Randomized, controlled, proof-of-concept trial of MK-7622 in Alzheimer's disease

INTRODUCTION

We evaluated the selective M1 muscarinic positive allosteric modulator, MK-7622, as adjunctive cognitive enhancing therapy in individuals with Alzheimer's disease.

METHODS

A randomized, double-blind, proof-of-concept trial was performed. Participants with mild-to-moderate Alzheimer's disease, being treated with an acetylcholinesterase inhibitor, were randomized 1:1 to 45 mg of MK-7622 or placebo for 24 weeks. Endpoints included the mean change from baseline in Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale-Cognitive Subscale (ADAS-Cog₁₁) at 12 weeks and Alzheimer's Disease Cooperative Study-Activities of Daily Living Inventory at 24 weeks.

RESULTS

Two hundred forty participants were randomized. The trial was stopped for futility after meeting prospectively defined stopping criteria. MK-7622 did not improve cognition at 12 weeks (group difference in ADAS-Cog₁₁: 0.18 [95% confidence interval: -1.0 to 1.3]) or function at 24 weeks (group difference in Alzheimer's Disease Cooperative Study-Activities of Daily Living Inventory: 0.06 [95% confidence interval: -2.4 to 2.5]). More participants taking MK-7622 discontinued study medication because of adverse events than those taking placebo (16% vs 6%) and who experienced cholinergically related adverse events (21% vs 8%).

DISCUSSION

MK-7622 (45 mg) does not improve cognition or function when used as adjunctive therapy in mild-to-moderate Alzheimer's disease.

Asenapine: Efficacy and safety of 5 and 10mg bid in a 3-week, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in adults with a manic or mixed episode associated with bipolar I disorder

BACKGROUND

Asenapine is an atypical antipsychotic for acute treatment of manic or mixed episodes associated with bipolar I disorder in adults. The recommended asenapine starting dose is 10mg bid with the option to reduce the dose to 5mg bid if needed due to adverse effects/tolerability.

METHODS

Phase IIIb, international, double-blind, fixed-dose, parallel-group, 3-week placebo-controlled trial of asenapine 5 and 10mg bid in adults with an acute bipolar I disorder manic or mixed episode. Primary outcome was difference in asenapine versus placebo in mean change from baseline to day 21 in the Young-Mania Rating Scale (YMRS) total score. Others included difference in asenapine versus placebo in the Clinical Global Impression Scale for Bipolar Severity (CGI-BP-S) and rate of YMRS responders.

RESULTS

Both asenapine doses were statistically superior to placebo in mean change from baseline to day 21 in YMRS total score (-10.9, -14.4, and -14.9 for placebo, asenapine 5mg bid, 10mg bid, respectively). Both asenapine doses had statistically superior improvement in mean change in CGI-BP-S score at day 21. Neither asenapine dose had significantly more YMRS responders at day 21 than placebo.

LIMITATIONS

Results may not be generalizable to the entire population with bipolar I disorder owing to strict inclusion criteria.

CONCLUSIONS

This study evaluated, by a fixed-dose design, the efficacy and safety of asenapine versus placebo in patients with bipolar I disorder. Both asenapine 5 and 10mg bid were efficacious in treating mania associated with bipolar I disorder and were generally well tolerated.

Long-term Safety of Asenapine in Pediatric Patients Diagnosed With Bipolar I Disorder: A 50-Week Open-Label, Flexible-Dose Trial

BACKGROUND

Sublingually administered asenapine was approved in March 2015 by the United States Food and Drug Administration for patients aged 10-17 years with an acute manic or mixed episode associated with bipolar I disorder (BP-1). This is the first long-term safety and tolerability study of asenapine in this population.

METHODS

Following the 3-week randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of patients aged 10-17 years with an acute manic or mixed episode associated with BP-1, patients could enroll in this flexible-dose (2.5-10 mg twice daily) open-label extension (OLE) study for an additional 50 weeks, conducted from August 2011 to September 2014 in the United States and Russia. Treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs) were assessed and predefined TEAEs of interest reported in addition to metabolic and anthropometric parameters. The Young Mania Rating Scale (YMRS) and Clinical Global Impressions scale in bipolar illness (CGI-BP) were used to assess effectiveness.

RESULTS

A total of 321 patients (lead-in study treatment: placebo, n = 80; asenapine, n = 241) were included; 267 (83.2 %) reported one or more TEAE and 181 (56.4 %) discontinued early, 48 (15.0 %) due to TEAEs. Of the predefined TEAEs of interest, combined somnolence/sedation/hypersomnia occurred most frequently (42.4 %) followed by oral hypoesthesia/dysgeusia (7.5 %). In total, 109 (34.8 %) patients experienced clinically significant weight gain (≥7 % increase). No clinically meaningful changes were noted for laboratory parameters measured. Eighteen patients met the criteria for new-onset metabolic syndrome (MBS) post-baseline during the extension study, whereas 10 patients who met MBS criteria at baseline did not meet MBS criteria at endpoint. A total of 12 patients met MBS at baseline and endpoint. Mean change in YMRS total score from OLE baseline was -9.2 points at week 50, and change in CGI-BP severity overall score was similar among all treatment groups (those who initially received asenapine and those who initially received placebo). After 26 weeks of treatment in the OLE, 79.2 % of patients were classified as YMRS 50 % responders relative to acute trial baseline.

