Tazemetostat in relapsed/refractory follicular lymphoma: a propensity score-matched analysis of E7438-G000-101 trial outcomes.

PURPOSE: In the tazemetostat E7438-G000-101 trial of relapsed/refractory (R/R) follicular lymphoma (FL), apparent superior efficacy was suggested for mutant-type (MT) EZH2 versus wild-type (WT) status. However, clinical disparities might have contributed to this conclusion. This study aimed to estimate outcomes after minimizing differences in baseline characteristics. METHODS: Propensity scores for each participant with WT (n = 54) and MT (n = 45) status were generated based on the likelihood of being selected given their baseline characteristics. Participants were matched using a 1:1 nearest-neighbor approach. RESULTS: The propensity-matched sample included 56 participants (28 WT, 28 MT). Objective response rates (95% confidence interval [CI]) were 35% (22-48) in WT and 69% (55-83) in MT prior to matching and 50% (31-69) in WT and 71% (54-88) in MT after matching. Median progression-free survival values (95% CI) were 11.1 (5.4-16.7) in WT and 13.8 months (11.1-22.1) in MT prior to matching and 14.3 (11.1-∞]) and 14.8 months (10.7-∞]) in WT and MT matched groups, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: This analysis suggests that efficacy outcomes for tazemetostat observed in participants with WT EZH2 R/R FL may have been similar to those in participants with MT had the 2 cohorts been more closely matched.

Exploratory analysis of the potential for advanced diagnostic testing to reduce healthcare expenditures of patients hospitalized with meningitis or encephalitis.

OBJECTIVE: To estimate healthcare expenditures that could be impacted by advanced diagnostic testing for patients hospitalized with meningitis or encephalitis. METHODS: Patients hospitalized with meningitis (N = 23,933) or encephalitis (N = 7,858) in the U.S. were identified in the 2010-2014 Truven Health MarketScan Commercial Claims and Encounters Database using ICD-9-CM diagnostic codes. The database included an average of 40.8 million commercially insured enrollees under age 65 per year. Clinical, demographic and healthcare utilization criteria were used to identify patient subgroups early in their episode who were at risk to have high inpatient expenditures. Healthcare expenditures of patients within each subgroup were bifurcated: those expenditures that remained five days after the patient could be classified into the subgroup versus those that had occurred previously. RESULTS: The hospitalization episode rate per 100,000 enrollee-years for meningitis was 13.0 (95% CI: 12.9-13.2) and for encephalitis was 4.3 (95% CI: 4.2-4.4), with mean inpatient expenditures of $36,891 (SD = $92,636) and $60,181 (SD = $130,276), respectively. If advanced diagnostic testing had been administered on the day that a patient could be classified into a subgroup, then a test with a five-day turnaround time could impact the following mean inpatient expenditures that remained by subgroup for patients with meningitis or encephalitis, respectively: had a neurosurgical procedure ($83,337 and $56,020), had an ICU stay ($34,221 and $46,051), had HIV-1 infection or a previous organ transplant ($37,702 and $62,222), were age <1 year ($35,371 and $52,812), or had a hospital length of stay >2 days ($18,325 and $30,244). DISCUSSION: Inpatient expenditures for patients hospitalized with meningitis or encephalitis were substantial and varied widely. Patient subgroups who had high healthcare expenditures could be identified early in their stay, raising the potential for advanced diagnostic testing to lower these expenditures.