Safety and Outcomes With Combination Therapy With Sarilumab and Baricitinib for Severe COVID-19 Respiratory Infection in Cancer Patients.

OBJECTIVES: This study aims to describe the clinical outcomes of combination therapy with sarilumab and baricitinib for severe novel Coronavirus-19 (COVID-19) infection in cancer patients. With this study, we aim to evaluate the role of expanded immunotherapy for severely ill patients with COVID-19 respiratory infections with limited options. The secondary objective is to assess the safety of combination therapy with sarilumab and baricitinib for severe COVID-19 infection. METHODS: This was a retrospective cohort study of patients admitted to Moffitt Cancer Center with COVID-19 infection between January 2020 and April 2022. Our research received a waiver to sign consent by the patients according to our institutional IRB because it was free of any risk for the patients and respected the patient's privacy. Following the Institutional IRB approval and relevant Equator guidelines, we collected information on patients with severe COVID-19 infection and received sarilumab and baricitinib. We evaluated the survival rate and safety of combination therapy. All the patient's information was de-identified to protect their information according to Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). RESULTS: Four patients were included in the data analysis. Two survived, and two of them died (Table 1). All the patients that survived were previously vaccinated. Among the two patients who died, one was vaccinated, and the other was unvaccinated. All the patients tolerated the combination therapy well, and none of the patients who survived developed secondary infections or COVID-19-associated complications beyond 12 months of discharge. CONCLUSION: Our study explores the potential safe combination use of different immune modulators targeting multiple pathways of the inflammatory cascade for severe and refractory COVID-19 respiratory infections in high-risk oncology patients. The small number of patients in our observational study was a limitation. A larger sample of patients will be needed to conclude more precisely the efficacy of the combination therapy of sarilumab and baricitinib for refractory cases of severe COVID-19 respiratory infection. Moreover, exploring other cytokine release signaling pathway targets may be the key to significantly reducing inflammation and further pulmonary fibrosis with chronic unbearable respiratory sequela.

Malignancy Trends in HIV-Infected Patients Over the Past 10 Years in a Single-Center Retrospective Observational Study in the United States.

The introduction of antiretroviral therapy (ART) in 1995 had a dramatic impact on the morbidity and mortality of the HIV population, and subsequently, the natural history of cancer has changed. The purpose of our study was to review the prevalence of AIDS-defining malignancies and non-AIDS defining cancers (NADC), taking into consideration racial and gender variations. After the institutional review board approval, the study was conducted as a retrospective chart review of 279 HIV-infected patients who were treated at the Moffitt Cancer Center between January 1, 2000 and December 31, 2010. The demographic characteristics included gender, ethnicity, race, presence or absence of ART, and the type of malignancy reviewed. Of 233 men, 78 (33.5%) had AIDS-defining malignancies. AIDS-related non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) was detected in 49 (21%) patients and Kaposi sarcoma (KS) in 29 (12%) patients. Two-thirds of male patients had NADC, with anal cancer being the most prevalent (8.5%), followed by Hodgkin lymphoma (6%). AIDS-related NHL was also the predominant malignancy for women with a prevalence of 19.5% followed by invasive cervical cancer (ICC) and breast cancer, both with a similar prevalence of 11%. Kaposi sarcoma and anal cancer were equally detected in 2% of women. The prevalence rates of AIDS-defining malignancies among those of white race were 34%, ranging from 21% for NHL to 13% for KS and 1.5% for ICC. Twenty-one (7.7%) patients had anal cancer. AIDS-defining malignancies were found in 36% of patients of black race and 60% had NHL. Non-AIDS-related NHL was the second most common malignancy, followed by breast cancer and anal cancer with a similar prevalence of 6.5%. Of 279 patients, 53% were taking ART; 39.4% were not taking ART; and in 7.5% of the patients, it was unknown if they were taking ART. In the ART era, our study found NADC to be more prevalent than AIDS-defining malignancies with 60% versus 40%, respectively. Non-Hodgkin lymphoma remained the most common AIDS-related malignancy in both genders. Among the patients with NADC, anal cancer was the predominant malignancy. The increasing incidence of some of the NADC is expected as this population is living longer with chronic exposure of viral replication of virus with oncogenic potential such as Human papillomavirus (HPV), Hepatitis B virus (HBV), Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), and Human herpesvirus 8 (HHV-8). Early ART initiation, aggressive vaccination, and judicious cancer screening are the cornerstone of cancer prevention of this growing population.

