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Howard JF, Bresch S, Farmakidis C, Freimer M, Genge A, Hewamadduma C, Hinton J, Hussain Y, Juntas-Morales R, Kaminski HJ, Maniaol A, Mantegazza R, Masuda M, Nowak RJ, Sivakumar K, Śmiłowski M, Utsugisawa K, Vu T, Weiss MD, Zajda M, Bloemers J, Boroojerdi B, Brock M, de la Borderie G, Duda PW, Vanderkelen M, Leite MI. Long-term safety and efficacy of zilucoplan in patients with generalized myasthenia gravis: interim analysis of the RAISE-XT open-label extension study. Ther Adv Neurol Disord 2024; 17:17562864241243186. [PMID: 38638673 PMCID: PMC11025429 DOI: 10.1177/17562864241243186] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2023] [Accepted: 03/13/2024] [Indexed: 04/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Generalized myasthenia gravis (gMG) is a chronic, unpredictable disease associated with high treatment and disease burdens, with a need for more effective and well-tolerated treatments. Objectives To evaluate the long-term safety, tolerability, and efficacy of zilucoplan in a mild-to-severe, acetylcholine receptor autoantibody-positive (AChR+) gMG population. Design Ongoing, multicenter, phase III open-label extension (OLE) study. Methods Eligible patients had completed a qualifying randomized, placebo-controlled phase II or phase III zilucoplan study and received daily, self-administered subcutaneous 0.3 mg/kg zilucoplan. The primary endpoint was incidence of treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs). Secondary efficacy endpoints included change from baseline in Myasthenia Gravis Activities of Daily Living (MG-ADL) score. Results In total, 200 patients enrolled. At the cut-off date (8 September 2022), median (range) exposure to zilucoplan in RAISE-XT was 1.2 (0.11-4.45) years. Mean age at OLE baseline was 53.3 years. A total of 188 (94%) patients experienced a TEAE, with the most common being MG worsening (n = 52, 26%) and COVID-19 (n = 49, 25%). In patients who received zilucoplan 0.3 mg/kg in the parent study, further improvements in MG-ADL score continued through to Week 24 (least squares mean change [95% confidence interval] from double-blind baseline -6.06 [-7.09, -5.03]) and were sustained through to Week 60 (-6.04 [-7.21, -4.87]). In patients who switched from placebo in the parent study, rapid improvements in MG-ADL score were observed at the first week after switching to zilucoplan; further improvements were observed at Week 24, 12 weeks after switching (-6.46 [-8.19, -4.72]), and were sustained through to Week 60 (-6.51 [-8.37, -4.65]). Consistent results were observed in other efficacy endpoints. Conclusion Zilucoplan demonstrated a favorable long-term safety profile, good tolerability, and sustained efficacy through to Week 60 with consistent benefits in a broad AChR+ gMG population. Additional long-term data will be available in future analyses. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT04225871 (https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04225871).
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Affiliation(s)
- James F. Howard
- Department of Neurology, UNC School of Medicine, The University College of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 2200 Houpt Building, CB#7025, 170 Manning Drive, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7025, USA
| | - Saskia Bresch
- Service de Neurologie, Hospital Pasteur, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Nice, Nice, France
| | - Constantine Farmakidis
- Neuromuscular Division, Department of Neurology, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS, USA
| | - Miriam Freimer
- Department of Neurology, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Angela Genge
- Clinical Research Unit, Montreal Neurological Institute, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Channa Hewamadduma
- Academic Neuroscience Unit, Sheffield Teaching Hospitals Foundation Trust, Sheffield, UK
- Sheffield Institute for Translational Neurosciences (SITRAN), University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - John Hinton
- Department of Neurology, Frederick P. Whiddon School of Medicine, University of South Alabama, Mobile, AL, USA
| | - Yessar Hussain
- Department of Neurology, Dell Medical School, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Raul Juntas-Morales
- Department of Neurology, Vall d’Hebron University Hospital, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Henry J. Kaminski
- Department of Neurology and Rehabilitation Medicine, George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA
| | | | - Renato Mantegazza
- Fondazione Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico, Istituto Nazionale Neurologico Carlo Besta, Milan, Italy
| | - Masayuki Masuda
- Department of Neurology, Tokyo Medical University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Richard J. Nowak
- Department of Neurology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | | | - Marek Śmiłowski
- Department of Hematology and Bone Marrow Transplantation, Medical University of Silesia, Katowice, Poland
| | | | - Tuan Vu
- Department of Neurology, University of South Florida Morsani College of Medicine, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Michael D. Weiss
- Department of Neurology, University of Washington Medical Center, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Małgorzata Zajda
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - M. Isabel Leite
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
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Kulasekararaj AG, Lehtinen AE, Forsyth C, Gandhi S, Griffin M, Körper S, Mikala G, Muus P, Overgaard U, Patriquin CJ, Pullon H, Shen YM, Spearing R, Szer J, De la Borderie G, Duda PW, Farzaneh-Far R, Ragunathan S, Sayegh CE, Vadysirisack DD, Schrezenmeier H. Phase II trials of zilucoplan in paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria. Haematologica 2024; 109:929-935. [PMID: 37534517 PMCID: PMC10905099 DOI: 10.3324/haematol.2022.281780] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2022] [Accepted: 07/27/2023] [Indexed: 08/04/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Austin G Kulasekararaj
- King's College Hospital-NHS Foundation Trust, NIHR/Wellcome King's Clinical Research Facility, London, UK and King's College London, London
| | - Anna-Elina Lehtinen
- Helsinki University Hospital Comprehensive Cancer Center and University of Helsinki, Helsinki
| | | | - Shreyans Gandhi
- King's College Hospital-NHS Foundation Trust, NIHR/Wellcome King's Clinical Research Facility, London, UK and King's College London, London
| | | | - Sixten Körper
- University of Ulm, Institute of Transfusion Medicine, and Institute of Transfusion Medicine and Immunogenetics Ulm, Red Cross Blood Transfusion Service Baden-Württemberg-Hessen and University Hospital Ulm, Ulm
| | - Gabor Mikala
- Central Hospital of Southern Pest National Institute of Hematology and Infectious Diseases, Budapest
| | - Petra Muus
- King's College Hospital-NHS Foundation Trust, NIHR/Wellcome King's Clinical Research Facility, London, UK and King's College London, London, UK; St. James's University Hospital, Leeds
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Jeff Szer
- Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre and The Royal Melbourne Hospital, Melbourne, VIC
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Hubert Schrezenmeier
- University of Ulm, Institute of Transfusion Medicine, and Institute of Transfusion Medicine and Immunogenetics Ulm, Red Cross Blood Transfusion Service Baden-Württemberg-Hessen and University Hospital Ulm, Ulm.
