Symptom Severity and Treatment Satisfaction in Patients with Idiopathic Hypersomnia: The Real World Idiopathic Hypersomnia Outcomes Study (ARISE).

Objective: Idiopathic hypersomnia is a debilitating sleep disorder characterized by excessive daytime sleepiness, sleep inertia, and prolonged sleep duration. The patient burden of idiopathic hypersomnia is poorly understood. The Real World Idiopathic Hypersomnia Outcomes Study (ARISE) evaluated symptoms and treatment effectiveness/satisfaction in participants with idiopathic hypersomnia. Methods: ARISE was a United States-based virtual cross-sectional survey. Participants were adults 21-65 years of age with idiopathic hypersomnia recruited from social media, the Hypersomnia Foundation website, and a patient panel. Self-assessments included the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS), Idiopathic Hypersomnia Severity Scale (IHSS), Treatment Satisfaction Questionnaire for Medication, version II (TSQM-vII), and additional treatment questions. Data were analyzed for all participants and for subgroups with/without long sleep time (LST; ≥11 hours in 24 hours). Results: Of 75 participants enrolled, most were female (81.3%). The mean (SD) age was 34.1 (10.7) years and 49% had LST. Most participants took off-label prescription medications (89.3%) and/or used other measures (93.3%) to manage their symptoms. The mean (SD) ESS score was 14.5 (3.5) and the mean IHSS score was 35.2 (7.6). Treatment satisfaction was low (mean [SD] TSQM-vII score: overall, 61.9 [21.2]; with LST, 57.9 [21.4]; without LST, 66.7 [20.3]), primarily driven by dissatisfaction with treatment effectiveness. The most common classes of prescription medications used were stimulants (61.3%), wake-promoting agents (28.0%), and antidepressants (18.7%); non-prescription measures used to manage symptoms included caffeine (73.3%), planned naps (34.7%), and individual accommodations (32.0%). Conclusion: Overall, participants with idiopathic hypersomnia, with or without LST, had substantial symptom burden despite most of the study population taking off-label medications and using nonprescription measures to manage symptoms.

Automatic, electrocardiographic-based detection of autonomic arousals and their association with cortical arousals, leg movements, and respiratory events in sleep.

Study Objectives: The current definition of sleep arousals neglects to address the diversity of arousals and their systemic cohesion. Autonomic arousals (AA) are autonomic activations often associated with cortical arousals (CA), but they may also occur in relation to a respiratory event, a leg movement event or spontaneously, without any other physiological associations. AA should be acknowledged as essential events to understand and explore the systemic implications of arousals. Methods: We developed an automatic AA detection algorithm based on intelligent feature selection and advanced machine learning using the electrocardiogram. The model was trained and tested with respect to CA systematically scored in 258 (181 training size/77 test size) polysomnographic recordings from the Wisconsin Sleep Cohort. Results: A precision value of 0.72 and a sensitivity of 0.63 were achieved when evaluated with respect to CA. Further analysis indicated that 81% of the non-CA-associated AAs were associated with leg movement (38%) or respiratory (43%) events. Conclusions: The presented algorithm shows good performance when considering that more than 80% of the false positives (FP) found by the detection algorithm appeared in relation to either leg movement or respiratory events. This indicates that most FP constitute autonomic activations that are indistinguishable from those with cortical cohesion. The proposed algorithm provides an automatic system trained in a clinical environment, which can be utilized to analyze the systemic and clinical impacts of arousals.

Breathing Disturbances Without Hypoxia Are Associated With Objective Sleepiness in Sleep Apnea.

