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Gozzo L, Nardo A, Brancati S, Judica A, Duminuco A, Maugeri C, Parisi M, Longo L, Vitale DC, Ruscica R, Romano GL, Mauro E, Fiumara PF, Palumbo GAM, Di Raimondo F, Vetro C, Drago F. Severe Gastrointestinal Toxicity Following the Use of Gilteritinib: A Case Series and Analysis of Postmarketing Surveillance Data. Healthcare (Basel) 2023; 11:healthcare11101479. [PMID: 37239765 DOI: 10.3390/healthcare11101479] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2023] [Revised: 05/16/2023] [Accepted: 05/17/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Gilteritinib has been approved as monotherapy in adults with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) FLT3 mutated with relapsed or refractory disease, in light of its advantages in terms of survival and the favorable safety profile. Hepatobiliary disorders and musculoskeletal and connective tissue disorders represent the most frequent adverse reactions associated with gilteritinib, whereas the most frequent serious adverse reaction is acute kidney injury. In the summary of product characteristics, gastrointestinal (GI) events are indicated as very common, in particular diarrhea, nausea and stypsis. Furthermore, serious GI disorders have been observed with gilteritinib in clinical trials, including GI hemorrhage, GI perforation and GI obstruction. However, the association with the FLT3 inhibitor has not been confirmed. Nevertheless, serious GI AEs have been recognized as an important potential risk to be monitored in postmarketing surveillance. We present three cases of serious self-limiting GI events observed in patients on gilteritinib treatment for AML, and an analysis of relevant available postmarketing surveillance data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucia Gozzo
- Clinical Pharmacology Unit, Regional Pharmacovigilance Centre, Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria Policlinico "G. Rodolico-S. Marco", 95123 Catania, Italy
| | - Antonella Nardo
- Haematology Unit, Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria Policlinico "G. Rodolico-S. Marco", 95123 Catania, Italy
| | - Serena Brancati
- Clinical Pharmacology Unit, Regional Pharmacovigilance Centre, Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria Policlinico "G. Rodolico-S. Marco", 95123 Catania, Italy
| | - Antongiulio Judica
- Gastroenterology Unit, Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria Policlinico "G. Rodolico-S. Marco", 95123 Catania, Italy
| | - Andrea Duminuco
- Haematology Unit, Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria Policlinico "G. Rodolico-S. Marco", 95123 Catania, Italy
| | - Cinzia Maugeri
- Haematology Unit, Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria Policlinico "G. Rodolico-S. Marco", 95123 Catania, Italy
| | - Marina Parisi
- Haematology Unit, Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria Policlinico "G. Rodolico-S. Marco", 95123 Catania, Italy
| | - Laura Longo
- Clinical Pharmacology Unit, Regional Pharmacovigilance Centre, Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria Policlinico "G. Rodolico-S. Marco", 95123 Catania, Italy
| | - Daniela Cristina Vitale
- Clinical Pharmacology Unit, Regional Pharmacovigilance Centre, Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria Policlinico "G. Rodolico-S. Marco", 95123 Catania, Italy
| | - Rosy Ruscica
- Clinical Pharmacology Unit, Regional Pharmacovigilance Centre, Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria Policlinico "G. Rodolico-S. Marco", 95123 Catania, Italy
| | - Giovanni Luca Romano
- Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, University of Catania, 95123 Catania, Italy
| | - Elisa Mauro
- Haematology Unit, Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria Policlinico "G. Rodolico-S. Marco", 95123 Catania, Italy
| | - Paolo Fabio Fiumara
- Haematology Unit, Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria Policlinico "G. Rodolico-S. Marco", 95123 Catania, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Alberto Maria Palumbo
- Haematology Unit, Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria Policlinico "G. Rodolico-S. Marco", 95123 Catania, Italy
- Department of Scienze Mediche Chirurgiche e Tecnologie Avanzate "G.F. Ingrassia", University of Catania, 95123 Catania, Italy
| | - Francesco Di Raimondo
- Haematology Unit, Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria Policlinico "G. Rodolico-S. Marco", 95123 Catania, Italy
- Department of Chirurgia Generale e Specialità Medico-Chirurgiche, University of Catania, 95123 Catania, Italy
| | - Calogero Vetro
- Haematology Unit, Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria Policlinico "G. Rodolico-S. Marco", 95123 Catania, Italy
| | - Filippo Drago
- Clinical Pharmacology Unit, Regional Pharmacovigilance Centre, Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria Policlinico "G. Rodolico-S. Marco", 95123 Catania, Italy
- Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, University of Catania, 95123 Catania, Italy
- Centre for Research and Consultancy in HTA and Drug Regulatory Affairs (CERD), University of Catania, 95123 Catania, Italy
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Gozzo L, Romano GL, Brancati S, Longo L, Vitale DC, Drago F. The therapeutic value of treatment for multiple sclerosis: analysis of health technology assessments of three European countries. Front Pharmacol 2023; 14:1169400. [PMID: 37188269 PMCID: PMC10175632 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2023.1169400] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2023] [Accepted: 04/07/2023] [Indexed: 05/17/2023] Open
Abstract
In accordance with European regulation, medicines containing a new active substance to treat neurodegenerative diseases as well as autoimmune and other immune dysfunctions must be approved by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) through the centralized procedure before they can be marketed. However, after EMA approval, each country is responsible for national market access, following the assessment performed by health technology assessment (HTA) bodies with regard to the therapeutic value. This study aims to provide a comparative analysis of HTA recommendations issued by three EU countries (France, Germany, and Italy) for new drugs for multiple sclerosis (MS) following EMA approval. In the reference period, we identified 11 medicines authorized in Europe for MS, including relapsing forms of MS (RMS; n = 4), relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS; n = 6), secondary progressive MS (SPMS; n = 1), and the primary progressive form (PPMS; n = 1). We found no agreement on the therapeutic value (in particular, the "added value" compared to the standard of care) of the selected drugs. Most evaluations resulted in the lowest score ("additional benefit not proven/no clinical improvement"), underlining the need for new molecules with better efficacy and safety profiles for MS, especially for some forms and clinical settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucia Gozzo
- Clinical Pharmacology Unit, Regional Pharmacovigilance Centre, University Hospital of Catania, Catania, Italy
- Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
- *Correspondence: Lucia Gozzo,
| | - Giovanni Luca Romano
- Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
| | - Serena Brancati
- Clinical Pharmacology Unit, Regional Pharmacovigilance Centre, University Hospital of Catania, Catania, Italy
| | - Laura Longo
- Clinical Pharmacology Unit, Regional Pharmacovigilance Centre, University Hospital of Catania, Catania, Italy
| | - Daniela Cristina Vitale
- Clinical Pharmacology Unit, Regional Pharmacovigilance Centre, University Hospital of Catania, Catania, Italy
| | - Filippo Drago
- Clinical Pharmacology Unit, Regional Pharmacovigilance Centre, University Hospital of Catania, Catania, Italy
- Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
- Centre for Research and Consultancy in HTA and Drug Regulatory Affairs (CERD), University of Catania, Catania, Italy
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Giudice V, Serio B, Ferrara I, Manzo P, Gorrese M, Pepe R, Bertolini A, D’Alto F, Verdesca F, Langella M, Filippelli A, Selleri C. Clinical efficacy of azacytidine and venetoclax and prognostic impact of Tim-3 and galectin-9 in acute myeloid leukemia and high-risk myelodysplastic syndromes: A single-center real-life experience. Front Pharmacol 2022; 13:1052060. [PMID: 36618908 PMCID: PMC9810751 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2022.1052060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2022] [Accepted: 12/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Treatment of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and high-risk myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) is difficult in older patients with comorbidities and high-risk disease factors. Venetoclax, the first-in-class Bcl-2 inhibitor, has proven efficacy and safety in combination with azacytidine for treatment of high-risk myeloid diseases. In this single-center real-life retrospective study, a total of 27 consecutive patients treated with azacytidine plus venetoclax were included, and clinical outcomes, hematological improvements, and biomarkers of responsiveness to therapy were compared to those observed in an historical cohort of 95 consecutive patients treated with azacytidine as single agent. Azacytidine plus venetoclax was effective and safe in older and frail AML and high-risk MDS patients, with median overall survival of 22.3 months, higher than that reported in phase III trial (14.7 months), and higher than that of historical cohort (5.94 months). Progression-free survival was higher in patients treated with the drug combination compared to those treated with azacytidine as single agent (p = 0.0065). Clinical