Observations by Caregivers Using the Infant with Clefts Observation Outcomes Instrument (iCOO): A Comparison of Three Versus Seven-day Daily Diaries.

OBJECTIVE: Our goal was to compare data collected from 3- and 7-day Infant with Clefts Observation Outcomes (iCOO) diaries. DESIGN: Secondary data analysis of an observational longitudinal cohort study. Caregivers completed the daily iCOO for 7 days before cleft lip surgery (T0) and for 7 days after cleft lip repair (T1). We compared 3- and 7-day diaries collected at T0 and 3- and 7-day diaries collected at T1. SETTING: United States. PARTICIPANTS: Primary caregivers of infants with cleft lip with and without cleft palate (N = 131) planning lip repair and enrolled in original iCOO study. MAIN OUTCOMES MEASURE(S): Mean differences and Pearson correlation coefficients. RESULTS: Correlation coefficients were high for global impressions (>0.90) and scaled scores (0.80-0.98). Mean differences were small across iCOO domains at T0. T1 comparisons reflected the same pattern. CONCLUSIONS: Three-day diary data is comparable to 7-day diaries for measuring caregiver observations using iCOO across T0 and T1.

A WHO key informant language survey of people with lived experiences of diabetes: Media misconceptions, values-based messaging, stigma, framings and communications considerations.

AIMS: This study aimed to learn from people with lived experiences of diabetes to raise the quality of diabetes communications. METHODS: An online key informant survey for people (18+) with a direct and/or adjacent (caregiver, friend, family-member etc.,) lived experience of diabetes. Through thematic analysis, we gathered insights on perceptions of media reporting on diabetes and communicating with accuracy, impact and without stigma. Descriptive analysis also investigated effective values for WHO to communicate diabetes with key audiences of policy-makers, funding partners and the general public. RESULTS: 918 respondents in 58 WHO Member States were analysed. Participants identified five key themes requiring more appropriate consideration in the media: accurately defining diabetes types, over-emphasis on sugar and lifestyle, negative impacts of diabetes stigma, burden of costs (financial, personal and interpersonal) and mental health. Irrespective of audience, key values-based messages identified as important for WHO to convey included: 'urgency', 'preventing suffering', 'improving wellbeing' and 'meaningful engagement' of people with lived experience. CONCLUSION: Learning from people with lived experience of diabetes identifies key diabetes communication considerations. Continued meaningful engagement of this group, including in WHO's work and the multistakeholder diffusion of this methodology to local contexts, could improve public discourse on diabetes and related policies.

A randomized Phase II trial evaluating efficacy, safety, and tolerability of oral BI 409306 in attenuated psychosis syndrome: Design and rationale.

AIM: Attenuated psychosis syndrome (APS), a condition for further study in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-5, comprises psychotic symptoms that are qualitatively similar to those observed in schizophrenia but are less severe. Patients with APS are at high risk of converting to first-episode psychosis (FEP). As evidence for effective pharmacological interventions in APS is limited, novel treatments may provide symptomatic relief and delay/prevent psychotic conversion. This trial aims to investigate the efficacy, safety, and tolerability of BI 409306, a potent and selective phosphodiesterase-9 inhibitor, versus placebo in APS. Novel biomarkers of psychosis are being investigated. METHODS: In this Phase II, multinational, double-blind, parallel-group trial, randomized (1:1) patients will receive BI 409306 50 mg or placebo twice daily for 52 weeks. Patients (n = 300) will be enrolled to determine time to remission of APS, time to FEP, change in everyday functional capacity (Schizophrenia Cognition Rating Scale), and change from baseline in Brief Assessment of Cognition composite score and Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale scores. Potential biomarkers of psychosis under investigation include functional measures of brain activity and automated speech analyses. Safety is being assessed throughout. CONCLUSIONS: This trial will determine whether BI 409306 is superior to placebo in achieving sustainable remission of APS and improvements in cognition and functional capacity. These advances may provide evidence-based treatment options for symptomatic relief in APS. Furthermore, the study will assess the effect of BI 409306 on psychotic conversion and explore the identification of patients at risk for conversion using novel biomarkers.

Evaluation of the Efficacy, Safety, and Tolerability of BI 409306, a Novel Phosphodiesterase 9 Inhibitor, in Cognitive Impairment in Schizophrenia: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled, Phase II Trial.

BACKGROUND: Patients with cognitive impairment associated with schizophrenia may benefit from treatments targeting dysfunctional glutamatergic neurotransmission. BI 409306, a potent and selective phosphodiesterase 9 inhibitor, was assessed in patients with schizophrenia using a learn-and-confirm adaptive trial design. METHODS: This double-blind, parallel-group trial randomized patients 2:1:1:1:1 to once-daily placebo or BI 409306 (10, 25, 50, or 100 mg) for 12 weeks. Stage 1 (learn) assessed change from baseline in Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery (CANTAB) scores (week 12) to identify ≥1 meaningful endpoints for stage 2 (confirm). If no domains showed efficacy, change from baseline in Measurements and Treatment Research to Improve Cognition in Schizophrenia (MATRICS) Consensus Cognitive Battery (MCCB) composite scores (week 12) was the primary endpoint. The key secondary endpoint was change from baseline in Schizophrenia Cognition Rating Scale (SCoRS) total score. Safety was monitored. RESULTS: Five hundred eighteen patients were randomized. In stage 1, CANTAB did not differentiate between BI 409306 and placebo (n = 120), so the primary endpoint of change from baseline in MCCB composite score was analyzed in 450 patients in stage 2. There was no significant difference between BI 409306 (1.2-2.8) and placebo (2.5) in MCCB composite score change. BI 409306 did not significantly improve change from baseline in SCoRS total score (-3.1 to -2.0) vs placebo (-2.5). Adverse events were dose-dependent, increasing from 33.3% (10 mg) to 53.5% (100 mg), vs 36.4% for placebo. CONCLUSION: The primary endpoint of cognitive function improvement was not met. BI 409306 was well-tolerated, with an acceptable safety profile.