Study Objectives: To determine whether defining two subtypes of sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) events-with or without hypoxia-results in measures that are more strongly associated with hypertension and sleepiness. Methods: A total of 1022 participants with 2112 nocturnal polysomnograms from the Wisconsin Sleep Cohort were analyzed with our automated algorithm, developed to detect breathing disturbances and desaturations. Breathing events were time-locked to desaturations, resulting in two indices-desaturating (hypoxia-breathing disturbance index [H-BDI]) and nondesaturating (nonhypoxia-breathing disturbance index [NH-BDI]) events-regardless of arousals. Measures of subjective (Epworth Sleepiness Scale) and objective (2981 multiple sleep latency tests from a subset of 865 participants) sleepiness were analyzed, in addition to clinically relevant clinicodemographic variables. Hypertension was defined as BP ≥ 140/90 or antihypertensive use. Results: H-BDI, but not NH-BDI, correlated strongly with SDB severity indices that included hypoxia (r ≥ 0.89, p ≤ .001 with 3% oxygen-desaturation index [ODI] and apnea hypopnea index with 4% desaturations). A doubling of desaturation-associated events was associated with hypertension prevalence, which was significant for ODI but not H-BDI (3% ODI OR = 1.06, 95% CI = 1.00-1.12, p < .05; H-BDI OR 1.04, 95% CI = 0.98-1.10) and daytime sleepiness (ß = 0.20 Epworth Sleepiness Scale [ESS] score, p < .0001; ß = -0.20 minutes in MSL on multiple sleep latency test [MSLT], p < .01). Independently, nondesaturating event doubling was associated with more objective sleepiness (ß = -0.52 minutes in MSL on MSLT, p < .001), but had less association with subjective sleepiness (ß = 0.12 ESS score, p = .10). In longitudinal analyses, baseline nondesaturating events were associated with worsening of H-BDI over a 4-year follow-up, suggesting evolution in severity. Conclusions: In SDB, nondesaturating events are independently associated with objective daytime sleepiness, beyond the effect of desaturating events.

Enteric Coating and Aspirin Nonresponsiveness in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus.

BACKGROUND: A limitation of aspirin is that some patients, particularly those with diabetes, may not have an optimal antiplatelet effect. OBJECTIVES: The goal of this study was to determine if oral bioavailability mediates nonresponsiveness. METHODS: The rate and extent of serum thromboxane generation and aspirin pharmacokinetics were measured in 40 patients with diabetes in a randomized, single-blind, triple-crossover study. Patients were exposed to three 325-mg aspirin formulations: plain aspirin, PL2200 (a modified-release lipid-based aspirin), and a delayed-release enteric-coated (EC) aspirin. Onset of antiplatelet activity was determined by the rate and extent of inhibition of serum thromboxane B2 (TXB2) generation. Aspirin nonresponsiveness was defined as a level of residual serum TXB2 associated with elevated thrombotic risk (<99.0% inhibition or TXB2 >3.1 ng/ml) within 72 h after 3 daily aspirin doses. RESULTS: The rate of aspirin nonresponsiveness was 15.8%, 8.1%, and 52.8% for plain aspirin, PL2200, and EC aspirin, respectively (p < 0.001 for both comparisons vs. EC aspirin; p = 0.30 for comparison between plain aspirin and PL2200). Similarly, 56% of EC aspirin-treated subjects had serum TXB2 levels >3.1 ng/ml, compared with 18% and 11% of subjects after administration of plain aspirin and PL2200 (p < 0.0001). Compared with findings for plain aspirin and PL2200, this high rate of nonresponsiveness with EC aspirin was associated with lower exposure to acetylsalicylic acid (63% and 70% lower geometric mean maximum plasma concentration [Cmax] and 77% and 82% lower AUC0-t [area under the curve from time 0 to the last time measured]) and 66% and 72% lower maximum decrease of TXB2, with marked interindividual variability. CONCLUSIONS: A high proportion of patients treated with EC aspirin failed to achieve complete inhibition of TXB2 generation due to incomplete absorption. Reduced bioavailability may contribute to "aspirin resistance" in patients with diabetes. (Pharmacodynamic Evaluation of PL2200 Versus Enteric-Coated and Immediate Release Aspirin in Diabetic Patients; NCT01515657).

Pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of single and multiple doses of the glucagon receptor antagonist LGD-6972 in healthy subjects and subjects with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

