Comparative effectiveness of improvement in pain and physical function for baricitinib versus adalimumab, tocilizumab and tofacitinib monotherapies in rheumatoid arthritis patients who are naïve to treatment with biologic or conventional synthetic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs: a matching-adjusted indirect comparison.

OBJECTIVE: To compare improvement in pain and physical function for patients treated with baricitinib, adalimumab, tocilizumab and tofacitinib monotherapy from randomised, methotrexate (MTX)-controlled trials in conventional synthetic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (csDMARDs)/biologic (bDMARD)-naïve RA patients using matching-adjusted indirect comparisons (MAICs). METHODS: Data were from Phase III trials on patients receiving monotherapy baricitinib, tocilizumab, adalimumab, tofacitinib or MTX. Pain was assessed using a visual analogue scale (0-100 mm) and physical function using the Health Assessment Questionnaire-Disability Index (HAQ-DI). An MAIC based on treatment-arm matching, an MAIC with study-level matching and Bucher's method without matching compared change in outcomes between therapies. Matching variables included age, gender, baseline disease activity and baseline value of outcome measure. RESULTS: With all methods, greater improvements were observed in pain and HAQ-DI at 6 months for baricitinib compared with adalimumab and tocilizumab (p<0.05). Differences in treatment effects (TEs) favouring baricitinib for pain VAS for treatment-arm matching, study-level matching and Bucher's method, respectively, were -12, -12 and -12 for baricitinib versus adalimumab and -7, -7 and -9 for baricitinib versus tocilizumab; the difference in TEs for HAQ-DI was -0.28, -0.28 and -0.30 for adalimumab and -0.23, -0.23 and -0.26 for tocilizumab. For baricitinib versus tofacitinib, no statistically significant differences for pain improvement were observed except with one of the three methods (Bucher method) and none for HAQ-DI. CONCLUSIONS: Results suggest greater pain reduction and improved physical function for baricitinib monotherapy compared with tocilizumab and adalimumab monotherapy. No statistically significant differences in pain reduction and improved physical function were observed between baricitinib and tofacitinib with the MAIC analyses.

Patients' experiences in a guided Internet- and App-based stress intervention for college students: A qualitative study.

INTRODUCTION: Academic education is often associated with increased stress and adverse effects on mental health. Internet-based interventions have shown to be effective in reducing stress-related symptoms. However, college students as target group so far have not been reached appropriately with psychological interventions and little is known about college students' perception of Internet-based stress management interventions. The objective of this study was to explore the experiences of students participating in an Internet- and App-based stress management intervention originally developed for stressed employees and subsequently adapted and tailored to college students. METHOD: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with ten participants selected from a randomized controlled trial that evaluated the effectiveness of an Internet- and App-based stress training. The selection of participants aimed to include students with different levels of treatment success. In order to enable an in-depth examination of intervention elements causing dissatisfaction, the interviews were systematically adapted regarding participants' statements in a precedent questionnaire. The interview material was analyzed based on the grounded theory method and thematic analysis. RESULTS: Results suggest students perceive a necessity to adapt Internet-based interventions to their particular needs. Students' statements indicate that a scientific perspective on the intervention and instable life circumstances could be student-specific factors affecting treatment experience. General themes emerging from the data were attitudes towards individualization and authenticity as well as demands towards different functions of feedback. DISCUSSION: Participants' experiences hint at certain intellectual and lifestyle-related characteristics of this population. Future studies should explore whether adaptions to these characteristics lead to a higher acceptance, adherence and effectiveness in the target population.

Safety and pharmacodynamics of venetoclax (ABT-199) in a randomized single and multiple ascending dose study in women with systemic lupus erythematosus.

