Efficacy and safety of leuprorelin acetate 6-month depot, TAP-144-SR (6M), in combination with tamoxifen in postoperative, premenopausal patients with hormone receptor-positive breast cancer: a phase III, randomized, open-label, parallel-group comparative study.

Leuprorelin acetate, a luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone agonist, is used worldwide in premenopausal women with hormone receptor-positive breast cancer. This study was conducted to assess the non-inferiority of the 6-month depot formulation, TAP-144-SR (6M) 22.5 mg to the 3-month depot formulation, TAP-144-SR (3M) 11.25 mg in postoperative, premenopausal patients with hormone receptor-positive breast cancer.
This was a 96-week phase III, randomized, open-label, parallel-group comparative study. All patients concomitantly received oral tamoxifen (20 mg daily). The primary endpoint was the suppression rate of serum estradiol (E2) to the menopausal level (≤30 pg/mL) from Week 4 through Week 48.
In total, 167 patients were randomized to receive TAP-144-SR (6M) (n = 83) or TAP-144-SR (3M) (n = 84) and the E2 suppression rate was 97.6 and 96.4 %, respectively. The estimated between-group difference was 1.2 % (95 % confidence interval -5.2 to 7.8). The non-inferiority of TAP-144-SR (6M) to TAP-144-SR (3M) for E2 suppression was confirmed. As for safety, common adverse events were hot flush and injection site reactions including induration, pain, and erythema in both treatment groups, which were of ≤Grade 2 in severity and not serious. No significant between-group differences in safety profiles and tolerability were observed.
TAP-144-SR (6M) was not inferior to TAP-144-SR (3M) for its suppressive effect on serum E2. TAP-144-SR (6M) was also as well tolerated as TAP-144-SR (3M).

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Population pharmacokinetic analysis of patritumab, a HER3 inhibitor, in subjects with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) or solid tumors.

The purpose of this analysis was to develop a population pharmacokinetic (PK) model for patritumab, a fully human monoclonal antibody that targets human epidermal growth factor receptor 3.
A total of 833 serum concentrations were included in this analysis; serum concentrations were obtained from 145 subjects (136 with non-small cell lung cancer, nine with solid tumors) treated with patritumab [9 or 18 mg/kg intravenously every 3 weeks (q3w)] in one phase 1 and one phase 1b/2 study. Data were analyzed by nonlinear mixed-effect modeling.
Patritumab PKs were best described through a two-compartment model with first-order elimination and interindividual variability on clearance (CL), volume of the central compartment (V c), distributional clearance, and volume of the peripheral compartment. In the final model, CL and V c were estimated as 0.0238 L/h and 3.62 L, respectively. Body weight (BW) and baseline albumin were found to be covariates for CL and BW was a covariate for V c. Covariates associated with hepatic and renal impairment were not significant on CL. Simulations showed that BW-based dosing reduced interindividual variability in patritumab exposure compared with fixed dosing.
The PK of patritumab was linear at the doses studied and well described by the two-compartment model. Hepatic and renal impairment did not appear to affect PK. Our results support BW-based dosing of patritumab on a q3w schedule.

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Impact of Baseline Total Testosterone Level on Successful Treatment of Sexual Dysfunction in Men Taking Once-Daily Tadalafil 5 mg for Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms and Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia: An Integrated Analysis of Three Randomized Controlled Trials.

Controversy exists as to whether erectile response to phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors is compromised in men with low total testosterone (TT) levels. This is amplified by reports of improved response to phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitor therapy after coadministration of testosterone replacement therapy in hypogonadal men unresponsive to phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors.
To determine whether TT and luteinizing hormone levels influence efficacy of tadalafil for erectile dysfunction in men with concomitant lower urinary tract symptoms and benign prostatic hyperplasia.
This integrated analysis included 1,075 men randomized to once-daily tadalafil 5 mg (n = 540) or placebo (n = 535) for 12 weeks in three prospective clinical trials who had not received concomitant testosterone replacement therapy. Subjects were categorized at baseline by low vs normal TT levels (n = 1,049; <300 vs ≥300 ng/dL) and normal vs high luteinizing hormone levels (n = 1,058; ≤9.4 vs >9.4 mIU/mL). Treatment-group differences in International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF) by hormone subgroups were assessed using analysis of covariance.
Changes in IIEF erectile function domain and other domain scores.
The overall study population was comprised primarily of white men (>86%) with a mean age range of 64 to 70 years. Median baseline TT level in the integrated population was 355 ng/dL; levels were lower than 300 ng/dL (cutoff for normal) in 32.4% of men. Men with low TT levels reported diabetes (21.8%), cardiovascular disease (54.1%), and hypertension (49.1%) numerically more often than men with normal TT levels (10.6%, 43.2%, and 36.7%, respectively). Low TT and high luteinizing hormone levels were associated with numerically, but not statistically significantly, lower 12-week IIEF domain scores compared with those with normal levels. Changes in most 12-week IIEF domain scores showed that tadalafil was significantly more effective than placebo (P < .02).
Low TT levels at baseline did not negatively influence response to tadalafil in men of advancing age with concomitant lower urinary tract symptoms and benign prostatic hyperplasia and erectile dysfunction.
Copyright © 2016 International Society for Sexual Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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Genetic Variants That Predispose to DNA Double-Strand Breaks in Lymphocytes From a Subset of Patients With Familial Colorectal Carcinomas.