AIM: To evaluate the safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of single and multiple doses of a novel, oral glucagon receptor antagonist, LGD-6972, in healthy subjects and subjects with type 2 diabetes (T2DM). METHODS: In the single ascending dose study, LGD-6972 (2-480 mg) was administered to healthy subjects (n = 48) and T2DM subjects (n = 8). In the multiple ascending dose study, healthy subjects (n = 12) received a dose of 15 mg LGD-6972 and T2DM subjects (n = 36) received doses of 5, 10 or 15 mg of LGD-6972 daily for 14 days. RESULTS: LGD-6972 had linear plasma pharmacokinetics consistent with once-daily dosing that was comparable in healthy and T2DM subjects. Dose-dependent decreases in fasting plasma glucose were observed in all groups with a maximum of 3.15 mmol/L (56.8 mg/dL) on day 14 in T2DM subjects. LGD-6972 also reduced plasma glucose in the postprandial state. Dose-dependent increases in fasting plasma glucagon were observed, but glucagon levels decreased and insulin levels increased after an oral glucose load in T2DM subjects. LGD-6972 was well tolerated at the doses tested without dose-related or clinically meaningful changes in clinical laboratory parameters. No subject experienced hypoglycaemia. CONCLUSION: Inhibition of glucagon action by LGD-6972 was associated with decreases in glucose in both healthy and T2DM subjects, the magnitude of which was sufficient to predict improvement in glycaemic control with longer treatment duration in T2DM patients. The safety and pharmacological profile of LGD-6972 after 14 days of dosing supports continued clinical development.

Continuous subcutaneous delivery of exenatide via ITCA 650 leads to sustained glycemic control and weight loss for 48 weeks in metformin-treated subjects with type 2 diabetes.

AIMS: Evaluate the efficacy and tolerability of ITCA 650 in subjects with type 2 diabetes treated for up to 48 weeks. METHODS: This was a 24-week extension to a randomized, 24-week, open-label, phase 2 study in subjects with type 2 diabetes inadequately controlled with metformin. Subjects received ITCA 650 mg (20, 40, 60 or 80 µg/day). Mean changes for HbA1c, weight, and fasting plasma glucose (FPG) were evaluated. RESULTS: Mean changes in HbA1c from baseline to week 48 ranged from -0.85% to -1.51%. At week 48, ≥64% of subjects with an HbA1c ≤7% at week 24 maintained an HbA1c ≤7%. The incidence of adverse events (AEs) was dose-related and ranged from 13.3% with 20 µg/day to 37.5% with 80 µg/day. Most AEs were mild and transient; the incidence of nausea declined from 12.9% to 9.5% over the 24-week extension. One subject on ITCA 650 80 µg/day experienced mild intermittent vomiting. Three (3.5%) subjects experienced severe AEs, but none were considered related to study drug. CONCLUSION: Significant changes in HbA1c, body weight, and FPG attained with ITCA 650 were maintained to 48 weeks. The incidence of AEs was lower in the 24-week extension than in the initial 24-week treatment phase.

Randomized trial of continuous subcutaneous delivery of exenatide by ITCA 650 versus twice-daily exenatide injections in metformin-treated type 2 diabetes.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate ITCA 650, a continuous subcutaneous miniature osmotic pump delivery system of exenatide versus twice-daily exenatide injections (Ex-BID) in subjects with type 2 diabetes. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: We conducted a randomized, two-stage, 24-week, open-label, phase 2 study in type 2 diabetes inadequately controlled with metformin. Stage I: 155 subjects were randomized to 20 or 40 µg/day of ITCA 650 or Ex-BID 5 → 10 µg. Stage II: 131 subjects were rerandomized to 20, 40, 60, or 80 µg/day of ITCA 650. Change from baseline for HbA1c, weight, and fasting plasma glucose were evaluated at weeks 12 and 24. RESULTS: HbA1c was significantly lower in all groups after 12 and 24 weeks. Stage I: mean change in HbA1c from a mean baseline of 7.9-8.0% was -0.98, -0.95, and -0.72% for the 20 and 40 µg/day ITCA 650 and Ex-BID groups, respectively, with 63, 65, and 50% of subjects achieving HbA1c levels ≤ 7% (P < 0.05). Stage II: significant (P < 0.05) reductions in HbA1c (≈ 1.4% from baseline) were achieved with 60 and 80 µg/day ITCA 650, and 86 and 78% of subjects achieved HbA1c ≤ 7% at 24 weeks; respectively. Weight was reduced by 2.8-3.7 kg (P < 0.05) at 24 weeks in all except the 20 → 20 µg/day group. ITCA 650 was well tolerated; nausea was lower and transient with 20 µg/day relative to Ex-BID; and 60 µg/day had the best profile of tolerability and HbA1c lowering. CONCLUSIONS: ITCA 650 significantly reduced HbA1c and weight and was well tolerated. The 20 → 60 µg/day regimen was considered the best dose for further examination in phase 3.

The influence of smoking status on the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of clopidogrel and prasugrel: the PARADOX study.