Objective The anti-apoptotic protein B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2) may contribute to the pathogenesis of systemic lupus erythematosus. The safety, tolerability, and pharmacodynamics of the selective Bcl-2 inhibitor venetoclax (ABT-199) were assessed in women with systemic lupus erythematosus. Methods A phase 1, double-blind, randomized, placebo controlled study evaluated single ascending doses (10, 30, 90, 180, 300, and 500 mg) and multiple ascending doses (2 cycles; 30, 60, 120, 240, 400, and 600 mg for 1 week, and then 3 weeks off per cycle) of orally administered venetoclax. Eligible participants were aged 18-65 years with a diagnosis of systemic lupus erythematosus for 6 months or more receiving stable therapy for systemic lupus erythematosus (which could have included corticosteroids and/or stable antimalarials). Results All patients (48/48) completed the single ascending dose, 25 continued into the multiple ascending dose, and 44/50 completed the multiple ascending dose; two of the withdrawals (venetoclax 60 mg and 600 mg cohorts) were due to adverse events. Adverse event incidences were slightly higher in the venetoclax groups compared with the placebo groups, with no dose dependence. There were no serious adverse events with venetoclax. The most common adverse events were headache, nausea, and fatigue. Venetoclax 600 mg multiple ascending dose treatment depleted total lymphocytes and B cells by approximately 50% and 80%, respectively. Naive, switched memory, and memory B-cell subsets enriched in autoreactive B cells exhibited dose-dependent reduction of up to approximately 80%. There were no consistent or marked changes in neutrophils, natural killer cells, hemoglobin, or platelets. Conclusions Venetoclax was generally well tolerated in women with systemic lupus erythematosus and reduced total lymphocytes and disease-relevant subsets of antigen-experienced B cells. Registration ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT01686555.

A novel Wnt pathway inhibitor, SM04690, for the treatment of moderate to severe osteoarthritis of the knee: results of a 24-week, randomized, controlled, phase 1 study.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the safety, pharmacokinetics, and exploratory efficacy of SM04690, a novel Wnt pathway inhibitor, as a potential disease modifying treatment for knee osteoarthritis (OA). DESIGN: Subjects with Kellgren-Lawrence grade 2-3 knee OA were randomized in successive dose-escalation cohorts to receive a knee intra-articular (IA) injection with 0.03, 0.07, or 0.23 mg SM04690, or placebo (PBO) (4:1 ratio). Safety, pharmacokinetics, efficacy (WOMAC Total/Function/Pain, Pain VAS, Physician Global Assessment [MDGA], and OMERACT-OARSI Response), OA-related biomarker (P1NP, ß-CTX, and cartilage oligomeric matrix protein [COMP]), and radiographic/imaging data were collected at baseline and during 24-week follow-up. RESULTS: 61 subjects (SM04690 n = 50; PBO n = 11) enrolled. Two dose limiting toxicities (DLTs), increased pain following injection and paroxysmal tachycardia (also the single serious AE), were reported in the 0.07 mg cohort. A total of 72 AEs were reported; Sixteen (occurring in eight subjects) were considered related to study medication. There were three discontinuations; one due to an AE (0.03 mg cohort). Bone marrow edema (BME) remained constant for most subjects. No doses were excluded from further study due to DLT criteria. Plasma levels of SM04690 were below the limit of detection at all time points. At Week 24, improvements from baseline were seen in all cohorts for the exploratory measures WOMAC Total, WOMAC Function, WOMAC Pain, MDGA, Pain VAS, and OMERACT-OARSI response. Joint space width (JSW) improvement was observed in the 0.07 mg cohort (P = 0.02 vs PBO). CONCLUSION: SM04690 appeared safe and well tolerated, with no evidence of systemic exposure. Exploratory efficacy analyses suggested positive trends for measurements of OA pain, function and disease-modifying osteoarthritis drug (DMOAD) properties. CLINICALTRIALS. GOV REGISTRATION: NCT02095548.

Early Disease Activity or Clinical Response as Predictors of Long-Term Outcomes With Certolizumab Pegol in Axial Spondyloarthritis or Psoriatic Arthritis.