benefits might increase when azacytidine and venetoclax are administered as upfront therapy (p = 0.0500). We showed that Tim-3 expression could be a promising therapeutic target in refractory/relapsed patients, and galectin-9 a biomarker of responsiveness to therapy. Moreover, patients treated with azacytidine and venetoclax displayed a higher overall survival regardless the presence of negative prognostic markers at diagnosis (e.g., increased WT1 copies and/or normalized blast count). These encouraging results in a real-world setting supported efficacy and safety of azacytidine plus venetoclax as upfront therapy in AML and high-risk MDS, with clinical outcomes comparable to those of clinical trials when an appropriate venetoclax management with bone marrow assessment at every first, second, fourth, and eighth cycle, and dose adjustments for toxicities are performed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valentina Giudice
- Hematology and Transplant Center, University Hospital “San Giovanni di Dio e Ruggi d’Aragona”, Salerno, Italy,Department of Medicine, University of Salerno, Baronissi, Italy,Pharmacology Unit, University Hospital “San Giovanni di Dio e Ruggi d’Aragona”, Salerno, Italy
| | - Bianca Serio
- Hematology and Transplant Center, University Hospital “San Giovanni di Dio e Ruggi d’Aragona”, Salerno, Italy
| | - Idalucia Ferrara
- Hematology and Transplant Center, University Hospital “San Giovanni di Dio e Ruggi d’Aragona”, Salerno, Italy
| | - Paola Manzo
- Hematology and Transplant Center, University Hospital “San Giovanni di Dio e Ruggi d’Aragona”, Salerno, Italy
| | - Marisa Gorrese
- Hematology and Transplant Center, University Hospital “San Giovanni di Dio e Ruggi d’Aragona”, Salerno, Italy
| | - Rita Pepe
- Hematology and Transplant Center, University Hospital “San Giovanni di Dio e Ruggi d’Aragona”, Salerno, Italy
| | - Angela Bertolini
- Hematology and Transplant Center, University Hospital “San Giovanni di Dio e Ruggi d’Aragona”, Salerno, Italy,Department of Medicine, University of Salerno, Baronissi, Italy
| | - Francesca D’Alto
- Hematology and Transplant Center, University Hospital “San Giovanni di Dio e Ruggi d’Aragona”, Salerno, Italy
| | - Francesco Verdesca
- Hematology and Transplant Center, University Hospital “San Giovanni di Dio e Ruggi d’Aragona”, Salerno, Italy
| | - Maddalena Langella
- Hematology and Transplant Center, University Hospital “San Giovanni di Dio e Ruggi d’Aragona”, Salerno, Italy
| | - Amelia Filippelli
- Department of Medicine, University of Salerno, Baronissi, Italy,Pharmacology Unit, University Hospital “San Giovanni di Dio e Ruggi d’Aragona”, Salerno, Italy
| | - Carmine Selleri
- Hematology and Transplant Center, University Hospital “San Giovanni di Dio e Ruggi d’Aragona”, Salerno, Italy,Department of Medicine, University of Salerno, Baronissi, Italy,*Correspondence: Carmine Selleri,
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A real-world pharmacovigilance study of FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) events for venetoclax. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0278725. [PMID: 36477747 PMCID: PMC9728853 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0278725] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2022] [Accepted: 11/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Venetoclax (VEN) is the first selective small molecule Bcl-2 inhibitor approved by FDA and used in adult chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), small lymphocytic lymphoma (SLL) and some acute myeloid leukemia (AML). However, the long-term safety of VEN in large sample population was unknown. This study evaluated the adverse events (AEs) of VEN from FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) since its approval in 2016 by data mining. METHODS The disproportionality analyses, including four algorithms of reporting odd ratio (ROR), proportional reporting ratio (PRR), bayesian configuration promotion neural network (BCPNN), and multi item gamma poisson shrinker (MGPS), were employed to quantify the signals of VEN-associated AEs. RESULTS From the FAERS database, a total of 8,379,682 reports were collected during the study period. After removing the duplication, the number of reports with VEN as the primary suspect (PS) was 19,107. The 19,107 cases of AEs involved 27 organ systems, 256 significant PTs which conforming to the four algorithms. Unexpected serious AEs, such as pleural effusion, splenic infarction, atrial fibrillation, skin squamous cell carcinoma, etc., have signals. The median time of occurrence of AEs related to VEN was 31 days (inter quartile range [IQR] 7-131 days), and half of the reported AEs occurred within 1 month after administration. CONCLUSION Our research has found new significant AEs signals of VEN, which improved its safety information in real-world after marketing approval, and contributed to its risk control of use in clinic.