OBJECTIVES: The goal of this study was to evaluate the effect of smoking on the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics (PD) of clopidogrel and prasugrel therapy. BACKGROUND: Major randomized trial data demonstrated that nonsmokers experience less or no benefit from clopidogrel treatment compared with smokers (i.e., the "smokers' paradox"). METHODS: PARADOX was a prospective, randomized, double-blind, double-dummy, placebo-controlled, crossover study of objectively assessed nonsmokers (n = 56) and smokers (n = 54) with stable coronary artery disease receiving aspirin therapy. Patients were randomized to receive clopidogrel (75 mg daily) or prasugrel (10 mg daily) for 10 days and crossed over after a 14-day washout. PD was assessed by using VerifyNow P2Y12 and vasodilator-stimulated phosphoprotein phosphorylation assays. Clopidogrel and prasugrel metabolite levels, cytochrome P450 1A2 activity, CYP2C19 genotype, and safety parameters were determined. RESULTS: During clopidogrel therapy, device-reported inhibition of platelet aggregation (IPA) trended lower in nonsmokers than smokers (least squares mean treatment difference ± SE: 7.7 ± 4.1%; p = 0.062). Device-reported IPA was significantly lower in clopidogrel-treated smokers than prasugrel-treated smokers (least squares mean treatment difference: 31.8 ± 3.4%; p < 0.0001). During clopidogrel therapy, calculated IPA was lower and P2Y12 reaction units and vasodilator-stimulated phosphoprotein phosphorylation and platelet reactivity index were higher in nonsmokers than in smokers (p = 0.043, p = 0.005, and p = 0.042, respectively). Greater antiplatelet effects were present after prasugrel treatment regardless of smoking status (p < 0.001 for all comparisons). CONCLUSIONS: PARADOX demonstrated lower clopidogrel active metabolite exposure and PD effects of clopidogrel in nonsmokers relative to smokers. Prasugrel was associated with greater active metabolite exposure and PD effects than clopidogrel regardless of smoking status. The poorer antiplatelet response in clopidogrel-treated nonsmokers may provide an explanation for the smokers' paradox. (The Influence of Smoking Status on Prasugrel and Clopidogrel Treated Subjects Taking Aspirin and Having Stable Coronary Artery Disease; NCT01260584).

A randomized, open-label, multicenter, 4-week study to evaluate the tolerability and pharmacokinetics of ITCA 650 in patients with type 2 diabetes.

BACKGROUND: Exenatide, a glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist administered by self-injection, decreases plasma glucose, glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c), and weight in patients with type 2 diabetes. ITCA 650 is an investigational new drug that provides continuous subcutaneous delivery of exenatide. OBJECTIVE: This randomized, open-label, multicenter, 28-day study evaluated the tolerability, pharmacodynamics, and pharmacokinetics of ITCA 650 in patients with type 2 diabetes. METHODS: The study enrolled patients with type 2 diabetes who were receiving a stable regimen of diet and exercise alone or a stable dose of metformin monotherapy, thiazolidinedione monotherapy, or metformin plus thiazolidinedione combination therapy. Patients were randomized to receive 10, 20, 40, or 80 µg/d of ITCA 650 placed subcutaneously for 28 days. Plasma glucose, HbA1c, insulin, and weight were measured at regular intervals throughout the study. Exenatide levels and anti-exenatide antibodies were also assessed. RESULTS: Forty-four patients were randomized to treatment. From baseline to end point, significant (P < 0.05) decreases in fasting plasma glucose levels, 2-hour postprandial glucose levels, and glucose AUC curve were seen in all treatment groups. HbA1c levels also decreased significantly (P < 0.001) in all 4 treatment groups. Weight was significantly (P < 0.05) lowered in the 40- and 80-µg/d groups. Detectable levels of exenatide were noted within 12 to 24 hours of ITCA 650 placement, reached steady state by 24 hours, and then remained relatively steady during a plateau period until device removal on day 29. Exenatide levels declined to undetectable levels within 24 hours after removal of the ITCA 650. The most common adverse events were nausea, decreased appetite, and vomiting; these were transient and mostly mild or moderate in severity. Mild local adverse events related to the healing process were common at the placement site but abated after 1 week. Twelve patients developed anti-exenatide antibodies; however, the pharmacokinetics of ITCA 650 were not altered compared with those who did not develop antibodies. CONCLUSIONS: ITCA 650 provided continuous and controlled subcutaneous delivery of exenatide for 28 days that was generally well tolerated and produced significant reductions in plasma glucose, HbA1c, and weight. Further studies are warranted to characterize the long-term tolerability and efficacy of ITCA 650 for the treatment of patients with type 2 diabetes. ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT01798264.