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Tang GQ, Tang Y, Dhamnaskar K, Hoarty MD, Vyasamneni R, Vadysirisack DD, Ma Z, Zhu N, Wang JG, Bu C, Cong B, Palmer E, Duda PW, Sayegh C, Ricardo A. Corrigendum: Zilucoplan, a macrocyclic peptide inhibitor of human complement component 5, uses a dual mode of action to prevent terminal complement pathway activation. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1282155. [PMID: 37818356 PMCID: PMC10561601 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1282155] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2023] [Accepted: 09/08/2023] [Indexed: 10/12/2023] Open
Abstract
[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1213920.].
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Yalan Tang
- UCB Pharma, Cambridge, MA, United States
| | | | | | | | | | - Zhong Ma
- UCB Pharma/Ra Pharmaceuticals, Cambridge, MA, United States
| | - Nanqun Zhu
- UCB Pharma/Ra Pharmaceuticals, Cambridge, MA, United States
| | | | - Charlie Bu
- UCB Pharma, Cambridge, MA, United States
| | | | | | | | - Camil Sayegh
- UCB Pharma/Ra Pharmaceuticals, Cambridge, MA, United States
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Tang GQ, Tang Y, Dhamnaskar K, Hoarty MD, Vyasamneni R, Vadysirisack DD, Ma Z, Zhu N, Wang JG, Bu C, Cong B, Palmer E, Duda PW, Sayegh C, Ricardo A. Zilucoplan, a macrocyclic peptide inhibitor of human complement component 5, uses a dual mode of action to prevent terminal complement pathway activation. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1213920. [PMID: 37622108 PMCID: PMC10446491 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1213920] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2023] [Accepted: 07/17/2023] [Indexed: 08/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction The complement system is a key component of the innate immune system, and its aberrant activation underlies the pathophysiology of various diseases. Zilucoplan is a macrocyclic peptide that binds and inhibits the cleavage/activation of human complement component 5 (C5). We present in vitro and ex vivo data on the mechanism of action of zilucoplan for the inhibition of C5 activation, including two clinically relevant C5 polymorphisms at R885. Methods The interaction of zilucoplan with C5, including for clinical C5 R885 variants, was investigated using surface plasmon resonance (SPR), hemolysis assays, and ELISA. The interference of C5b6 formation by zilucoplan was investigated by native gel analysis and hemolysis assay. The permeability of zilucoplan in a reconstituted basement membrane was assessed by the partition of zilucoplan on Matrigel-coated transwell chambers. Results Zilucoplan specifically bound human complement C5 with high affinity, competitively inhibited the binding of C5 to C3b, and blocked C5 cleavage by C5 convertases and the assembly of the cytolytic membrane attack complex (MAC, or C5b9). Zilucoplan fully prevented the in vitro activation of C5 clinical variants at R885 that have been previously reported to respond poorly to eculizumab treatment. Zilucoplan was further demonstrated to interfere with the formation of C5b6 and inhibit red blood cell (RBC) hemolysis induced by plasmin-mediated non-canonical C5 activation. Zilucoplan demonstrated greater permeability than a monoclonal C5 antibody in a reconstituted basement membrane model, providing a rationale for the rapid onset of action of zilucoplan observed in clinical studies. Conclusion Our findings demonstrate that zilucoplan uses a dual mode of action to potently inhibit the activation of C5 and terminal complement pathway including wild-type and clinical R885 variants that do not respond to eculizumab treatment. These data may be relevant to the clinically demonstrated benefits of zilucoplan.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Yalan Tang
- UCB Pharma, Cambridge, MA, United States
| | | | | | | | | | - Zhong Ma
- UCB Pharma/Ra Pharmaceuticals, Cambridge, MA, United States
| | - Nanqun Zhu
- UCB Pharma/Ra Pharmaceuticals, Cambridge, MA, United States
| | | | - Charlie Bu
- UCB Pharma, Cambridge, MA, United States
| | | | | | | | - Camil Sayegh
- UCB Pharma/Ra Pharmaceuticals, Cambridge, MA, United States
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Howard JF, Bresch S, Genge A, Hewamadduma C, Hinton J, Hussain Y, Juntas-Morales R, Kaminski HJ, Maniaol A, Mantegazza R, Masuda M, Sivakumar K, Śmiłowski M, Utsugisawa K, Vu T, Weiss MD, Zajda M, Boroojerdi B, Brock M, de la Borderie G, Duda PW, Lowcock R, Vanderkelen M, Leite MI. Safety and efficacy of zilucoplan in patients with generalised myasthenia gravis (RAISE): a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, phase 3 study. Lancet Neurol 2023; 22:395-406. [PMID: 37059508 DOI: 10.1016/s1474-4422(23)00080-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 29.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2022] [Revised: 02/08/2023] [Accepted: 02/14/2023] [Indexed: 04/16/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Generalised myasthenia gravis is a chronic, unpredictable, and debilitating rare disease, often accompanied by high treatment burden and with an unmet need for more efficacious and well tolerated treatments. Zilucoplan is a subcutaneous, self-administered macrocyclic peptide complement C5 inhibitor. We aimed to assess safety, efficacy, and tolerability of zilucoplan in patients with acetylcholine receptor autoantibody (AChR)-positive generalised myasthenia gravis. METHODS RAISE was a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, phase 3 trial that was done at 75 sites in Europe, Japan, and North America. We enrolled patients (aged 18-74 years) with AChR-positive generalised myasthenia gravis (Myasthenia Gravis Foundation of America disease class II-IV), a myasthenia gravis activities of daily living (MG-ADL) score of least 6, and a quantitative myasthenia gravis score of at least 12. Participants were randomly assigned (1:1) to receive subcutaneous zilucoplan 0·3 mg/kg once daily by self-injection, or matched placebo, for 12 weeks. The primary efficacy endpoint was change from baseline to week 12 in MG-ADL score in the modified intention-to-treat population (all randomly assigned patients who received at least one dose of study drug and had at least one post-dosing MG-ADL score). Safety was mainly assessed by the incidence of treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs) in all patients who had received at least one dose of zilucoplan or placebo. This trial is registered at ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT04115293. An open-label extension study is ongoing (NCT04225871). FINDINGS Between Sept 17, 2019, and Sept 10, 2021, 239 patients were screened for the study, of whom 174 (73%) were eligible. 