OBJECTIVE: Early identification of patients unlikely to achieve good long-term disease control with anti-tumor necrosis factor therapy in axial spondyloarthritis (SpA) and psoriatic arthritis (PsA) is important for physicians following treat-to-target recommendations. Here we assess associations between disease activity or clinical response during the first 12 weeks of treatment and attainment of treatment targets at week 48 in axial SpA and PsA patients receiving certolizumab pegol. METHODS: The relationship between disease activity or clinical response during the first 12 weeks of treatment and achievement of week-48 targets (for axial SpA: inactive disease based on Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Score [ASDAS] using the C-reactive protein [CRP] level, or Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index <2 with normal CRP level; and for PsA: minimal disease activity) was assessed post hoc using RAPID-axSpA and RAPID-PsA trial data. RESULTS: A clear relationship between disease activity from week 2 to 12 and achievement of week-48 treatment targets was observed in both axial SpA and PsA populations. In axial SpA, week-48 ASDAS inactive disease was achieved by 0% of patients (0 of 21) with ASDAS very high disease activity at week 12, compared to 68% of patients (34 of 50) with week-12 ASDAS inactive disease. For PsA, week-48 minimal disease activity was achieved by 0% of patients (0 of 26) with Disease Activity Score in 28 joints (DAS28) using the CRP level >5.1 at week 12, compared to 73% of patients (57 of 78) with DAS28-CRP <2.6. Similar results were observed regardless of the disease activity measure used. Clinical response at week 12 also predicted week-48 outcomes, though to a lesser extent than disease activity. CONCLUSION: Using disease activity and the clinical response state during the first 12 weeks of certolizumab pegol treatment, it was possible to identify a subset of axial SpA and PsA patients unlikely to achieve long-term treatment goals.

Efficacy of tofacitinib in patients with rheumatoid arthritis stratified by background methotrexate dose group.

Tofacitinib is an oral Janus kinase inhibitor for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). This post hoc analysis investigated the effect of methotrexate (MTX) dose on the efficacy of tofacitinib in patients with RA. ORAL Scan (NCT00847613) was a 2-year, randomized, Phase 3 trial evaluating tofacitinib in MTX-inadequate responder (IR) patients with RA. Patients received tofacitinib 5 or 10 mg twice daily (BID), or placebo, with low (≤12.5 mg/week), moderate (>12.5 to <17.5 mg/week), or high (≥17.5 mg/week) stable background MTX. Efficacy endpoints (at months 3 and 6) included American College of Rheumatology (ACR) 20/50/70 response rates, and mean change from baseline in Clinical Disease Activity Index (CDAI), Disease Activity Score in 28 joints (DAS28)-4(erythrocyte sedimentation rate [ESR]), Health Assessment Questionnaire-Disability Index (HAQ-DI), and modified Total Sharp score. 797 patients were treated with tofacitinib 5 mg BID (N = 321), tofacitinib 10 mg BID (N = 316), or placebo (N = 160); 242, 333, and 222 patients received low, moderate, and high MTX doses, respectively. At months 3 and 6, ACR20/50/70 response rates were greater for both tofacitinib doses vs placebo across all MTX doses. At month 3, mean changes from baseline in CDAI and HAQ-DI were significantly greater for both tofacitinib doses vs placebo, irrespective of MTX category; improvements were maintained at month 6. Both tofacitinib doses demonstrated improvements in DAS28-4(ESR), and less structural progression vs placebo, across MTX doses at month 6. Tofacitinib plus MTX showed greater clinical and radiographic efficacy than placebo in MTX-IR patients with RA, regardless of MTX dose.

Dynamical phase diagram of Gaussian wave packets in optical lattices.

