significant differences between CWS and CWNS. In contrast, on spontaneous language measures of lexical diversity, CWS did not differ in their lexical diversity, across analyses, compared to CWNS. Three of the four lexical diversity analyses, MATTR, VocD, and NDW, were significantly correlated with each other. CONCLUSIONS: We were able to confirm prior findings of relative disadvantage on standardized vocabulary tests for a very large sample of well-matched CWS. However, spontaneous language measures of lexical diversity did not distinguish the groups. This relative weakness in CWS may emerge from task differences: CWS are free to encode their own spontaneous utterances but must comply with explicit lexical prompts in standardized testing situations.