86 (49%) patients were randomly assigned to zilucoplan 0·3 mg/kg and 88 (51%) were assigned to placebo. Patients assigned to zilucoplan showed a greater reduction in MG-ADL score from baseline to week 12, compared with those assigned to placebo (least squares mean change -4·39 [95% CI -5·28 to -3·50] vs -2·30 [-3·17 to -1·43]; least squares mean difference -2·09 [-3·24 to -0·95]; p=0·0004). TEAEs occurred in 66 (77%) patients in the zilucoplan group and in 62 (70%) patients in the placebo group. The most common TEAE was injection-site bruising (n=14 [16%] in the zilucoplan group and n=8 [9%] in the placebo group). Incidences of serious TEAEs and serious infections were similar in both groups. One patient died in each group; neither death (COVID-19 [zilucoplan] and cerebral haemorrhage [placebo]) was considered related to the study drug. INTERPRETATION Zilucoplan treatment showed rapid and clinically meaningful improvements in myasthenia gravis-specific efficacy outcomes, had a favourable safety profile, and was well tolerated, with no major safety findings. Zilucoplan is a new potential treatment option for a broad population of patients with AChR-positive generalised myasthenia gravis. The long-term safety and efficacy of zilucoplan is being assessed in an ongoing open-label extension study. FUNDING UCB Pharma.
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Affiliation(s)
- James F Howard
- Department of Neurology, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
| | - Saskia Bresch
- Service de Neurologie, Hospital Pasteur, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Nice, Nice, France
| | - Angela Genge
- Clinical Research Unit, The Montreal Neurological Institute, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Channa Hewamadduma
- Department of Neuroscience, Sheffield Institute for Translational Neurosciences (SITRAN), University of Sheffield and Sheffield Teaching Hospitals Foundation NHS Trust, Sheffield, UK
| | - John Hinton
- Diagnostic and Medical Clinic, Mobile, AL, USA
| | - Yessar Hussain
- Department of Neurology, Dell Medical School, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Raul Juntas-Morales
- Vall d'Hebron University Hospital, Passeig de la Vall d'Hebron, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Henry J Kaminski
- Department of Neurology & Rehabilitation Medicine, George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA
| | | | - Renato Mantegazza
- Fondazione Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico, Istituto Nazionale Neurologico Carlo Besta, Milan, Italy
| | - Masayuki Masuda
- Department of Neurology, Tokyo Medical University, Tokyo, Japan
| | | | - Marek Śmiłowski
- Department of Hematology and Bone Marrow Transplantation, Medical University of Silesia, Katowice, Poland
| | | | - Tuan Vu
- Department of Neurology, University of South Florida Morsani College of Medicine, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Michael D Weiss
- Department of Neurology, University of Washington Medical Center, Seattle, WA, USA
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - M Isabel Leite
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
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Mammen AL, Amato AA, Dimachkie MM, Chinoy H, Hussain Y, Lilleker JB, Pinal-Fernandez I, Allenbach Y, Boroojerdi B, Vanderkelen M, Delicha EM, Koendgen H, Farzaneh-Far R, Duda PW, Sayegh C, Benveniste O. Zilucoplan in immune-mediated necrotising myopathy: a phase 2, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicentre trial. Lancet Rheumatol 2023; 5:e67-e76. [PMID: 36923454 PMCID: PMC10009502 DOI: 10.1016/s2665-9913(23)00003-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
Background Immune-mediated necrotizing myopathy (IMNM) is an autoimmune myopathy characterised by proximal muscle weakness, high creatine kinase (CK) values, and autoantibodies recognizing 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA reductase (HMGCR) or the signal recognition particle (SRP). There are currently no approved therapies for IMNM and many patients experience active disease despite off-label treatment with intravenous immunoglobulin, glucocorticoids, and immunosuppressants. Detection of complement-activating anti-HMGCR and anti-SRP autoantibodies and the presence of complement deposition on the sarcolemma of non-necrotic myofibers led to the hypothesis that complement activation may be pathogenic in IMNM, therefore zilucoplan, a complement component 5 (C5) inhibitor, could be a potential therapy. Methods IMNM01, a phase 2, multicenter, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled study (NCT04025632) at 15 sites (four countries) evaluated efficacy, safety, and tolerability of zilucoplan in adult participants with anti-HMGCR or anti-SRP autoantibody-positive IMNM. Participants were randomised 1:1 to receive daily subcutaneous zilucoplan (0·3mg/kg) or placebo for eight weeks; with optional enrolment in the study open-label extension. Primary efficacy endpoint was percent change from baseline to Week 8 in CK levels. Secondary endpoints included safety. Findings Between 07 November 2019 and 07 January 2021, 27 participants (13 female and 14 male) received zilucoplan (n=12) or placebo (n=15) and completed the 8-week main study. At Week 8 there were no clinically relevant or statistically significant differences, despite target engagement based on mode of action, between treatment arms in mean percent change (standard deviation) of CK levels versus baseline (-9·86% [26·06] versus -20·72% [31·22] in zilucoplan [n=10] and placebo arms [n=14], p=0·46, respectively) and no clinically relevant improvement over time within the treatment arm. There were no unexpected adverse safety or tolerability findings. Treatment emergent adverse events (TEAEs) and serious TEAEs were reported in n=9 (75·0%) vs n=13 (86·7%) and n=0 (0%) and n=3 (20·0%) participants, respectively. The most frequent TEAEs were headache (n=4 in both groups [33·3% and 26·7%, respectively]) and nausea (n=3 in both groups [25·0% and 20·0%, respectively]). Interpretation C5 inhibition does not appear to be an effective treatment modality for IMNM. Rather than driving myofiber necrosis, complement activation may be secondary to muscle injury. Funding Study funded by Ra Pharmaceuticals (now part of UCB Pharma).
