Two Phase 3 Trials of Gantenerumab in Early Alzheimer's Disease.

BACKGROUND: Monoclonal antibodies that target amyloid-beta (Aß) have the potential to slow cognitive and functional decline in persons with early Alzheimer's disease. Gantenerumab is a subcutaneously administered, fully human, anti-Aß IgG1 monoclonal antibody with highest affinity for aggregated Aß that has been tested for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease. METHODS: We conducted two phase 3 trials (GRADUATE I and II) involving participants 50 to 90 years of age with mild cognitive impairment or mild dementia due to Alzheimer's disease and evidence of amyloid plaques on positron-emission tomography (PET) or cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) testing. Participants were randomly assigned to receive gantenerumab or placebo every 2 weeks. The primary outcome was the change from baseline in the score on the Clinical Dementia Rating scale-Sum of Boxes (CDR-SB; range, 0 to 18, with higher scores indicating greater cognitive impairment) at week 116. RESULTS: A total of 985 and 980 participants were enrolled in the GRADUATE I and II trials, respectively. The baseline CDR-SB score was 3.7 in the GRADUATE I trial and 3.6 in the GRADUATE II trial. The change from baseline in the CDR-SB score at week 116 was 3.35 with gantenerumab and 3.65 with placebo in the GRADUATE I trial (difference, -0.31; 95% confidence interval [CI], -0.66 to 0.05; P = 0.10) and was 2.82 with gantenerumab and 3.01 with placebo in the GRADUATE II trial (difference, -0.19; 95% CI, -0.55 to 0.17; P = 0.30). At week 116, the difference in the amyloid level on PET between the gantenerumab group and the placebo group was -66.44 and -56.46 centiloids in the GRADUATE I and II trials, respectively, and amyloid-negative status was attained in 28.0% and 26.8% of the participants receiving gantenerumab in the two trials. Across both trials, participants receiving gantenerumab had lower CSF levels of phosphorylated tau 181 and higher levels of Aß42 than those receiving placebo; the accumulation of aggregated tau on PET was similar in the two groups. Amyloid-related imaging abnormalities with edema (ARIA-E) occurred in 24.9% of the participants receiving gantenerumab, and symptomatic ARIA-E occurred in 5.0%. CONCLUSIONS: Among persons with early Alzheimer's disease, the use of gantenerumab led to a lower amyloid plaque burden than placebo at 116 weeks but was not associated with slower clinical decline. (Funded by F. Hoffmann-La Roche; GRADUATE I and II ClinicalTrials.gov numbers, NCT03444870 and NCT03443973, respectively.).

Validation of 3- and 5-point severity scales to assess ARIA-E.

INTRODUCTION: Anti-amyloid-ß (Aß) monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) offer the promise of disease modification and are emerging treatment options in Alzheimer's disease. Anti-Aß mAbs require brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) examinations to detect anti-amyloid-induced amyloid-related imaging abnormalities (ARIA), important adverse drug reactions associated with some anti-Aß mAbs currently available in the United States and in clinical development. We present a simple rating system for ARIA-edema (ARIA-E) that can assess severity on a 3- or 5-point scale based upon a single linear measurement of the largest area of lesion, and dissemination in space, termed the 3-point Severity Scale of ARIA-E (SSAE-3) and the 5-point Severity Scale of ARIA-E (SSAE-5), respectively. METHODS: MRI results were collected from 75 participants from the SCarlet RoAD (NCT01224106) and Marguerite RoAD (NCT02051608) studies of gantenerumab. Three neuroradiologists experienced with the detection of ARIA-E were selected to read all cases independently. One rater was then chosen for a second read to assess intra-reader reproducibility. RESULTS: The three raters had high agreement in identifying and grading ARIA-E. The Cohen/Fleiss kappa (κ) scores (95% confidence interval [CI]) for the inter- and intra-reader comparisons for SSAE-3 and SSAE-5 were 0.79 (0.70-1.00), 0.94 (0.94-1.00), 0.73 (0.66-1.00), and 0.90 (0.90-1.00), respectively. DISCUSSION: Our study suggests that SSAE-3 and SSAE-5 are valid ARIA-E rating scales for use in routine clinical practice by experienced radiologists in specialized settings. The application of these scales in everyday use in clinical practice will support the expansion of anti-Aß mAbs as a treatment option for people living with Alzheimer's disease. Highlights: A simple rating scale is needed to rate severity of amyloid-related imaging abnormalities-edema (ARIA-E) in both research and clinical settings.The 3- and 5-point Severity Scales of ARIA-E (SSAE-3/-5) have good inter- and intra-reader agreement.The SSAE-3/-5 have been used in most major Alzheimer's disease (AD) trials to date and are suitable for large-scale use in routine clinical practice, which may help support the expansion of anti-amyloid antibodies as treatment options for AD.

