Suboptimal reliability of liver biopsy evaluation has implications for randomized clinical trials.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Liver biopsies are a critical component of pivotal studies in non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), constituting inclusion criteria, risk stratification factors and endpoints. We evaluated the reliability of NASH Clinical Research Network scoring of liver biopsies in a NASH clinical trial. METHODS: Digitized slides of 678 biopsies from 339 patients with paired biopsies randomized into the EMMINENCE study - examining a novel insulin sensitizer (MSDC-0602K) in NASH - were read independently by 3 hepatopathologists blinded to treatment code and scored using the NASH CRN histological scoring system. Various endpoints were computed from these scores. RESULTS: Inter-reader linearly weighted kappas were 0.609, 0.484, 0.328, and 0.517 for steatosis, fibrosis, lobular inflammation, and ballooning, respectively. Inter-reader unweighted kappas were 0.400 for the diagnosis of NASH, 0.396 for NASH resolution without worsening fibrosis, and 0.366 for fibrosis improvement without worsening NASH. In the current study, 46.3% of the patients included in the study based on 1 hepatopathologist's qualifying reading were deemed not to meet the study's histologic inclusion criteria by at least 1 of the 3 hepatopathologists. The MSDC-0602K treatment effect was lowest for those histologic features with lower inter-reader reliability. Simulations show that the lack of reliability of endpoints and inclusion criteria can drastically reduce study power - from >90% in a well-powered study to as low as 40%. CONCLUSIONS: The reliability of hepatopathologists' liver biopsy evaluation using currently accepted criteria is suboptimal. This lack of reliability may affect NASH pivotal studies by introducing patients who do not meet NASH study entry criteria, misclassifying fibrosis subgroups, and attenuating apparent treatment effects. LAY SUMMARY: Since liver biopsy analysis plays such an important role in clinical studies of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis, it is important to understand the reliability of hepato-pathologist readings. We examined both inter- and intra-reader variability in a large data set of paired liver biopsies from a clinical trial. We found very poor inter-reader and modest intra-reader variability. This result has important implications for entry criteria, fibrosis stratification, and the ability to measure a treatment effect in clinical trials.

Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study to evaluate the safety and efficacy of a single oral dose of vanoxerine for the conversion of subjects with recent onset atrial fibrillation or flutter to normal sinus rhythm: RESTORE SR.

BACKGROUND: Vanoxerine is an oral, 1,4-dialkylpiperazine derivative antiarrhythmic drug being evaluated for pharmacological cardioversion of atrial fibrillation (AF). OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the safety and efficacy of vanoxerine for the restoration of sinus rhythm in subjects with recent onset AF or atrial flutter (AFL). METHODS: RESTORE SR (randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study to evaluate the safety and efficacy of a single oral dose of vanoxerine for the conversion of subjects with recent onset atrial fibrillation or flutter to normal sinus rhythm) was a prospective, multinational, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial that randomized subjects to a single oral dose of vanoxerine 400 mg or placebo (2:1 allocation). RESULTS: A total of 41 subjects were randomized in the study (placebo [n = 15] and vanoxerine [n = 26]). The study was terminated prematurely because of safety concerns. Overall, 61% (23 of 38) of the treated cohort had a history of AF/AFL and 66% (27 of 41) had structural heart disease (SHD). The primary efficacy end point-conversion to sinus rhythm through 24 hours-occurred in 20% (3 of 15) in the placebo arm vs 69% (18 of 26) in the vanoxerine arm (P = .0024). The mean length of stay was 4.2 ± 2.9 days in the placebo arm vs 4.7 ± 3.2 days in the vanoxerine arm (P = .6561). The primary safety end point (all-cause death, ventricular fibrillation/tachycardia requiring intervention, or torsades de pointes) occurred in no patient in the placebo arm vs 11.5% (3 of 26) in the vanoxerine arm. All 3 patients had torsades de pointes and underlying SHD. CONCLUSION: Vanoxerine is an oral, mixed ion channel blocker with IKr, INa, and L-type calcium channel activity. While oral therapy with 400 mg of vanoxerine appears effective for the termination of recent onset AF/AFL, its use was associated with a significant risk of ventricular proarrhythmia in patients with SHD.

A double-blind, randomized, parallel, placebo-controlled study examining the effect of cross-linked polyelectrolyte in heart failure patients with chronic kidney disease.

AIMS: This double-blind, randomized, parallel, placebo-controlled investigation evaluated the effects of cross-linked polyelectrolyte (CLP) on serum potassium and measures of congestion in patients with heart failure (HF) and chronic kidney disease (CKD). METHODS AND RESULTS: The primary endpoint was change in serum potassium over time. Exploratory endpoints included: weight, physician and patient assessment of exertional dyspnoea, effect on N-terminal pro brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) levels, New York Heart Association (NYHA) classification, 6 min walk test (6MWT), and quality of life by Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire (KCCQ). Serum potassium was similar in CLP (n =59) and placebo (n =52) groups throughout the 8-week study. Weight loss was greater in the CLP than in the placebo group at Weeks 1 (P =0.014) and 2 (P =0.004), and this trend continued until the end of the study. After 8 weeks, by physician assessment, the percentage of patients experiencing marked or disabling dyspnoea tended to be lower in the CLP than in the placebo group (7.3% vs. 23.9%, P =0.128). Fewer patients in the CLP than in the placebo group had NT-proBNP levels >1000 pg/mL at Week 4 (P =0.039) and Week 8 (P =0.065). The proportion of patients improving by at least one NYHA functional class over the study was higher in the CLP than in the placebo group (48.8% vs. 17.4%; P =0.002). Effects on 6MWT at Week 8 (p =0.072) and quality of life (overall KCCQ score) at Week 4 (p =0.005) and 8 (P =0.062) all favoured the CLP cohort. Four treatment-unrelated deaths occurred in the CLP group and none in the placebo group (P =0.056). CONCLUSION: In advanced, symptomatic HF with CKD, CLP is associated with beneficial clinical effects without significant serum potassium changes. TRIAL REGISTRATION: NCT01265524.

Evaluation of the safety and pharmacodynamics of Hematide, a novel erythropoietic agent, in a phase 1, double-blind, placebo-controlled, dose-escalation study in healthy volunteers.

Hematide is an investigational pegylated synthetic peptide that stimulates erythropoiesis in animal models and is being developed for the treatment of anemia associated with chronic renal failure and cancer. This study evaluated the safety and pharmacodynamics of single, intravenous doses (0.025, 0.05, and 0.1 mg/kg) of Hematide in 28 healthy male volunteers. All doses of Hematide were well tolerated, with safety profiles similar to those of placebo. Hematide showed a dose-dependent increase in reticulocytes. The 0.1-mg/kg dose was associated with a statistically significant increase in hemoglobin (Hgb) from baseline compared to the placebo group (13.6 +/- 3.9 g/L [1.36 +/- 0.39 g/dL] versus 3.9 +/- 3.8 g/L [0.39 +/- 0.38 g/dL]; P < .001) that was sustained for longer than 1 month. These results support phase 2 studies in patients with anemia associated with chronic kidney disease or cancer and suggest that Hematide administered as infrequently as once a month may result in a sustained elevation of Hgb levels. (Please note that Hematide is a proposed trade name; the compound does not yet have a nonproprietary name.).