We study the dynamics of self-trapping in Bose-Einstein condensates (BECs) loaded in deep optical lattices with Gaussian initial conditions, when the dynamics is well described by the discrete nonlinear Schrödinger equation (DNLSE). In the literature an approximate dynamical phase diagram based on a variational approach was introduced to distinguish different dynamical regimes: diffusion, self-trapping, and moving breathers. However, we find that the actual DNLSE dynamics shows a completely different diagram than the variational prediction. We calculate numerically a detailed dynamical phase diagram accurately describing the different dynamical regimes. It exhibits a complex structure that can readily be tested in current experiments in BECs in optical lattices and in optical waveguide arrays. Moreover, we derive an explicit theoretical estimate for the transition to self-trapping in excellent agreement with our numerical findings, which may be a valuable guide as well for future studies on a quantum dynamical phase diagram based on the Bose-Hubbard Hamiltonian.

Effect of certolizumab pegol over 96†weeks in patients with psoriatic arthritis with and without prior antitumour necrosis factor exposure.

OBJECTIVE: Previous reports of RAPID-PsA (NCT01087788) demonstrated efficacy and safety of certolizumab pegol (CZP) over 24 weeks in patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA), including patients with prior antitumour necrosis factor (TNF) therapy. We report efficacy and safety data from a 96-week data cut of RAPID-PsA. METHODS: RAPID-PsA was placebo-controlled to week 24, dose-blind to week 48 and open-label to week 216. We present efficacy data including American College of Rheumatology (ACR)/Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) responses, HAQ-DI, pain, minimal disease activity (MDA), modified total Sharp score (mTSS) and ACR responses in patients with/without prior anti-TNF exposure, in addition to safety data. RESULTS: Of 409 patients randomised, 273 received CZP from week 0. 54 (19.8%) CZP patients had prior anti-TNF exposure. Of patients randomised to CZP, 91% completed week 24, 87% week 48 and 80% week 96. ACR responses were maintained to week 96: 60% of patients achieved ACR20 at week 24, and 64% at week 96. Improvements were observed with both CZP dose regimens. ACR20 responses were similar in patients with (week 24: 59%; week 96: 63%) and without (week 24: 60%; week 96: 64%) prior anti-TNF exposure. Placebo patients switching to CZP displayed rapid clinical improvements, maintained to week 96. In patients with ≥3% baseline skin involvement (60.8% week 0 CZP patients), PASI responses were maintained to week 96. No progression of structural damage was observed over the 96-week period. In the Safety Set (n=393), adverse events occurred in 345 patients (87.8%) and serious adverse events in 67 (17.0%), including 6 fatal events. CONCLUSIONS: CZP efficacy was maintained to week 96 with both dose regimens and in patients with/without prior anti-TNF exposure. The safety profile was in line with that previously reported from RAPID-PsA, with no new safety signals observed with increased exposure. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT01087788.

Effect of certolizumab pegol on signs and symptoms in patients with psoriatic arthritis: 24-week results of a Phase 3 double-blind randomised placebo-controlled study (RAPID-PsA).

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of certolizumab pegol (CZP) after 24 weeks in RAPID-PsA (NCT01087788), an ongoing Phase 3 trial in patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA). METHODS: Patients were randomised 1:1:1 to placebo, 200 mg CZP every 2 weeks (Q2W) or 400 mg CZP every 4 weeks (Q4W). Patients could have had exposure to one previous tumour necrosis factor (TNF) inhibitor therapy. Primary endpoints were American College of Rheumatology 20% (ACR20) response at week 12 and modified Total Sharp Score change from baseline at week 24. Secondary endpoints included; Psoriatic Arthritis Response Criteria (PsARC) score, Health Assessment Questionnaire Disability Index (HAQ-DI), Psoriasis Area and Severity Index, Leeds Enthesitis Index, Leeds Dactylitis Index, and Modified Nail Psoriasis Severity Index. RESULTS: Of 409 patients randomised, 368 completed 24 weeks of treatment. ACR20 response was significantly greater in CZP 200 mg Q2W and 400 mg Q4W-treated patients than placebo (58.0% and 51.9% vs 24.3% (p<0.001)) at week 12, with improvements observed by week 1. There was a statistically significant improvement in physical function from baseline, measured by HAQ-DI in CZP patients compared with placebo (-0.50 vs -0.19, p<0.001) and more patients treated with CZP 200 mg Q2W and CZP 400 mg achieved an improvement in PsARC at week 24 than placebo (78.3% and 77.0% vs 33.1% (p<0.001)). Sustained improvements were observed in psoriatic skin involvement, enthesitis, dactylitis and nail disease. Higher ACR20 response with CZP was independent of prior TNF inhibitor exposure. No new safety signals were observed. CONCLUSIONS: Rapid improvements in the signs and symptoms of PsA, including joints, skin, enthesitis, dactylitis and nail disease were observed across both CZP dosing regimens.

