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Introduction: Patients with primary hyperoxaluria type 1 (PH1), a genetic disorder associated with hepatic oxalate overproduction, frequently experience recurrent kidney stones and worsening kidney function. Lumasiran is indicated for the treatment of PH1 to lower urinary and plasma oxalate (POx)., Methods: ILLUMINATE-A (NCT03681184) is a phase III trial in patients aged ≥6 years with PH1 and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) ≥30 ml/min per 1.73 m 2 . A 6-month double-blind placebo-controlled period is followed by an extension period (≤54 months; all patients receive lumasiran). We report interim data through month 36., Results: Of 39 patients enrolled, 24 of 26 (lumasiran/lumasiran group) and 13 of 13 (placebo/lumasiran group) entered and continue in the extension period. At month 36, in the lumasiran/lumasiran group (36 months of lumasiran treatment) and placebo/lumasiran group (30 months of lumasiran treatment), mean 24-hour urinary oxalate (UOx) reductions from baseline were 63% and 58%, respectively; 76% and 92% of patients reached a 24-hour UOx excretion ≤1.5× the upper limit of normal (ULN). eGFR remained stable. Kidney stone event rates decreased from 2.31 (95% confidence interval: 1.88-2.84) per person-year (PY) during the 12 months before consent to 0.60 (0.46-0.77) per PY during lumasiran treatment. Medullary nephrocalcinosis generally remained stable or improved; approximately one-third of patients (both groups) improved to complete resolution. The most common lumasiran-related adverse events (AEs) were mild, transient injection-site reactions., Conclusion: In patients with PH1, longer-term lumasiran treatment led to sustained reduction in UOx excretion, with an acceptable safety profile and encouraging clinical outcomes.See for Video Abstract., (© 2024 International Society of Nephrology. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Objectives: Cixutumumab (CIX) and cetuximab (CET) monoclonal antibodies block ligand-binding to insulin-like growth factor-1 receptor (IGF-1R) and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) respectively. The objective of this study was to assess the efficacy of CIX alone or combined with CET in recurrent/metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (R/M HNSCC) patients., Methods: In this open-label phase II trial, 91 R/M HNSCC patients who progressed within 90 days of platinum-based chemotherapy, were randomized to CIX 10 mg/kg alone or with CET 500 mg/m 2 every 2 weeks. Patients were stratified by prior CET use. The primary endpoint was median progression-free survival (PFS). Exploratory biomarker assessments included relevant markers on archival tumor and serial cytokine/angiogenic-factor profiles in blood., Results: Forty-seven patients were treated with CIX monotherapy and 44 with combination. The median PFS was 1.9 and 2.0 months and clinical benefit rate (complete or partial responses and stable disease) was 5.9% and 15.3%, respectively. There was no exacerbation of CET toxicity by concurrent CIX exposure. Higher tumor expression of IGF-1 was associated with improved PFS in the CIX + CET arm while increased p-EGFR expression correlated with shorter PFS in patients receiving single agent CIX. Higher serum baseline levels of IGF-1 and IGFBP-3 correlated with improved PFS and overall survival (OS) in the CIX arm. Neither regimen resulted in improved PFS or OS compared to historical data with CET alone., Conclusion: The results of this study do not support the use of cixutumumab alone or with cetuximab in unselected patients with R/M HNSCC., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) is a genetic neurodevelopmental disorder of life-threatening hyperphagia, obesity, intellectual deficits, compulsivity, and other behavioral problems. The efficacy and safety of i.n. carbetocin, an oxytocin analog, was evaluated in a prospective, randomized, double-blinded trial in adolescents with PWS., Methods: Eligible patients aged 10-18 years with genetically confirmed PWS were randomized (1:1) to i.n. carbetocin or placebo 3 times daily for 14 days. The primary efficacy endpoint was change in parent/caregiver-rated Hyperphagia in PWS Questionnaire-Responsiveness (HPWSQ-R) total score. Secondary efficacy endpoints included HPWSQ-R behavior, drive, and severity domains; clinician-rated HPWSQ; Children's Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Severity Scale; food domain of the Reiss Profile; and Clinical Global Impression-Improvement scale. Endpoints were assessed using analysis of covariance. Relationship between primary and secondary endpoints was assessed using Pearson correlation coefficients. Safety was assessed throughout the study., Results: Demographics and clinical characteristics were similar between treatment groups (carbetocin, n = 17; placebo, n = 20). Patients receiving carbetocin had statistically significant reductions in HPWSQ-R total score at study end (-15.6) versus patients receiving placebo (-8.9; P = 0.029); several secondary efficacy endpoints also demonstrated significant differences (P < 0.05). Treatment effects for the primary and secondary endpoints were highly correlated (P ≤ 0.0001). Incidence of adverse events (AEs) was similar between treatment groups., Conclusion: I.n. carbetocin was well tolerated and improved hyperphagia and behavioral symptoms of PWS., Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT01968187FUNDING. The study was funded by Ferring Pharmaceuticals. Recruitment was aided by ongoing work in PWS performed through Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development grant U54 HD083211.