A Phase IC Study Evaluating the Safety, Tolerability, Pharmacokinetics, and Cognitive Outcomes of BI 409306 in Patients with Mild-to-Moderate Schizophrenia.

INTRODUCTION: This randomized, double-blind, parallel-group study investigated the safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics (PK), and cognitive outcomes of BI 409306-a selective phosphodiesterase 9A (PDE9A) inhibitor-in patients with schizophrenia. METHODS: Patients with mild-to-moderate schizophrenia were randomized (1:1:1:1) to receive BI 409306 at 25, 50, or 100 mg or placebo once daily over 14 days. The primary endpoints were safety and tolerability; the secondary endpoints were PK and cognitive outcomes. RESULTS: Of the 40 randomized patients, 38 (95%) completed the study. Patients were predominantly male (87.5%; mean age, 40.2 years). After a single dose, C max was reached within 30-45 min. The geometric mean (gMean) C max and AUC0-∞ ranged from 138 to 998 nmol/L and 217 to 2020 nmol∙h/L, respectively. Elimination was rapid (gMean t 1/2 range 1.10-1.85 h). After multiple doses, C max,ss was reached within 1 h; elimination was similar to that observed after a single dose. Total exposure at steady state and after a single dose were similar (accumulation ratio range: AUC, 0.758-1.13 and Cmax, 0.768-1.40). No deaths, adverse events (AEs) leading to discontinuation, or serious AEs were observed. Treatment-emergent AEs were mild, with no apparent dose-related trends. There was no worsening of schizophrenia symptoms (Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale) and no trends in suicidality (Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale). The Hopkins Verbal Learning Test-Revised (HVLT-R) and Brief Visuospatial Memory Test-Revised (BVMT-R) showed no effect on cognitive function. CONCLUSION: Administration of BI 409306 in patients with mild-to-moderate schizophrenia resulted in satisfactory safety and tolerability. BI 409306, PK was characterized by rapid absorption, monophasic to biphasic elimination, and minor accumulation with multiple dosing. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier NCT01892384. FUNDING: Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co. KG.

Efficacy and Safety of Linagliptin in Black/African American Patients with Type 2 Diabetes: A 6-month, Randomized, Double-blind, Placebo-controlled Study.

OBJECTIVE: Although black/African American individuals are disproportionately affected by type 2 diabetes, there is scant clinical trial information available on antidiabetes therapies in this group. We compared linagliptin with placebo in black/African American adults who were treatment-naïve or receiving one oral antidiabetes drug. METHODS: Of 226 patients randomized to 24 weeks' linagliptin 5 mg/day or placebo, 208 had baseline and at least one on-treatment glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) measurement. Mean baseline HbA1c was 8.6% in the linagliptin group (n = 98) and 8.68% in the placebo group (n = 110). The primary outcome was change in HbA1c from baseline to week 24. RESULTS: By week 24, mean HbA1c changes were -0.84% with linagliptin and -0.25% with placebo (treatment difference, -0.58%; P<.001), and more patients in the linagliptin group achieved HbA1c <7.0% (26.8% vs. 8.3%; P = .001) or an HbA1c reduction ≥0.5% (54.1% vs. 30.0%; P<.001). Mean weight loss was -1.1 kg in both groups. During the treatment period, 8 of 98 linagliptin-group patients and 17 of 110 placebo-group patients required rescue therapy (odds ratio, 0.5; P = .14). For postprandial glucose, values were available for few patients (11 placebo, 10 linagliptin), and thus the between-group difference was associated with wide confidence intervals (CIs) (difference, -1.97 mg/dL; 95% CI, -53.80 to 49.86; P = .94). In the overall study population, a similar proportion of patients in both groups had adverse events (58.5% vs. 61.7%); most events were mild or moderate and considered unrelated to study drug. Investigator-defined hypoglycemia was rare (3 linagliptin-group patients and 1 placebo-group patient), with no severe events (requiring external assistance). CONCLUSION: This study confirms that linagliptin is efficacious and well tolerated in black/African American patients with type 2 diabetes.

Black/African American patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: study design and baseline patient characteristics from a randomized clinical trial of linagliptin.

OBJECTIVE: In the United States, black/African American individuals are more likely than whites to develop type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), and have higher rates of complications, but are under-represented in clinical trials. The design of a trial comparing the efficacy and safety of the dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitor linagliptin 5 mg/day with placebo in this patient group, and the characteristics of the patients enrolled are reported. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: This United States, multicenter, 24-week, randomized, double-blind study enrolled adults with T2DM who self-reported their race as black or African American, were receiving ≤ 1 oral antidiabetes drug, had a body mass index ≤ 45 kg/m(2) and glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA(1c)) of 7.5 - 11% at screening. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The primary efficacy endpoint is the change of HbA(1c) from baseline to week 24. BASELINE DATA: A total of 226 patients were randomized and received ≥ 1 study drug dose. The mean age was 54 years (standard deviation: 9.9 years), and 54% were men. The mean HbA(1c) was 8.75% (standard deviation: 1.10%). Approximately half the patients (52%) had mild or moderate renal impairment and the majority (72%) had hypertension. CONCLUSIONS: To the authors' knowledge, this is the first trial of any oral antidiabetes drug specifically conducted in black/African American patients.