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew L Mammen
- Muscle Disease Unit, Laboratory of Muscle Stem Cells and Gene Regulation, National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA; Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Anthony A Amato
- Department of Neurology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Mazen M Dimachkie
- Department of Neurology, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, Kansas USA
| | - Hector Chinoy
- National Institute for Health Research Manchester Biomedical Research Centre, Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK; Department of Rheumatology, Salford Royal Hospital, Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Salford, UK
| | - Yessar Hussain
- Austin Neuromuscular Center, The University of Texas Dell Medical School, Austin, Texas, USA
| | - James B Lilleker
- Centre for Musculoskeletal Research, Division of Musculoskeletal and Dermatological Sciences, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK; Manchester Centre for Clinical Neurosciences, Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Salford, UK
| | - Iago Pinal-Fernandez
- Muscle Disease Unit, Laboratory of Muscle Stem Cells and Gene Regulation, National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA; Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Yves Allenbach
- Department of Internal Medicine and Clinical Immunology, Sorbonne Université, Assistance Publique Hôpitaux de Paris, Pitié-Salpêtrière University Hospital, Paris, France; Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, Association Institut de Myologie, Centre de Recherche en Myologie, UMRS974, Paris, France
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Olivier Benveniste
- Department of Internal Medicine and Clinical Immunology, Sorbonne Université, Assistance Publique Hôpitaux de Paris, Pitié-Salpêtrière University Hospital, Paris, France; Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, Association Institut de Myologie, Centre de Recherche en Myologie, UMRS974, Paris, France
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Lee I, Leach JM, Aban I, McPherson T, Duda PW, Cutter G. One-year follow-up of disease burden and medication changes in patients with myasthenia gravis: From the MG Patient Registry. Muscle Nerve 2022; 66:411-420. [PMID: 35673964 PMCID: PMC9796266 DOI: 10.1002/mus.27659] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2021] [Revised: 05/31/2022] [Accepted: 06/04/2022] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION/AIMS We studied the progression of myasthenia gravis (MG) disease burden and medication adjustment among MG Patient Registry participants. METHODS Participants diagnosed with MG (age ≥18 years), registered between July 1, 2013 and July 31, 2018 and completing both 6- and 12-month follow-up surveys, were included in this investigation. Participants were grouped into high-burden (Myasthenia Gravis Activity of Daily Living scale [MG-ADL] score ≥6) and low-burden (MG-ADL <6) groups based on MG-ADL scores at enrollment. Demographics and disease history were compared between groups. MG-ADL score change and medication changes (escalation, no change, de-escalation) between enrollment and 12-month follow-up were compared between groups. Minimal symptom expression (MSE, MG-ADL <2) at 12 months was compared between groups. Logistic regression analysis was performed to study factors associated with MSE at 12 months. RESULTS In total, 520 participants (56% female) were included in high-burden (n = 248) and low-burden (n = 272) groups. Those in the high-burden group were more likely to be younger, female, and have shorter disease duration. At 12 months, MSE was achieved in 6% of the high-burden group and newly achieved (42 of 201, 21%) or maintained (52 of 71, 73%) in the low-burden group. In the multivariable analysis, being in the high-burden group and use of pyridostigmine were associated with less likelihood of MSE, whereas MG-ADL score improvement (>2 or >20%) at 6 months significantly increased the likelihood of achieving MSE at 12 months (P = .0004). DISCUSSION In both groups, but more so in the high-burden group, patients infrequently achieved MSE after 1 year of MG treatment. Baseline low disease burden, improvement at 6 months and no pyridostigmine use were associated with a higher likelihood of MSE at 12 months.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ikjae Lee
- The Neurological Institute of New YorkColumbia UniversityNew YorkNew YorkUSA
| | - Justin M. Leach
- Department of BiostatisticsUniversity of Alabama at BirminghamBirminghamAlabamaUSA
| | - Inmaculada Aban
- Department of BiostatisticsUniversity of Alabama at BirminghamBirminghamAlabamaUSA
| | - Tarrant McPherson
- Department of BiostatisticsUniversity of Alabama at BirminghamBirminghamAlabamaUSA
| | - Petra W. Duda
- Department of Clinical Research, Ra Pharmaceuticals, IncCambridgeMassachusettsUSA
| | - Gary Cutter
- Department of BiostatisticsUniversity of Alabama at BirminghamBirminghamAlabamaUSA
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Howard JF, Vissing J, Gilhus NE, Leite MI, Utsugisawa K, Duda PW, Farzaneh-Far R, Murai H, Wiendl H. Zilucoplan: An Investigational Complement C5 Inhibitor for the Treatment of Acetylcholine Receptor Autoantibody-Positive Generalized Myasthenia Gravis. Expert Opin Investig Drugs 2021; 30:483-493. [PMID: 33792453 DOI: 10.1080/13543784.2021.1897567] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Generalized myasthenia gravis (gMG) is an autoimmune disorder in which pathogenic autoantibodies damage the neuromuscular junction, causing disabling or life-threatening muscle weakness. Most treatments nonspecifically inhibit aspects of the immune system, do not directly address the causal mechanisms of tissue damage, and often have side-effect profiles that negatively impact patients. Understanding of the central pathogenic role of the complement cascade in gMG is advancing, and a new complement-targeting treatment is under investigation. AREAS COVERED We provide an overview of gMG etiology, the complement cascade, current treatments, and the investigational gMG therapy zilucoplan. Zilucoplan is a small, subcutaneously administered, macrocyclic peptide that inhibits cleavage of complement component C5 and the subsequent formation of the membrane attack complex. EXPERT OPINION In a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, phase 2 clinical trial, zilucoplan demonstrated clinically meaningful complement inhibition in patients with acetylcholine receptor-positive gMG. Zilucoplan, a first-of-its-kind cyclic peptide targeting C5, appears to be a therapeutic option for the treatment of gMG based on available pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic data and phase 1 and 2 efficacy, safety, and tolerability data with limited long-term follow-up. Zilucoplan use earlier in the treatment paradigm would be suitable in this population should phase 3 efficacy and safety data be equally favorable.
