Effects of fostamatinib (R788), an oral spleen tyrosine kinase inhibitor, on health-related quality of life in patients with active rheumatoid arthritis: analyses of patient-reported outcomes from a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the influence of fostamatinib on patient-reported outcomes (PRO) in patients with active rheumatoid arthritis and an inadequate response to methotrexate (MTX). METHODS: Patients taking background MTX (N = 457) were enrolled in a phase II clinical trial (NCT00665925) and randomized equally to placebo, fostamatinib 100 mg twice daily (bid), or fostamatinib 150 mg once daily (qd) for 24 weeks. Self-administered PRO measures included pain, patient's global assessment (PtGA) of disease activity, physical function, health-related quality of life (HRQOL), and fatigue. Mean change from baseline and a responder analysis of the proportion of patients achieving a minimal clinically important difference were determined. RESULTS: At Week 24, there were statistically significant improvements in pain, PtGA, physical function, fatigue, and the physical component summary of the Medical Outcomes Study Short Form-36 (SF-36) for fostamatinib 100 mg bid compared with placebo. Mean (standard error) changes from baseline in the fostamatinib 100 mg bid group versus the placebo group were -31.3 (2.45) versus -17.8 (2.45), p < 0.001 for pain; -29.1 (2.26) versus -16.7 (2.42), p < 0.001 for PtGA; -0.647 (0.064) versus -0.343 (0.062), p < 0.001 for physical function; 7.40 (1.00) versus 4.50 (0.94), p < 0.05 for fatigue; 8.52 (0.77) versus 4.90 (0.78), p < 0.01 for SF-36 physical component score; and 3.99 (0.93) versus 3.71 (0.99), p = 0.83 for SF-36 mental component score. Patients receiving fostamatinib 150 mg qd showed improvements in some PRO, including physical function. CONCLUSION: Patients treated with fostamatinib 100 mg bid showed significant improvements in HRQOL outcomes.

An oral Syk kinase inhibitor in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis: a three-month randomized, placebo-controlled, phase II study in patients with active rheumatoid arthritis that did not respond to biologic agents.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the efficacy and safety of R788 (fostamatinib disodium), an inhibitor of spleen tyrosine kinase (Syk), in patients with active rheumatoid arthritis (RA) that did not respond to biologic therapies. METHODS: A total of 219 patients with active RA in whom treatment with biologic agents had failed were enrolled in a 3-month multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of R788. The primary end point was the percentage of patients who met the American College of Rheumatology 20% improvement criteria (achieved an ACR20 response) at month 3. Secondary end points included changes in inflammation and damage, as assessed by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and changes in the Disease Activity Score. RESULTS: The ACR20 response in the R788 100 mg twice daily group was 38%, versus 37% in the placebo group, at month 3. No significant differences were achieved in the ACR20, ACR50, or ACR70 response levels at 3 months. There were differences between the groups from baseline to month 3 in the secondary end points C-reactive protein (CRP) level and synovitis score on MRI. There were baseline differences in steroid use, prior biologic use, and synovitis score on MRI between the R788 group and the placebo group that may have affected the outcomes. A high placebo response rate was seen in this trial, and exploratory analysis suggested that this may in part have been driven by patients who entered the trial with an elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate but normal CRP level. CONCLUSION: Our findings indicate that there were no differences in the primary end point between the R788 and placebo groups. Differences were observed between the R788 and placebo groups in secondary end points, particularly in those patients who entered the study with an elevated CRP level.

An oral spleen tyrosine kinase (Syk) inhibitor for rheumatoid arthritis.

BACKGROUND: Spleen tyrosine kinase (Syk) is an important modulator of immune signaling. The objective of this phase 2 study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of R788, an oral inhibitor of Syk, in patients with active rheumatoid arthritis despite methotrexate therapy. METHODS: We enrolled 457 patients who had active rheumatoid arthritis despite long-term methotrexate therapy in a 6-month, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. The primary outcome was the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) 20 response (which indicates at least a 20% reduction in the number of both tender and swollen joints and improvement in at least three of five other criteria) at month 6. RESULTS: R788, at a dose of 100 mg twice daily and at a dose of 150 mg once daily, was significantly superior to placebo at month 6 (ACR 20 response rates of 67% and 57%, respectively, vs. 35%; P<0.001 for the comparison of both doses with placebo). It was also significantly superior with respect to ACR 50, which indicates at least a 50% improvement (43% and 32% vs. 19%; P<0.001 for the comparison of the 100-mg dose with placebo, P=0.007 for the comparison of the 150-mg dose with placebo) and ACR 70 (28% and 14% vs. 10%; P<0.001 for the comparison of the 100-mg dose with placebo, P=0.34 for the comparison of the 150-mg dose with placebo). A clinically significant effect was noted by the end of the first week of treatment. Adverse effects included diarrhea (in 19% of subjects taking the 100-mg dose of R788 vs. 3% of those taking placebo), upper respiratory infections (14% vs. 7%), and neutropenia (6% vs. 1%). R788 was associated with an increase in systolic blood pressure of approximately 3 mm Hg between baseline and month 1, as compared with a decrease of 2 mm Hg with placebo; 23% of the patients taking R788 vs. 7% of the patients receiving placebo required the initiation of or a change in antihypertensive therapy. CONCLUSIONS: In this phase 2 study, a Syk inhibitor reduced disease activity in patients with rheumatoid arthritis; adverse events included diarrhea, hypertension, and neutropenia. Additional studies will be needed to further assess the safety and efficacy of Syk-inhibition therapy in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. (Funded by Rigel; ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT00665925.)

Hylan G-F 20 improves hip osteoarthritis: a prospective, randomized study.

We compared the efficacy and safety of intra-articular hylan G-F 20 with methylprednisolone acetate (MPA) for treating symptomatic Kellgren-Lawrence grade (KLG) 2 or 3 hip osteoarthritis in a prospective, randomized, multicenter, double-blind trial (N = 313). Two injections of hylan G-F 20 were administered 2 weeks apart (n = 150), or 1 injection of 40 mg MPA and 1 sham injection 2 weeks later (n = 155). The Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Arthritis Index (WOMAC) (total and subscale), clinician observations, and patient global assessments were collected at baseline and at weeks 4, 8, 12, 16, 20, and 26 (intent-to-treat population was analyzed; n = 305). Responder rates were assessed by WOMAC domain A, and criteria were established by the Outcome Measures in Rheumatology Clinical Trials-Osteoarthritis Research Society International (OMERACT-OARSI). At week 26, WOMAC A improved by 16.6 mm for hylan G-F 20 versus 13.6 mm for MPA. Response rates were higher with hylan G-F 20 versus MPA in patients with more advanced disease (KLG 3) and were similar between hylan G-F 20 and MPA in patients with less advanced disease (KLG 2). Adverse events were similar between groups and between patients with KLG 2 or 3. Hylan G-F 20 provided clinically meaningful improvements in pain and function, comparable with those of MPA, with good safety and tolerability. Thus, we conclude it is an appropriate option for treating hip osteoarthritis.