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Gozzo L, Romano GL, Brancati S, Cicciù M, Fiorillo L, Longo L, Vitale DC, Drago F. Access to Innovative Neurological Drugs in Europe: Alignment of Health Technology Assessments Among Three European Countries. Front Pharmacol 2022; 12:823199. [PMID: 35185551 PMCID: PMC8854989 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2021.823199] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2021] [Accepted: 12/29/2021] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Even for products centrally approved, each European country is responsible for national market access after European Medicines Agency (EMA) approval. This step can result in inequalities in terms of access, due to different opinions about the therapeutic value assessed by Health Technology Assessment (HTA) bodies. This study aims to provide a comparative analysis of HTA recommendations issued by EU countries (France, Germany, and Italy) for new neurological drugs following EMA approval. In the reference period, we identified 11 innovative medicines authorized in Europe for five neurological diseases (cerebral adrenoleukodystrophy, spinal muscular atrophy, metachromatic leukodystrophy, migraine, and polyneuropathy in patients with hereditary transthyretin amyloidosis), including eight drugs for genetic rare diseases. We found no agreement on the therapeutic value (in particular the “added value” compared to the standard of care) of the selected drugs. Despite the differences in terms of assessment, the access has been usually guaranteed even if with various types of limitations. The heterogeneity of the HTA assessment of clinical data among countries is probably related to the uncertainties about clinical value at the time of EMA approval and the lack of long-term data and of direct comparison with available alternatives. Given the importance of new medicines especially for rare diseases, it is crucial to understand and act on the causes of inconsistency among the HTA assessments, in order to ensure rapid and uniform access to innovation for patients who can benefit.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucia Gozzo
- Clinical Pharmacology Unit/Regional Pharmacovigilance Centre, University Hospital of Catania, Catania, Italy
- Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
- *Correspondence: Lucia Gozzo,
| | - Giovanni Luca Romano
- Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
| | - Serena Brancati
- Clinical Pharmacology Unit/Regional Pharmacovigilance Centre, University Hospital of Catania, Catania, Italy
| | - Marco Cicciù
- Department of Biomedical and Dental Sciences Morphological and Functional Images, University of Messina, AOU “G. Martino”, Messina, Italy
| | - Luca Fiorillo
- Department of Biomedical and Dental Sciences Morphological and Functional Images, University of Messina, AOU “G. Martino”, Messina, Italy
| | - Laura Longo
- Clinical Pharmacology Unit/Regional Pharmacovigilance Centre, University Hospital of Catania, Catania, Italy
| | - Daniela Cristina Vitale
- Clinical Pharmacology Unit/Regional Pharmacovigilance Centre, University Hospital of Catania, Catania, Italy
| | - Filippo Drago
- Clinical Pharmacology Unit/Regional Pharmacovigilance Centre, University Hospital of Catania, Catania, Italy
- Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
- Centre for Research and Consultancy in HTA and Drug Regulatory Affairs (CERD), University of Catania, Catania, Italy
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Venetoclax in Relapsed/Refractory Acute Myeloid Leukemia: Are Supporting Evidences Enough? Cancers (Basel) 2021; 14:cancers14010022. [PMID: 35008186 PMCID: PMC8750253 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14010022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2021] [Revised: 12/15/2021] [Accepted: 12/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Venetoclax (VEN) is a potent oral inhibitor of the anti-apoptotic molecule BCL2, approved for adults with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), and recently for naïve acute myeloid leukemia (AML) unfit for intensive chemotherapy. Therefore, VEN is not approved for relapsed/refractory (R/R) AML patients; consequently, this use falls within the so-called off-label use. This review provides evidence of the role of VEN-based therapy in R/R AML patients, including data from clinical trials and from retrospective studies. Abstract Despite the progress in the development of new therapeutic strategies, relapsed/refractory (R/R) acute myeloid leukemia (AML) still represents a high unmet medical need. Treatment options in this setting include enrollment into clinical trials, allogeneic stem cell transplantation and/or targeted therapy. Nevertheless, it is associated with poor outcomes. Thus, the development of new treatments, which could ameliorate the prognosis of these patients with a good safety profile are highly demanded. Recently, venetoclax (VEN) has been approved for naïve AML patients unfit for intensive chemotherapy. In this regard, regimens including VEN could represent a valuable treatment option even in those with R/R disease and several studies have been conducted to demonstrate its role in this clinical setting. This review aims to summarize the current evidence on the use of VEN regimens in the treatment of R/R AML.
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