Comparing ARIA-E severity scales and effects of treatment management thresholds.

Introduction: Amyloid-related imaging abnormalities-edema (ARIA-E) is associated with anti-amyloid beta monoclonal antibody treatment. ARIA-E severity may be assessed using the Barkhof Grand Total Scale (BGTS) or the 3- or 5-point Severity Scales of ARIA-E (SSAE-3/SSAE-5). We assessed inter- and intra-reader correlations between SSAE-3/5 and BGTS. Methods: Magnetic resonance imaging scans were collected from 75 participants in the SCarlet RoAD and Marguerite RoAD studies. Three neuroradiologists reviewed scans at baseline and at follow-up. Concordance in dichotomized ARIA-E ratings was assessed for a range of BGTS thresholds. Results: SSAE-3/5 scores correlated with BGTS scores, with high inter-reader intraclass correlation coefficients across all scales. There was high agreement in dichotomized ratings for SSAE-3 > 1 versus BGTS > 3 for all readers (accuracy 0.85-0.93) and between pairs of readers. Discussion: SSAE-3/5 showed high degrees of correlation with BGTS, potentially allowing seamless transition from the BGTS to SSAE-3/5 for ARIA-E management.

Amyloid-Related Imaging Abnormalities in the DIAN-TU-001 Trial of Gantenerumab and Solanezumab: Lessons from a Trial in Dominantly Inherited Alzheimer Disease.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the characteristics of participants with amyloid-related imaging abnormalities (ARIA) in a trial of gantenerumab or solanezumab in dominantly inherited Alzheimer disease (DIAD). METHODS: 142 DIAD mutation carriers received either gantenerumab SC (n = 52), solanezumab IV (n = 50), or placebo (n = 40). Participants underwent assessments with the Clinical Dementia Rating® (CDR®), neuropsychological testing, CSF biomarkers, ß-amyloid positron emission tomography (PET), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to monitor ARIA. Cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses evaluated potential ARIA-related risk factors. RESULTS: Eleven participants developed ARIA-E, including 3 with mild symptoms. No ARIA-E was reported under solanezumab while gantenerumab was associated with ARIA-E compared to placebo (odds ratio [OR] = 9.1, confidence interval [CI][1.2, 412.3]; p = 0.021). Under gantenerumab, APOE-ɛ4 carriers were more likely to develop ARIA-E (OR = 5.0, CI[1.0, 30.4]; p = 0.055), as were individuals with microhemorrhage at baseline (OR = 13.7, CI[1.2, 163.2]; p = 0.039). No ARIA-E was observed at the initial 225 mg/month gantenerumab dose, and most cases were observed at doses >675 mg. At first ARIA-E occurrence, all ARIA-E participants were amyloid-PET+, 60% were CDR >0, 60% were past their estimated year to symptom onset, and 60% had also incident ARIA-H. Most ARIA-E radiologically resolved after dose adjustment and developing ARIA-E did not significantly increase odds of trial discontinuation. ARIA-E was more frequently observed in the occipital lobe (90%). ARIA-E severity was associated with age at time of ARIA-E. INTERPRETATION: In DIAD, solanezumab was not associated with ARIA. Gantenerumab dose over 225 mg increased ARIA-E risk, with additional risk for individuals APOE-ɛ4(+) or with microhemorrhage. ARIA-E was reversible on MRI in most cases, generally asymptomatic, without additional risk for trial discontinuation. ANN NEUROL 2022;92:729-744.