Recovery of platelet function after discontinuation of prasugrel or clopidogrel maintenance dosing in aspirin-treated patients with stable coronary disease: the recovery trial.

OBJECTIVES: The goal of this study was to assess the offset of the antiplatelet effects of prasugrel and clopidogrel. BACKGROUND: Guidelines recommend discontinuing clopidogrel at least 5 days and prasugrel at least 7 days before surgery. The pharmacodynamic basis for these recommendations is limited. METHODS: Aspirin-treated patients with coronary artery disease were randomly assigned to either prasugrel 10 mg or clopidogrel 75 mg daily for 7 days. Platelet reactivity was measured before study drug administration and for up to 12 days during washout. The primary endpoint was the cumulative proportion of patients returning to baseline reactivity after study drug discontinuation. RESULTS: A total of 56 patients were randomized; 54 were eligible for analysis. Platelet reactivity was lower 24 h after the last dose of prasugrel compared with clopidogrel. After prasugrel, ≥75% of patients returned to baseline reactivity by washout day 7 compared with day 5 after clopidogrel. Recovery time was dependent on the level of platelet reactivity before study drug exposure and the initial degree of platelet inhibition after study drug discontinuation but not on treatment assignment. CONCLUSIONS: Recovery time after thienopyridine discontinuation depends on the magnitude of on-treatment platelet inhibition, resulting, on average, in a more delayed recovery with prasugrel compared with clopidogrel. The offset of prasugrel was consistent with current guidelines regarding the recommended waiting period for surgery after discontinuation. (Prasugrel/Clopidogrel Maintenance Dose Washout Study; NCT01014624).

Effect of a monoclonal antibody to PCSK9 on LDL cholesterol.

BACKGROUND: Proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin 9 (PCSK9), one of the serine proteases, binds to low-density lipoprotein (LDL) receptors, leading to their accelerated degradation and to increased LDL cholesterol levels. We report three phase 1 studies of a monoclonal antibody to PCSK9 designated as REGN727/SAR236553 (REGN727). METHODS: In healthy volunteers, we performed two randomized, single ascending-dose studies of REGN727 administered either intravenously (40 subjects) or subcutaneously (32 subjects), as compared with placebo. These studies were followed by a randomized, placebo-controlled, multiple-dose trial in adults with heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia who were receiving atorvastatin (21 subjects) and those with nonfamilial hypercholesterolemia who were receiving treatment with atorvastatin (30 subjects) (baseline LDL cholesterol, >100 mg per deciliter [2.6 mmol per liter]) or a modified diet alone (10 subjects) (baseline LDL cholesterol, >130 mg per deciliter [3.4 mmol per liter]). REGN727 doses of 50, 100, or 150 mg were administered subcutaneously on days 1, 29, and 43. The primary outcome for all studies was the occurrence of adverse events. The principal secondary outcome was the effect of REGN727 on the lipid profile. RESULTS: Among subjects receiving REGN727, there were no discontinuations because of adverse events. REGN727 significantly lowered LDL cholesterol levels in all the studies. In the multiple-dose study, REGN727 doses of 50, 100, and 150 mg reduced measured LDL cholesterol levels in the combined atorvastatin-treated populations to 77.5 mg per deciliter (2.00 mmol per liter), 61.3 mg per deciliter (1.59 mmol per liter), and 53.8 mg per deciliter (1.39 mmol per liter), for a difference in the change from baseline of -39.2, -53.7, and -61.0 percentage points, respectively, as compared with placebo (P<0.001 for all comparisons). CONCLUSIONS: In three phase 1 trials, a monoclonal antibody to PCSK9 significantly reduced LDL cholesterol levels in healthy volunteers and in subjects with familial or nonfamilial hypercholesterolemia. (Funded by Regeneron Pharmaceuticals and Sanofi; ClinicalTrials.gov numbers, NCT01026597, NCT01074372, and NCT01161082.).