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Affiliation(s)
- James F Howard
- Department of Neurology, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - John Vissing
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Rigshospitalet, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Nils E Gilhus
- Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Bergen and Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway
| | - M Isabel Leite
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Kimiaki Utsugisawa
- Department of Neurology, Hanamaki General Hospital, Hanamaki, Iwate, Japan
| | | | | | - Hiroyuki Murai
- Department of Neurology, International University of Health and Welfare, Narita, Chiba, Japan
| | - Heinz Wiendl
- Department of Neurology, Institute of Translational Neurology, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
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9
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Howard JF, Nowak RJ, Wolfe GI, Freimer ML, Vu TH, Hinton JL, Benatar M, Duda PW, MacDougall JE, Farzaneh-Far R, Kaminski HJ, Barohn R, Dimachkie M, Pasnoor M, Farmakidis C, Liu T, Colgan S, Benatar MG, Bertorini T, Pillai R, Henegar R, Bromberg M, Gibson S, Janecki T, Freimer M, Elsheikh B, Matisak P, Genge A, Guidon A, David W, Habib AA, Mathew V, Mozaffar T, Hinton JL, Hewitt W, Barnett D, Sullivan P, Ho D, Howard JF, Traub RE, Chopra M, Kaminski HJ, Aly R, Bayat E, Abu-Rub M, Khan S, Lange D, Holzberg S, Khatri B, Lindman E, Olapo T, Sershon LM, Lisak RP, Bernitsas E, Jia K, Malik R, Lewis-Collins TD, Nicolle M, Nowak RJ, Sharma A, Roy B, Nye J, Pulley M, Berger A, Shabbir Y, Sachdev A, Patterson K, Siddiqi Z, Sivak M, Bratton J, Small G, Kohli A, Fetter M, Vu T, Lam L, Harvey B, Wolfe GI, Silvestri N, Patrick K, Zakalik K, Duda PW, MacDougall J, Farzaneh-Far R, Pontius A, Hoarty M. Clinical Effects of the Self-administered Subcutaneous Complement Inhibitor Zilucoplan in Patients With Moderate to Severe Generalized Myasthenia Gravis: Results of a Phase 2 Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled, Multicenter Clinical Trial. JAMA Neurol 2021; 77:582-592. [PMID: 32065623 PMCID: PMC7042797 DOI: 10.1001/jamaneurol.2019.5125] [Citation(s) in RCA: 113] [Impact Index Per Article: 37.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Question What are the clinical effects of zilucoplan, a subcutaneously self-administered macrocyclic peptide inhibitor of complement component 5, in a broad population of patients with moderate to severe acetylcholine receptor autoantibody–positive generalized myasthenia gravis? Findings In a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicenter phase 2 trial, zilucoplan yielded rapid, clinically meaningful, statistically significant, and sustained improvements in the primary and key secondary end points. Near-complete complement inhibition was associated with a faster onset and greater magnitude of benefit than submaximal complement inhibition, and favorable safety and tolerability were observed. Meaning The findings support a potential therapeutic role for zilucoplan in generalized myasthenia gravis and further evaluation in a phase 3 study. Importance Many patients with generalized myasthenia gravis (gMG) have substantial clinical disability, persistent disease burden, and adverse effects attributable to chronic immunosuppression. Therefore, there is a significant need for targeted, well-tolerated therapies with the potential to improve disease control and enhance quality of life. Objective To evaluate the clinical effects of zilucoplan, a subcutaneously (SC) self-administered macrocyclic peptide inhibitor of complement component 5, in a broad population of patients with moderate to severe gMG. Design, Setting, and Participants This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase 2 clinical trial at 25 study sites across North America recruited participants between December 2017 and August 2018. Fifty-seven patients were screened, of whom 12 did not meet inclusion criteria and 1 was lost to follow-up after randomization but before receiving study drug, resulting in a total of 44 acetylcholine receptor autoantibody (AChR-Ab)–positive patients with gMG with baseline Quantitative Myasthenia Gravis (QMG) scores of at least 12, regardless of treatment history. Interventions Patients were randomized 1:1:1 to a daily SC self-injection of placebo, 0.1-mg/kg zilucoplan, or 0.3-mg/kg zilucoplan for 12 weeks. Main Outcomes and Measures The primary and key secondary end points were the change from baseline to week 12 in QMG and MG Activities of Daily Living scores, respectively. Significance testing was prespecified at a 1-sided α of .10. Safety and tolerability were also assessed. Results The study of 44 patients was well balanced across the 3 treatment arms with respect to key demographic and disease-specific variables. The mean age of patients across all 3 treatment groups ranged from 45.5 to 54.6 years and most patients were white (average proportions across 3 treatment groups: 78.6%-86.7%). Clinically meaningful and statistically significant improvements in primary and key secondary efficacy end points were observed. Zilucoplan at a dose of 0.3 mg/kg SC daily resulted in a mean reduction from baseline of 6.0 points in the QMG score (placebo-corrected change, –2.8; P = .05) and 3.4 points in the MG Activities of Daily Living score (placebo-corrected change, –2.3; P = .04). Clinically meaningful and statistically significant improvements were also observed in other secondary end points, the MG Composite and MG Quality-of-Life scores. Outcomes for the 0.1-mg/kg SC daily dose were also statistically significant but slower in onset and less pronounced than with the 0.3-mg/kg dose. Rescue therapy (intravenous immunoglobulin or plasma exchange) was required in 3 of 15, 1 of 15, and 0 of 14 participants in the placebo, 0.1-mg/kg zilucoplan, and 0.3-mg/kg zilucoplan arms, respectively. Zilucoplan was observed to have a favorable safety and tolerability profile. Conclusions and Relevance Zilucoplan yielded rapid, meaningful, and sustained improvements over 12 weeks in a broad population of patients with moderate to severe AChR-Ab–positive gMG. Near-complete complement inhibition appeared superior to submaximal inhibition. The observed safety and tolerability profile of zilucoplan was favorable. Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03315130.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Petra W Duda
- Ra Pharmaceuticals Inc, Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Angela Genge
- Montreal Neurological Institute, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Doreen Ho
- Lahey Hospital, Burlington, Massachusetts
| | | | | | | | | | - Radwa Aly
- George Washington University, Washington, DC
| | - Elham Bayat
- George Washington University, Washington, DC
| | | | - Shaida Khan
- University of Texas Southwestern, Dallas, Irving
| | - Dale Lange
- Hospital for Special Surgery, New York, New York
| | | | - Bhupendra Khatri
- Center for Neurological Disorders, St Francis Hospital at Ascension, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
| | - Emily Lindman
- Center for Neurological Disorders, St Francis Hospital at Ascension, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
| | - Tayo Olapo
- Center for Neurological Disorders, St Francis Hospital at Ascension, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
| | - Lisa M Sershon
- Center for Neurological Disorders, St Francis Hospital at Ascension, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
| | | | | | - Kelly Jia
- Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Bhaskar Roy
- Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Joan Nye
- Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Mark Sivak
- Mount Sinai Hospital, New York, New York
| | | | - George Small
- Allegheny Neurological Associates, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Anem Kohli
- Allegheny Neurological Associates, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Mary Fetter
- Allegheny Neurological Associates, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Tuan Vu
- University of South Florida, Tampa
| | - Lucy Lam
- University of South Florida, Tampa
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Petra W Duda
- Ra Pharmaceuticals Inc, Cambridge, Massachusetts
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10
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McPherson T, Aban I, Duda PW, Farzaneh-Far R, Wolfe GI, Kaminski HJ, Cutter G, Lee I. Correlation of Quantitative Myasthenia Gravis and Myasthenia Gravis Activities of Daily Living scales in the MGTX study. Muscle Nerve 2020; 62:261-266. [PMID: 32369631 PMCID: PMC7496446 DOI: 10.1002/mus.26910] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2019] [Revised: 04/23/2020] [Accepted: 04/29/2020] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Introduction Quantitative Myasthenia Gravis (QMG) and Myasthenia Gravis Activities of Daily Living (MG‐ADL) scales were compared using the data from the Thymectomy Trial in Non‐Thymomatous Myasthenia Gravis Patients Receiving Prednisone Therapy (MGTX) study. Methods Correlation between QMG and MG‐ADL raw and change‐from‐baseline scores was calculated every 3 months for 60 months based on treatment groups and minimal manifestation status (MMS). Results QMG and MG‐ADL change‐from‐baseline scores correlated significantly, with increasing strength of correlation over time, in both treatment groups. QMG and MG‐ADL raw scores correlated significantly in both treatment groups, with increasing correlation only in the prednisone‐alone group. Correlation between raw scores was weaker in patients who were in MMS, demonstrating a “floor effect” on the MG‐ADL scale. Raw QMG scores could be modeled assuming a normal distribution, whereas raw MG‐ADL scores could not be modeled this way. Discussion The floor effect and skewed distribution of the MG‐ADL measure should be taken into account in the design of myasthenia gravis clinical trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tarrant McPherson
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama
| | - Inmaculada Aban
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama
| | | | | | - Gil I Wolfe
- Department of Neurology, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo/State University of New York, Buffalo, New York
| | - Henry J Kaminski
- Department of Neurology, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, George Washington University, Washington, DC
| | - Gary Cutter
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama
| | - Ikjae Lee
- Department of Neurology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama
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11
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Cutter G, Xin H, Aban I, Burns TM, Allman PH, Farzaneh-Far R, Duda PW, Kaminski HJ. Cross-sectional analysis of the Myasthenia Gravis Patient Registry: Disability and treatment. Muscle Nerve 2019; 60:707-715. [PMID: 31487038 PMCID: PMC6899582 DOI: 10.1002/mus.26695] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2018] [Revised: 08/05/2019] [Accepted: 08/30/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Introduction The Myasthenia Gravis Patient Registry (MGR) is a voluntary, patient‐submitted database dedicated to improve understanding of care/burden of myasthenia gravis (MG). Methods In this study we present analyses of baseline records through July 2017 (n = 1140) containing data on the MG—Activities of Daily Living (MG‐ADL) and the MG 15‐item Quality of Life (MG‐QOL15) instruments, two validated scales assessing quality of life in MG patients at sign‐up into the MGR. Results Most registrants reported moderate to severe impairment of health‐related quality of life, with a median MG‐ADL score of 6 and a median MG‐QOL15 score of 21. Seventy‐one percent of the patients had received pyridostigmine. Corticosteroids, mycophenolate mofetil, and azathioprine were the most common immunomodulators/immunosuppressants, with 85% of participants having ever using one of these agents. Forty‐seven registrants reported receiving intravenous immunoglobulin, and 30% received plasma exchange. Twelve percent reported other treatments, and 40% were unsure whether they received less common therapies. Forty percent had undergone thymectomy. Discussion The MGR data correlate well with other MG cohorts. Many MG patients remain negatively impacted despite treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gary Cutter
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama
| | - Haichang Xin
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama
| | - Inmaculada Aban
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama
| | - Ted M Burns
- Department of Neurology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia
| | - Phillip H Allman
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama
| | - Ramin Farzaneh-Far
- Department of Clinical Research, Ra Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Petra W Duda
- Department of Clinical Research, Ra Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Henry J Kaminski
- Department of Neurology, George Washington University, Washington, DC
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12
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Kinane TB, Mayer OH, Duda PW, Lowes LP, Moody SL, Mendell JR. Long-Term Pulmonary Function in Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy: Comparison of Eteplirsen-Treated Patients to Natural History. J Neuromuscul Dis 2018; 5:47-58. [PMID: 29278896 PMCID: PMC5836407 DOI: 10.3233/jnd-170272] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
Background: Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a rare, degenerative, X-linked genetic disease that results in progressive muscle loss and premature death, most commonly from respiratory or cardiac failure. DMD is primarily caused by whole exon deletions, resulting in a shift of the dystrophin mRNA reading frame that prevents production of functional dystrophin protein. Eteplirsen, a phosphorodiamidate morpholino oligomer (PMO), is designed to skip exon 51, restore the reading frame, and induce production of internally shortened dystrophin in patients with mutations amenable to such treatment. Objective: Describe lung function assessed throughout eteplirsen studies 201/202. Methods: Studies 201/202 included 12 patients treated with eteplirsen over 5 years. Pulmonary function tests included forced vital capacity (FVC), maximum expiratory pressure (MEP), and maximum inspiratory pressure (MIP). With no long-term placebo control, FVC results were compared with data from the United Dystrophinopathy Project (UDP). MIP and MEP were compared to published natural history. Results: Age-adjusted mixed-model repeated-measures analysis showed decreases of 2.3% and 2.6% annually for FVC% p and MEP% p, and an annual increase of 0.6% for MIP% p for the eteplirsen-treated cohort. Data from the UDP demonstrated a 4.1% decline in FVC% p. The published natural history reports annual declines of at least 2.7% and 3.8% for MEP% p and MIP% p, respectively, in patients with DMD. Conclusions: With eteplirsen treatment, deterioration of respiratory muscle function based on FVC% p was half of that seen in the UDP; MEP% p and MIP% p compared favorably with natural history.