CONCLUSIONS

Asenapine was generally well tolerated in pediatric patients with BP-1 during ≤50 weeks of open-label treatment; among predefined TEAEs of interest, the combination of somnolence/sedation/hypersomnia was the most common. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT01349907.

Weight change and metabolic effects of asenapine in patients with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder

OBJECTIVE

To describe weight changes and metabolic effects of asenapine compared with placebo and olanzapine in adults.

METHOD

Post hoc analyses were performed using data from 17 asenapine trials (13 schizophrenia and 4 bipolar mania trials) with placebo (5-10 mg twice daily; n = 1,748; 1-6 weeks) and/or olanzapine (5-20 mg, once daily; n = 3,430; 3-100 weeks). Data were pooled based on treatment into placebo-controlled and olanzapine-controlled trials. For trials with placebo and olanzapine treatment groups, the asenapine population was included in both pools. Changes from baseline for weight, body mass index, and fasting lipid and glucose levels were determined. The Medical Dictionary for Regulatory Activities was used to define metabolic adverse events.

RESULTS

Mean (standard error [SE]) weight change was greater with asenapine than with placebo (1.2 [0.2] vs 0.14 [0.2] kg; P < .0001) and similar in schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Mean changes differed for asenapine versus placebo in triglycerides (1.8 [6.3] vs -12.2 [5.9] mg/dL; P < .01) and fasting glucose (1.9 [1.7] vs -1.6 [1.5] mg/dL; P < .05). In the olanzapine-controlled trials, weight change was significantly lower with asenapine than with olanzapine (0.9 [0.1] vs 3.1 [0.2] kg; P < .0001). Changes associated with asenapine were lower than those with olanzapine in fasting glucose (2.0 vs 3.3 mg/dL), total cholesterol (-0.4 [1.1] vs 6.2 [1.2] mg/dL; P < .0001), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (-0.3 [1.1] vs 3.1 [1.2] mg/dL; P < .01), and triglycerides (-0.9 [5.4] vs 24.3 [5.8] mg/dL; P < .0001).

CONCLUSIONS

Asenapine was associated with greater weight gain and glucose changes than placebo and not associated with a meaningful change in triglycerides or cholesterol levels. Asenapine was not significantly different from olanzapine in change in glucose levels and lower than olanzapine with respect to triglycerides, weight gain, and increased cholesterol.

A randomized placebo-controlled trial of asenapine for the prevention of relapse of schizophrenia after long-term treatment

OBJECTIVE

Long-term efficacy of asenapine in preventing schizophrenia relapse was assessed in a 26-week double-blind, placebo-controlled trial that followed 26 weeks of open-label treatment.

METHOD

Stable schizophrenia patients (DSM-IV-TR criteria) who were cross-titrated from previous medication to sublingual asenapine and remained stable during 26 weeks of open-label treatment were eligible for 26 weeks of double-blind treatment, with randomization to continued asenapine or switch to placebo. Time to relapse/impending relapse (primary endpoint, as usually determined by specific scores on the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale and the Clinical Global Impressions-Severity of Illness Scale) and discontinuation for any reason (key secondary endpoint) were assessed by survival analyses for asenapine versus placebo. The study was conducted from May 2005 through June 2008.

RESULTS

Of 700 enrolled patients treated with open-label asenapine, 386 entered (asenapine, n = 194; placebo, n = 192) and 207 completed (n = 135; n = 72) the double-blind phase. Times to relapse/impending relapse and discontinuation for any reason were significantly longer with asenapine than with placebo (both P < .0001). Incidence of relapse/impending relapse was lower with asenapine than placebo (12.1% vs 47.4%, P < .0001). The modal dosage of asenapine was 10 mg twice daily in both phases. During the double-blind phase, the incidence of adverse events (AEs) considered serious with asenapine and placebo was 3.1% and 9.9%, respectively; incidence of extrapyramidal symptom-related AEs was 3.1% and 4.7%, respectively. The most frequently reported AEs with asenapine versus placebo were anxiety (8.2%; 10.9%), increased weight (6.7%; 3.6%), and insomnia (6.2%; 13.5%). The incidence of clinically significant weight gain (≥ 7% increase from double-blind baseline) was 3.7% with asenapine and 0.5% with placebo.

CONCLUSIONS

Long-term treatment with asenapine was more effective than placebo in preventing relapse of schizophrenia and appeared to be safe and well tolerated.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

clinicaltrials.gov Identifier NCT00150176.