Effect of different imputation approaches on the evaluation of radiographic progression in patients with psoriatic arthritis: results of the RAPID-PsA 24-week phase III double-blind randomised placebo-controlled study of certolizumab pegol.

OBJECTIVES: To report the effect of different imputation methodologies on the assessment of radiographic progression in clinical trials. METHODS: The 216-week RAPID-psoriatic arthritis (PsA) (NCT01087788) trial of certolizumab pegol (CZP) in patients with active PsA was double-blind and placebo-controlled until week 24. A primary end point was change from baseline in modified Total Sharp Score(s) (mTSS). Prespecified imputation methodology in patients with fewer than two analysable mTSS used minimum observed baseline score for missing baseline values and maximum observed week 24 score for missing week 24 values. Post hoc analyses used alternative methods of imputation in patients with fewer than two analysable mTSS. mTSS non-progressors were defined as patients with ≤0 (predefined) or ≤0.5 (post hoc) change in mTSS from baseline to week 24. Baseline mTSS and C-reactive protein levels as predictors of radiographic progression were investigated. RESULTS: 409 patients were randomised. Baseline demographics were similar between groups. Prespecified imputation analysis inappropriately overestimated radiographic progression (least squares mean placebo, 28.9; CZP, 18.3; p≥0.05). Multiple post hoc analyses demonstrated that CZP inhibited radiographic progression compared with placebo, particularly in patients with high baseline mTSS and C-reactive protein levels. mTSS non-progression rate was higher in CZP than placebo groups in all analyses. CONCLUSIONS: Inappropriate prespecified imputation methodology resulted in an unrealistic assessment of progression in all arms. Methodologies for imputing missing radiographic data can greatly affect assessment and reporting of mTSS progression.

Effect of certolizumab pegol on multiple facets of psoriatic arthritis as reported by patients: 24-week patient-reported outcome results of a phase III, multicenter study.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the effect of certolizumab pegol (CZP) on patient-reported outcomes (PROs) in psoriatic arthritis (PsA) patients with and without prior tumor necrosis factor (TNF) inhibitor exposure. METHODS: The ongoing phase III RAPID-PsA trial was double blind and placebo controlled to week 24. Patients were randomized 1:1:1 to placebo every 2 weeks or CZP 400 mg at weeks 0, 2, and 4, followed by either CZP 200 mg every 2 weeks or CZP 400 mg every 4 weeks. PRO measures evaluated were the Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ) disability index (DI), health status (measured by the Short Form 36 [SF-36] health survey), Psoriatic Arthritis Quality of Life (PsAQOL), Fatigue Assessment Scale, patient assessment of pain (visual analog scale), and Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI). Post hoc analyses of PROs in patients with and without prior TNF inhibitor exposure were conducted. Change from baseline for all PROs was analyzed for the randomized population using analysis of covariance with last observation carried forward imputation. RESULTS: A total of 409 patients were randomized. Twenty percent had received a prior TNF inhibitor. Baseline demographics were similar between the treatment groups. At week 24, clinically meaningful differences in HAQ DI, SF-36, PsAQOL, fatigue, pain, and DLQI were observed in both CZP arms versus placebo (P < 0.001), irrespective of prior TNF inhibitor exposure. More CZP-treated patients reached SF-36 general population norms than placebo-treated patients. CONCLUSION: Both CZP dosing schedules provided rapid improvements in PROs across multiple disease aspects in patients with PsA. The benefits of CZP treatment for health-related quality of life were seen across generic, PsA-specific, and dermatology-specific measures and were observed in patients regardless of prior TNF inhibitor exposure.

