Myelosuppression monitoring after immunomodulator initiation in veterans with inflammatory bowel disease: a national practice audit

The Selective Oral Immunomodulator Vidofludimus in Patients with Active Rheumatoid Arthritis: Safety Results from the COMPONENT Study

INTRODUCTION

The dihydroorotate dehydrogenase (DHODH) inhibitors leflunomide and teriflunomide are immunomodulatory agents approved to treat rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and multiple sclerosis, respectively, and are actively being investigated as therapeutic agents for other immune-related diseases; however, both structurally related compounds have a number of potentially serious adverse effects. Vidofludimus, a new selective second-generation DHODH inhibitor, is chemically distinct from leflunomide/teriflunomide and appears to exhibit a distinct safety profile.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of the COMPONENT study was to assess the efficacy, safety, and pharmacokinetics of vidofludimus in the treatment of patients with active RA on a background therapy of methotrexate. This report focuses solely on the safety results of the COMPONENT trial.

METHODS

Patients received once-daily oral vidofludimus (N = 122) or placebo (N = 119) along with their standard of care methotrexate treatment for 13 weeks. Efficacy endpoints were assessed. Safety parameters were monitored throughout treatment and at follow-up. Plasma concentrations of vidofludimus were measured.

RESULTS

The primary efficacy endpoint, American College of Rheumatology 20 (ACR₂₀) responder rate at 13 weeks, demonstrated numerical superiority in the treatment group compared with placebo; however, it did not reach statistical significance. Nonetheless, the COMPONENT study yielded important safety and pharmacokinetic data that could provide important information regarding the use of vidofludimus in other clinical trials, not only for RA but also for other autoimmune diseases. A safety profile for vidofludimus similar to placebo was obtained in this RA patient population. This includes similar rates of the adverse events of diarrhea, alopecia, neutropenia, and elevated liver enzymes, all of which are known drug-related adverse events reported for leflunomide and teriflunomide. A potential pharmacokinetic interaction between vidofludimus and methotrexate was observed.

CONCLUSIONS

Vidofludimus demonstrated a positive safety profile, making it a promising candidate for the treatment of a variety of immune-related diseases.

TRIAL REGISTRATIONS

ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT01010581.

Immunosuppressive therapies adversely affect blood biochemical parameters in patients with inflammatory bowel disease: a meta-analysis

Objective

This study was performed to investigate whether a definite correlation exists between alteration of blood biochemical parameters and immunosuppressive therapies in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).

Methods

A comprehensive search of PubMed, EMBASE, MEDLINE, and the Cochrane Library was conducted. Data on alterations in white blood cells, platelets, hemoglobin, serum creatinine, and liver enzymes in patients with IBD treated with immunomodulators were extracted.

Results

Data from 1141 patients were included. The relative risk (RR) of leukopenia was significantly higher in the immunosuppressive therapies group than in the placebo group (RR, 12.91; 95% confidence interval [CI], 5.28–31.57). A statistically significant risk of leukocytosis during immunosuppressive therapies was observed (RR, 1.53; 95% CI, 1.05–2.23). Patients taking immunomodulators had increased risks of serum creatinine elevation (RR, 10.68; 95% CI, 2.07–55.12) and serum aminotransferase elevation (RR, 3.18; 95% CI, 1.24–8.17).

Conclusion

Immunosuppressive therapies might have an impact on variations in blood biochemical parameters in patients with IBD. Although the conclusion regarding leukopenia was reliable in this study, some confounding factors might reduce the reliability of the conclusions about leukocytosis, creatinine elevation, and aminotransferase elevation. Close monitoring is recommended during immunosuppressive therapies for IBD.

How thiopurines are used for the treatment of inflammatory bowel diseases: an Italian survey

BACKGROUND

The ideal manner of thiopurine use in inflammatory bowel disease has not been defined. We aimed at investigating the attitudes of Italian gastroenterologists on thiopurine use.

METHODS

A web-based survey was performed among 295 gastroenterologists.

RESULTS

Overall, 70 surveys were completed. At baseline, thiopurine methyltransferase genotype and phenotype were not assessed by 87.1% and 97.1% of respondents, respectively. At treatment onset, 17.1% adopted full weight-calculated dose while 80.0% preferred escalating the dose. During treatment, 87.1% and 64.3% reduced the dose for myelo- and liver toxicity, respectively; 48.6% for increased pancreatic enzymes, 17.1% for fever, and 5.7% for arthralgia. A systematic shift from one thiopurine to the other was reported by 4.3% of respondents in case of failure, and by 5.7% for adverse effects. Forty-four gastroenterologists (62.9%) stopped thiopurine treatment after 5-7 years.

CONCLUSIONS

Several discrepancies regarding the use of thiopurines in clinical practice were found, deviating from available guidelines. A more standardised attitude is needed in clinical practice.

Challenges in designing a national surveillance program for inflammatory bowel disease in the United States

This review describes the history of U.S. government funding for surveillance programs in inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), provides current estimates of the incidence and prevalence of IBD in the United States, and enumerates a number of challenges faced by current and future IBD surveillance programs. A rationale for expanding the focus of IBD surveillance beyond counts of incidence and prevalence, to provide a greater understanding of the burden of IBD, disease etiology, and pathogenesis, is provided. Lessons learned from other countries are summarized, in addition to potential resources that may be used to optimize a new form of IBD surveillance in the United States. A consensus recommendation on the goals and available resources for a new model for disease surveillance are provided. This new model should focus on "surveillance of the burden of disease," including (1) natural history of disease and (2) outcomes and complications of the disease and/or treatments.