Marijuana Smoking in Patients With Leukemia.

Worldwide, marijuana (cannabis) is a widely used drug. The incidence of marijuana smoking is increasing and is second only to tobacco as the most widely smoked substance in the general population. It is also the second most commonly used recreational drug after alcohol. Some adverse effects of marijuana smoking have been documented; however, the number of studies on the pulmonary effects of marijuana in individuals with leukemia is limited. In our case series, we report on 2 men with acute myeloid leukemia with miliary nodular lung patterns on computed tomography of the chest due to heavy marijuana use. We also report on 2 patients with acute lymphocytic leukemia who had a history of smoking marijuana and then developed lung opacities consistent with mold infection.

Real-world Experience of Posaconazole Therapeutic Drug Monitoring in Oncology Patients: Clinical Implications of Hypoalbuminemia as a Predictor of Subtherapeutic Posaconazole Levels.

Background: Posaconazole maintains broad antifungal activity and is employed for prevention and treatment of invasive fungal infections in oncology patients. Older formulations required therapeutic drug monitoring, and specific plasma drug levels have been recommended. This study evaluated factors associated with subtherapeutic concentrations with the newer delayed-release tablet formulation. Methods: In this retrospective, single-center cohort study at a national comprehensive cancer center, all oncology patients receiving delayed-release posaconazole at standard dosing of 300 mg orally per day from 06/2021 to 07/2023 with plasma drug concentration evaluation were identified. Demographic, clinical, and laboratory data were evaluated to identify risk factors associated with subtherapeutic drug levels at targets of ≥1.25 µg/mL and ≥1.8 µg/mL. Results: Of 110 patients identified, 98 met criteria for inclusion in the study. The median time from initiation of posaconazole to drug level assessment was 13 days, and the median concentration was 1.29 µg/mL. Of the 22 patients receiving posaconazole for prophylaxis, 5 (22.7%) failed to achieve concentrations ≥0.7 µg/mL, and of 76 patients receiving posaconazole for treatment, 38 (50%) failed to achieve concentrations of ≥1.25 µg/mL. In multivariable analysis, albumin of ≤3 g/dL and ideal body weight ≥60 kg were found to be associated with subtherapeutic levels. For a higher target of ≥1.8 µg/mL, only albumin ≤3 g/dL was associated with subtherapeutic levels for the variables evaluated. Conclusions: A higher initial dosing strategy and therapeutic drug monitoring for oncology patients with albumin ≤3 g/dL receiving posaconazole, particularly for the treatment of invasive fungal infection, could be considered.

Kawasaki-like syndrome possibly associated with immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome in an HIV-positive patient.

The occurrence of Kawasaki disease is unusual in adults. We report a Kawasaki-like syndrome in a middle-aged HIV-positive man who had recently begun effective antiretroviral therapy. Onset of a significant inflammatory response after initiation of antiretroviral therapy prompted a diagnosis of Kawasaki-like syndrome associated with immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome.

Abacavir and lamivudine combination.

BACKGROUND: Fixed dose antiretroviral combinations (FDC) may improve therapy adherence with reduced pill burden. Abacavir and lamivudine are well-established nucleoside reverse-transcriptase inhibitors available as a once-daily FDC. Abacavir is currently considered an alternative treatment option in most established treatment guidelines based on associations with cardiovascular events and lesser efficacy in patients with higher baseline viremia. OBJECTIVE: To summarize rigorous clinical trial data and cohort studies that examine efficacy, safety and tolerability of the individual components and the FDC of abacavir-lamivudine. METHODS: Clinical trial data, post-marketing research findings and clinical cohort data were reviewed to assess the efficacy, safety and tolerability of the individual components and the FDC of abacavir-lamivudine along with recommendations from published clinical treatment guidelines. RESULTS/CONCLUSION: The efficacy of abacavir-lamivudine is well documented in numerous clinical studies and treatment guidelines. The introduction of laboratory testing to identify patients at risk for hypersensitivity has decreased the incidence of these reactions. Recent findings suggest that abacavir is an alternative treatment agent with baseline HIV RNA > 100,000 copies/ml. Data related to cardiovascular events associated with abacavir are conflicting. Hepatic function should be monitored closely in HIV/HBV co-infected patients who discontinue lamivudine-containing products as severe acute exacerbations of HBV have been reported.