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Affiliation(s)
- T Bernard Kinane
- Division of Pediatric Pulmonary, Massachusetts General Hospital for Children, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Oscar H Mayer
- Division of Pulmonology Pediatric Pulmonary, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | | | - Linda P Lowes
- Department of Neurology, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH, USA.,Paul D. Wellstone Muscular Dystrophy Cooperative Research Center, Rochester, NY, USA
| | | | - Jerry R Mendell
- Department of Neurology, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH, USA.,Paul D. Wellstone Muscular Dystrophy Cooperative Research Center, Rochester, NY, USA.,Department of Pediatrics and Neurology, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
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13
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Khatri BO, Man S, Giovannoni G, Koo AP, Lee JC, Tucky B, Lynn F, Jurgensen S, Woodworth J, Goelz S, Duda PW, Panzara MA, Ransohoff RM, Fox RJ. Effect of plasma exchange in accelerating natalizumab clearance and restoring leukocyte function. Neurology 2009; 72:402-9. [PMID: 19188571 DOI: 10.1212/01.wnl.0000341766.59028.9d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 224] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Accelerating the clearance of therapeutic monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) from the body may be useful to address uncommon but serious complications from treatment, such as progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML). Treatment of PML requires immune reconstitution. Plasma exchange (PLEX) may accelerate mAb clearance, restoring the function of inhibited proteins and increasing the number or function of leukocytes entering the CNS. We evaluated the efficacy of PLEX in accelerating natalizumab (a therapy for multiple sclerosis [MS] and Crohn disease) clearance and alpha4-integrin desaturation. Restoration of leukocyte transmigratory capacity was evaluated using an in vitro blood-brain barrier (ivBBB). METHODS Twelve patients with MS receiving natalizumab underwent three 1.5-volume PLEX sessions over 5 or 8 days. Natalizumab concentrations and alpha4-integrin saturation were assessed daily throughout PLEX and three times over the subsequent 2 weeks, comparing results with the same patients the previous month. Peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) migration (induced by the chemokine CCL2) across an ivBBB was assessed in a subset of six patients with and without PLEX. RESULTS Serum natalizumab concentrations were reduced by a mean of 92% from baseline to 1 week after three PLEX sessions (p < 0.001). Although average alpha4-integrin saturation was not reduced after PLEX, it was reduced to less than 50% when natalizumab concentrations were below 1 mug/mL. PBMC transmigratory capacity increased 2.2-fold after PLEX (p < 0.006). CONCLUSIONS Plasma exchange (PLEX) accelerated clearance of natalizumab, and at natalizumab concentrations below 1 mug/mL, desaturation of alpha4-integrin was observed. Also, CCL2-induced leukocyte transmigration across an in vitro blood-brain barrier was increased after PLEX. Therefore, PLEX may be effective in restoring immune effector function in natalizumab-treated patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- B O Khatri
- Regional Multiple Sclerosis Center and Center for Neurological Disorders, Aurora St. Luke's Medical Center, Milwaukee, WI, USA
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14
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Weder C, Baltariu GM, Wyler KA, Gober HJ, Lienert C, Schluep M, Radü EW, De Libero G, Kappos L, Duda PW. Clinical and immune responses correlate in glatiramer acetate therapy of multiple sclerosis. Eur J Neurol 2006; 12:869-78. [PMID: 16241976 DOI: 10.1111/j.1468-1331.2005.01084.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Glatiramer acetate (GA) treatment for relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) leads to decreased GA-specific proliferative responses and a Th2 cytokine shift. To study a possible correlation between immunological and clinical responses to GA therapy, we prospectively followed RRMS patients clinically, by magnetic resonance imaging and by primary immunological assays. Fluctuation of GA-specific proliferative responses was significantly lower in treatment responders than in untreated patients, and GA-specific proliferative responses were increased during relapses. These associations suggest a possible causal relationship between immunological and clinical responses to GA therapy. Primary proliferation assays may thus be a useful marker for treatment response.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Weder
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital, Basle, Switzerland
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15
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Abstract
Immune-mediated peripheral neuropathies are more frequent in aged populations. Equally, underlying diseases such as vasculitis and paraproteinemia are more prevalent in the elderly. Accumulating evidence is linking the aging process of the immune system, immunosenescence, to the susceptibility of older individuals for paraproteinemic, vasculitic and inflammatory demyelinating neuropathies. Why an individual develops a particular disease is likely due to a number of factors. These include mutations in neural tissue-specific B and T cells, decreased central tolerance, increased proinflammatory environment due to cytokine shifts and higher functional capacity of innate immune cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mathias W R Pletz
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital, Petersgraben 4, CH-4031 Basel, Switzerland
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16
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Schmied M, Duda PW, Krieger JI, Trollmo C, Hafler DA. In vitro evidence that subcutaneous administration of glatiramer acetate induces hyporesponsive T cells in patients with multiple sclerosis. Clin Immunol 2003; 106:163-74. [PMID: 12706402 DOI: 10.1016/s1521-6616(03)00020-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Glatiramer acetate (GA; Copaxone) is a random sequence polypeptide used in the treatment of relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis (RR MS). We have recently demonstrated that prior to treatment, GA induces proliferation of resting T cells and is not cross-reactive with myelin antigens. Daily GA injections induce a significant loss of this GA responsiveness, which is associated with the induction of highly cross-reactive Th2-type T cells potentially capable of suppressing inflammatory responses. The mechanism of action by which GA induces T cell nonresponsiveness leading to T cell receptor degeneracy in patients with RR MS is unknown. Here, we examined the effects of daily GA administration on the induction of T cell hyporesponsiveness. The frequency of GA-reactive T cells in peripheral blood of seven patients with RR MS was measured by limiting dilution analysis prior to and during 6 months of treatment. In addition, a model in which GA-reactive T cells were stimulated in vitro was developed to better characterize the selection of T cell populations over time. In vivo treatment with GA induced a decrease in GA-reactive T cell frequencies and hyporesponsiveness of CD4(+) T cell reactivity to GA in vitro that was only partially reversed by the addition of IL-2. These data suggest that T cell peripheral tolerance to GA was achieved in vivo during treatment. Thus, our in vitro data suggest that the underlying changes in GA-reactive CD4(+) T cell reactivity could be explained by the induction of T cell anergy and clonal elimination.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Schmied
