Browsing by Author "Quan, Dianna"

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    Phase 2 Trial of Rituximab in Acetylcholine Receptor Antibody-Positive Generalized Myasthenia Gravis: The BeatMG Study
    (Wolters Kluwer, 2022-01-25) Nowak, Richard J.; Coffey, Christopher S.; Goldstein, Jonathan M.; Dimachkie, Mazen M.; Benatar, Michael; Kissel, John T.; Wolfe, Gil I.; Burns, Ted M.; Freimer, Miriam L.; Nations, Sharon; Granit, Volkan; Smith, A. Gordon; Richman, David P.; Ciafaloni, Emma; Al-Lozi, Muhammad T.; Sams, Laura Ann; Quan, Dianna; Ubogu, Eroboghene; Pearson, Brenda; Sharma, Aditi; Yankey, Jon W.; Uribe, Liz; Shy, Michael; Amato, Anthony A.; Conwit, Robin; O'Connor, Kevin C.; Hafler, David A.; Cudkowicz, Merit E.; Barohn, Richard J.; NeuroNEXT NN103 BeatMG Study Team; Neurology, School of Medicine
    Objective: To determine whether rituximab is safe and potentially beneficial, warranting further investigation in an efficacy trial for acetylcholine receptor antibody-positive generalized MG (AChR-Ab+ gMG). Methods: The B-Cell Targeted Treatment in MG (BeatMG) study was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicenter phase-2 trial that utilized a futility design. Individuals 21-90 years of age, with AChR-Ab+ gMG (MG Foundation of America Class II-IV) and receiving prednisone ≥15 mg/day were eligible. The primary outcome was a measure of steroid-sparing effect, defined as the proportion achieving ≥75% reduction in mean daily prednisone dose in the 4-weeks prior to week 52 and with clinical improvement or no significant worsening as compared to the 4-week period prior to randomization. The co-primary outcome was safety. Secondary outcomes included MG-specific clinical assessments. Fifty-two individuals were randomized (1:1) to either a two-cycle rituximab/placebo regimen, with follow-up through 52-weeks. Results: Of the 52 participants included, mean (±SD) age at enrollment was 55.1 (±17.1) years; 23 (44.2%) were female, and 31 (59.6%) were MGFA Class II. The mean (±SD) baseline prednisone dose was 22.1 (±9.7) mg/day. The primary steroid-sparing outcome was achieved in 60% of those on rituximab vs. 56% on placebo. The study reached its futility endpoint (p=0.03) suggesting that the pre-defined clinically meaningful improvement of 30% due to rituximab over placebo was unlikely to be achieved in a subsequent, larger trial. No safety issues identified. Conclusions: While rituximab was safe and well-tolerated, these results suggest that there is a low probability of observing the defined clinically meaningful steroid-sparing effect over a 12-month period in a phase-3 trial of mild-moderately symptomatic AChR-Ab+ gMG. Classification of evidence: This study provides Class I evidence that for mild-to-moderate AChR-Ab+ gMG, compared with placebo, rituximab is safe but unlikely to reduce steroid use by an absolute difference of at least 30% at 1 year.
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    A Phase 2, Double-Blind, Randomized, Dose-Ranging Trial Of Reldesemtiv In Patients With ALS
    (Taylor & Francis, 2021-05) Shefner, Jeremy M.; Andrews, Jinsy A.; Genge, Angela; Jackson, Carlayne; Lechtzin, Noah; Miller, Timothy M.; Cockroft, Bettina M.; Meng, Lisa; Wei, Jenny; Wolff, Andrew A.; Malik, Fady I.; Bodkin, Cynthia; Brooks, Benjamin R.; Caress, James; Dionne, Annie; Fee, Dominic; Goutman, Stephen A.; Goyal, Namita A.; Hardiman, Orla; Hayat, Ghazala; Heiman-Patterson, Terry; Heitzman, Daragh; Henderson, Robert D.; Johnston, Wendy; Karam, Chafic; Kiernan, Matthew C.; Kolb, Stephen J.; Korngut, Lawrence; Ladha, Shafeeq; Matte, Genevieve; Mora, Jesus S.; Needham, Merrilee; Oskarsson, Bjorn; Pattee, Gary L.; Pioro, Erik P.; Pulley, Michael; Quan, Dianna; Rezania, Kourosh; Schellenberg, Kerri L.; Schultz, David; Shoesmith, Christen; Simmons, Zachary; Statland, Jeffrey; Sultan, Shumaila; Swenson, Andrea; Van Den Berg, Leonard H.; Vu, Tuan; Vucic, Steve; Weiss, Michael; Whyte-Rayson, Ashley; Wymer, James; Zinman, Lorne; Rudnicki, Stacy A.; Neurology, School of Medicine
    To evaluate safety, dose response, and preliminary efficacy of reldesemtiv over 12 weeks in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Methods: Patients (≤2 years since diagnosis) with slow upright vital capacity (SVC) of ≥60% were randomized 1:1:1:1 to reldesemtiv 150, 300, or 450 mg twice daily (bid) or placebo; active treatment was 12 weeks with 4-week follow-up. Primary endpoint was change in percent predicted SVC at 12 weeks; secondary measures included ALS Functional Rating Scale-Revised (ALSFRS-R) and muscle strength mega-score. Results: Patients (N = 458) were enrolled; 85% completed 12-week treatment. The primary analysis failed to reach statistical significance (p = 0.11); secondary endpoints showed no statistically significant effects (ALSFRS-R, p = 0.09; muscle strength mega-score, p = 0.31). Post hoc analyses pooling all active reldesemtiv-treated patients compared against placebo showed trends toward benefit in all endpoints (progression rate for SVC, ALSFRS-R, and muscle strength mega-score (nominal p values of 0.10, 0.01 and 0.20 respectively)). Reldesemtiv was well tolerated, with nausea and fatigue being the most common side effects. A dose-dependent decrease in estimated glomerular filtration rate was noted, and transaminase elevations were seen in approximately 5% of patients. Both hepatic and renal abnormalities trended toward resolution after study drug discontinuation. Conclusions: Although the primary efficacy analysis did not demonstrate statistical significance, there were trends favoring reldesemtiv for all three endpoints, with effect sizes generally regarded as clinically important. Tolerability was good; modest hepatic and renal abnormalities were reversible. The impact of reldesemtiv on patients with ALS should be assessed in a pivotal Phase 3 trial. (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03160898).