Experimental observation of a fundamental length scale of waves in random media.

Waves propagating through a weakly scattering random medium show a pronounced branching of the flow accompanied by the formation of freak waves, i.e., extremely intense waves. Theory predicts that this strong fluctuation regime is accompanied by its own fundamental length scale of transport in random media, parametrically different from the mean free path or the localization length. We show numerically how the scintillation index can be used to assess the scaling behavior of the branching length. We report the experimental observation of this scaling using microwave transport experiments in quasi-two-dimensional resonators with randomly distributed weak scatterers. Remarkably, the scaling range extends much further than expected from random caustics statistics.

Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy following rituximab treatment in a patient with rheumatoid arthritis.

Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) is a rare brain disease caused by reactivation of the JC virus. Herein, a case of PML in association with rituximab treatment in a patient with chronic rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and Sjögren's syndrome is described. The patient received 4 courses of rituximab (2 1,000-mg infusions administered 2 weeks apart) over a period of approximately 40 months, during a phase III trial and safety extension study. PML was diagnosed approximately 18 months after the last rituximab course, and the patient died 1 month later. Determination of the cause of PML was confounded by the fact that the patient had developed oropharyngeal cancer, which was treated with chemoradiotherapy, 9 months prior to the development of PML. Although there was no direct evidence that linked rituximab to the development of PML, this case highlights the need to consider a diagnosis of PML in patients with RA who have been treated with rituximab and who subsequently develop new neurologic symptoms.

Efficacy and safety of certolizumab pegol monotherapy every 4 weeks in patients with rheumatoid arthritis failing previous disease-modifying antirheumatic therapy: the FAST4WARD study.

BACKGROUND: Tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNFalpha) is a proinflammatory cytokine involved in the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Treatment with TNFalpha inhibitors reduces disease activity and improves outcomes for patients with RA. This study evaluated the efficacy and safety of certolizumab pegol 400 mg, a novel, poly-(ethylene glycol) (PEG)ylated, Fc-free TNFalpha inhibitor, as monotherapy in patients with active RA. METHODS: In this 24-week, multicentre, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled study, 220 patients previously failing > or =1 disease-modifying antirheumatic drug (DMARD) were randomised 1:1 to receive subcutaneous certolizumab pegol 400 mg (n = 111) or placebo (n = 109) every 4 weeks. The primary endpoint was 20% improvement according to the American College of Rheumatology criteria (ACR20) at week 24. Secondary endpoints included ACR50/70 response, ACR component scores, 28-joint Disease Activity Score Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate 3 (DAS28(ESR)3), patient-reported outcomes (including physical function, health-related quality of life (HRQoL), pain and fatigue) and safety. RESULTS: At week 24, the ACR20 response rates were 45.5% for certolizumab pegol 400 mg every 4 weeks vs 9.3% for placebo (p<0.001). Differences for certolizumab pegol vs placebo in the ACR20 response were statistically significant as early as week 1 through to week 24 (p<0.001). Significant improvements in ACR50, ACR components, DAS28(ESR)3 and all patient-reported outcomes were also observed early with certolizumab pegol and were sustained throughout the study. Most adverse events were mild or moderate and no deaths or cases of tuberculosis were reported. CONCLUSIONS: Treatment with certolizumab pegol 400 mg monotherapy every 4 weeks effectively reduced the signs and symptoms of active RA in patients previously failing > or =1 DMARD compared with placebo, and demonstrated an acceptable safety profile. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT00548834.