- Laboratory of Molecular Immunology, Center for Neurologic Diseases, Department of Neurology, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
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17
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Bissig KD, Wunderli-Ye H, Duda PW, Solioz M. Structure-function analysis of purified Enterococcus hirae CopB copper ATPase: effect of Menkes/Wilson disease mutation homologues. Biochem J 2001; 357:217-23. [PMID: 11415452 PMCID: PMC1221944 DOI: 10.1042/0264-6021:3570217] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
The Enterococcus hirae CopB ATPase (EC 3.6.1.3) confers copper resistance to the organism by expelling excess copper. Two related human ATPase genes, ATP7A (EC 3.6.1.36) and ATP7B (EC 3.6.1.36), have been cloned as the loci of mutations causing Menkes and Wilson diseases, diseases of copper metabolism. Many mutations in these genes have been identified in patients. Since it has not yet been possible to purify the human copper ATPases, it has proved difficult to test the impact of mutations on ATPase function. Some mutations occur in highly conserved sequence motifs, suggesting that their effect on function can be tested with a homologous enzyme. Here, we used the E. hirae CopB ATPase to investigate the impact of such mutations on enzyme function in vivo and in vitro. The Menkes disease mutation of Cys-1000-->Arg, changing the conserved Cys-Pro-Cys ('CPC') motif, was mimicked in CopB. The corresponding Cys-396-->Ser CopB ATPase was unable to restore copper resistance in a CopB knock-out mutant in vivo. The purified mutant ATPase still formed an acylphosphate intermediate, but possessed no detectable ATP hydrolytic activity. The most frequent Wilson disease mutation, His-1069-->Gln, was introduced into CopB as His-480-->Gln (H480Q). This mutant CopB also failed to confer copper resistance to a CopB knock-out strain. Purified H480Q CopB formed an acylphosphate intermediate and retained a small, but significant, ATPase activity. Our results reveal that Cys-396 and His-480 of CopB are key residues for ATPase function, and similar roles are suggested for Cys-1000 and His-1069 of Menkes and Wilson ATPases respectively.
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Affiliation(s)
- K D Bissig
- Department of Clinical Pharmacology, University of Berne, 3010 Berne, Switzerland
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18
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Duda PW, Krieger JI, Schmied MC, Balentine C, Hafler DA. Human and murine CD4 T cell reactivity to a complex antigen: recognition of the synthetic random polypeptide glatiramer acetate. J Immunol 2000; 165:7300-7. [PMID: 11120865 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.165.12.7300] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
The capacity of glatiramer acetate (GA), a random copolymer of alanine, lysine, glutamic acid, and tyrosine to stimulate primary in vitro human and murine T cell proliferation was examined. PBMCs isolated from healthy humans and relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis patients and spleen cells from inbred strains of mice, expressing different H-2 haplotypes, were used as sources of non-GA-primed lymphocytes. GA functioned as a universal Ag, inducing dose-dependent proliferation of all non-GA-primed human and murine T cell populations tested. Moreover, GA stimulated PBMCs derived ex vivo from human cord blood, strongly suggesting that GA can activate both naive and memory T cells. The human T cell proliferative responses to GA were HLA class II DR-restricted by virtue of the ability of anti-class II Ab to inhibit T cell proliferation, and the demonstration that individual GA specific human T cell clones were HLA class II DR-restricted by either restriction element but not both. Furthermore, GA-reactive T cells secreted Th0 cytokines and expressed a diverse repertoire of TCR. Limiting dilution analysis indicated that the T cell precursor frequency among the healthy human adults tested ranged from 1:5,000 to 1:125,000. Given that all of the T cell populations tested were isolated from non-GA-primed donors, it appears that virtually all humans and murine strains contain significant numbers of T cell populations cross-reactive with GA. These findings may explain the recent clinical finding that daily s.c. administration of GA ameliorates the progression of multiple sclerosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- P W Duda
- Laboratory of Molecular Immunology, Center for Neurologic Diseases, Department of Neurology, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
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19
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Duda PW, Schmied MC, Cook SL, Krieger JI, Hafler DA. Glatiramer acetate (Copaxone) induces degenerate, Th2-polarized immune responses in patients with multiple sclerosis. J Clin Invest 2000; 105:967-76. [PMID: 10749576 PMCID: PMC377485 DOI: 10.1172/jci8970] [Citation(s) in RCA: 325] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
We examined the effect of glatiramer acetate, a random copolymer of alanine, lysine, glutamic acid, and tyrosine, on antigen-specific T-cell responses in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). Glatiramer acetate (Copaxone) functioned as a universal antigen, inducing proliferation, independent of any prior exposure to the polymer, in T-cell lines prepared from MS or healthy subjects. However, for most patients, daily injections of glatiramer acetate abolished this T-cell response and promoted the secretion of IL-5 and IL-13, which are characteristic of Th2 cells. The surviving glatiramer acetate-reactive T cells exhibited a greater degree of degeneracy as measured by cross-reactive responses to combinatorial peptide libraries. Thus, it appears that, in some individuals, in vivo administration of glatiramer acetate induces highly cross-reactive T cells that secrete Th2 cytokines. To our knowledge, glatiramer acetate is the first agent that suppresses human autoimmune disease and alters immune function by engaging the T-cell receptor. This compound may be useful in a variety of autoimmune disorders in which immune deviation to a Th2 type of response is desirable.
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Affiliation(s)
- P W Duda
- Laboratory of Molecular Immunology, Center for Neurologic Diseases, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA
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