DNA structural lesions are prevalent in sporadic colorectal cancer. Therefore, we proposed that gene variants that predispose to DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) would be found in patients with familial colorectal carcinomas of an undefined genetic basis (UFCRC).
We collected primary T cells from 25 patients with UFCRC and matched patients without colorectal cancer (controls) and assayed for DSBs. We performed exome sequence analyses of germline DNA from 20 patients with UFCRC and 5 undiagnosed patients with polyposis. The prevalence of identified variants in genes linked to DNA integrity was compared with that of individuals without a family history of cancer. The effects of representative variants found to be associated with UFCRC was confirmed in functional assays with HCT116 cells.
Primary T cells from most patients with UFCRC had increased levels of the DSB marker γ(phosphorylated)histone2AX (γH2AX) after treatment with DNA damaging agents, compared with T cells from controls (P < .001). Exome sequence analysis identified a mean 1.4 rare variants per patient that were predicted to disrupt functions of genes relevant to DSBs. Controls (from public databases) had a much lower frequency of variants in the same genes (P < .001). Knockdown of representative variant genes in HCT116 CRC cells increased γH2AX. A detailed analysis of immortalized patient-derived B cells that contained variants in the Werner syndrome, RecQ helicase-like gene (WRN, encoding T705I), and excision repair cross-complementation group 6 (ERCC6, encoding N180Y) showed reduced levels of these proteins and increased DSBs, compared with B cells from controls. This phenotype was rescued by exogenous expression of WRN or ERCC6. Direct analysis of the recombinant variant proteins confirmed defective enzymatic activities.
These results provide evidence that defects in suppression of DSBs underlie some cases of UFCRC; these can be identified by assays of circulating lymphocytes. We specifically associated UFCRC with variants in WRN and ERCC6 that reduce the capacity for repair of DNA DSBs. These observations could lead to a simple screening strategy for UFCRC, and provide insight into the pathogenic mechanisms of colorectal carcinogenesis.
Copyright © 2015 AGA Institute. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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Puma Biotechnology Updates Timeline for Filing New Drug Application

On March 28, 2016 Puma Biotechnology, Inc. (NYSE: PBYI), a biopharmaceutical company, reported that based on its recent meetings with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Company now plans to submit its New Drug Application (NDA) for the approval of neratinib for the treatment of extended adjuvant breast cancer that has previously been treated with a trastuzumab-containing regimen in mid-2016 (Press release, Puma Biotechnology, MAR 28, 2016, View Source [SID:1234510117]).

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Puma has recently conducted a series of meetings and communications with the FDA. The purpose of these communications was to provide the FDA with the data from neratinib’s non-clinical and clinical development programs that will form the basis of the Company’s NDA for neratinib for the treatment of extended adjuvant breast cancer that has previously been treated with a trastuzumab-containing regimen. The data discussed with the FDA included preclinical data (pharmacology, toxicology, reproductive toxicity, carcinogenicity) and clinical trial data, including the data from the Phase III trial of neratinib in the extended adjuvant treatment of HER2-positive early stage breast cancer (ExteNET trial) and the Phase II trial of neratinib monotherapy in the extended adjuvant treatment of HER2-positive early stage breast cancer where patients received loperamide prophylaxis in order to prevent the neratinib-related diarrhea. Following its review of this material, the FDA requested that Puma amend the current statistical analysis plan for the ExteNET trial to incorporate the FDA’s recommendations with regard to rules for censoring the data for recurrent disease events or death.

For the primary endpoint of the ExteNET trial (Invasive Disease Free Survival), the analysis was based on all recurrent disease events and deaths occurring within 2 years and 28 days post randomization. The FDA has requested that events (disease recurrence or deaths) observed after missing 2 or more scheduled disease assessments be censored at the last available disease assessment time prior to the event occurrence. The FDA’s requested approach was a sensitivity analysis used in the ExteNET trial’s original statistical analysis plan but will now be the primary analysis approach used in the trial’s updated statistical analysis plan. In order to accommodate this change, Puma expects to delay filing its NDA for neratinib for the treatment of extended adjuvant breast cancer that has previously been treated with a trastuzumab-containing regimen until mid-2016.

The primary analysis results of the trial do not appear to be altered materially by the updated analysis approach. Provided below are the results of the original and updated analyses of the primary endpoint of invasive disease-free survival (iDFS) for the intent to treat (ITT) population:

1. ITT population applying the original event and censoring rule:
– 179 iDFS events
– 33% reduction in risk of iDFS vs. placebo (hazard ratio=0.67 (0.50, 0.91), 1-sided P=0.005)
– iDFS rates 93.9% (neratinib arm) vs. 91.6% (placebo arm)

2. ITT population applying the revised event and censoring rule per FDA:
– 173 iDFS events
– 34% reduction in risk of iDFS vs. placebo (hazard ratio=0.66 (0.49, 0.90), 1-sided P=0.004)
– iDFS rates 94.2% (neratinib arm) vs. 91.9% (placebo arm)