Search

Background: Total hip arthroplasty relieves joint pain in patients with end stage osteoarthritis. However, postoperative muscle atrophy often results in suboptimal lower limb function. There is a need to improve functional recovery after total hip arthroplasty., Objectives: To assess safety and efficacy of LY2495655, a humanized monoclonal antibody targeting myostatin, in patients undergoing elective total hip arthroplasty., Design: Phase 2, randomized, parallel, double-blind, 12-week clinical trial with a 12-week follow-up period., Setting: Forty-two sites in 11 countries., Participants: Individuals (N=400) aged ≥50 years scheduled for elective total hip arthroplasty for osteoarthritis within 10 ± 6 days after randomization., Intervention: Placebo or LY2495655 (35 mg, 105 mg, or 315 mg) subcutaneous injections at weeks 0 (randomization date), 4, 8, and 12 with follow up until week 24., Measurements: Primary endpoint: probability that LY2495655 increases appendicular lean mass (operated limb excluded) by at least 2.5% more than placebo at week 12, using dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry. Exploratory endpoints: muscle strength, performance based and self-reported measures of physical function, and whole body composition over time., Results: Participants: 59% women, aged 69 ± 8 years, BMI 29 ± 5 kg/m2. Groups were comparable at baseline. The primary objective was not reached as LY2495655 changes in lean mass did not meet the superiority threshold at week 12. However, LY2495655 105 and LY2495655 315 experienced progressive increases in appendicular lean mass that were statistically significant versus placebo at weeks 8 and 16. Whole body fat mass decreased in LY2495655 315 versus placebo at weeks 8 and 16. No meaningful differences were detected between groups in other exploratory endpoints. Injection site reactions occurred more often in LY2495655 patients than in placebo patients. No other safety signals were detected., Conclusion: Dose-dependent increases in appendicular lean body mass and decreases in fat mass were observed, although this study did not achieve the threshold of its primary objective.

Background: Myostatin inhibits skeletal muscle growth. The humanised monoclonal antibody LY2495655 (LY) binds and neutralises myostatin. We aimed to test whether LY increases appendicular lean body mass (aLBM) and improves physical performance in older individuals who have had recent falls and low muscle strength and power., Methods: In this proof-of-concept, randomised, placebo-controlled, double-blind, parallel, multicentre, phase 2 study, we recruited patients aged 75 years or older who had fallen in the past year from 21 investigator sites across Argentina, Australia, France, Germany, Sweden, and the USA. Eligible patients had low performance on hand grip strength and chair rise tests, tested with the procedure described by Guralnik and colleagues. Participants were stratified by country, age, hand grip strength, and performance on the chair rise test, and were randomly assigned (1:1) by a computer-generated random sequence to receive subcutaneous injections of placebo or 315 mg LY at weeks 0 (randomisation visit), 4, 8, 12, 16, and 20, followed by 16 weeks observation. The primary outcome was change in aLBM from baseline to 24 weeks. We measured physical performance as secondary outcomes (four-step stair climbing time, usual gait speed, and time to rise five times from a chair without arms, or with arms for participants unable to do it without arms) and exploratory outcomes (12-step stair climbing test, 6-min walking distance, fast gait speed, hand grip strength, and isometric leg extension strength). Efficacy analyses included all randomly assigned patients who received at least one dose and had a baseline and at least one subsequent measure. The primary analysis and all other tests of treatment effect (except physical performance tests) were done at a two-sided alpha level of 0·05. Tests of treatment effect on physical performance tests were done at a pre-specified two-sided alpha level of 0·1. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT01604408., Findings: Between June 19, 2012, and Dec 12, 2013, we screened 365 patients. 99 were randomly assigned to receive placebo and 102 to receive LY. Treatment was completed in 85 (86%) of patients given placebo and in 82 (80%) given LY. At 24 weeks, the least-squares mean change in aLBM was -0·123 kg (95% CI -0·287 to 0·040) in the placebo group and 0·303 kg (0·135 to 0·470) in the LY group, a difference of 0·43 kg (95% CI 0·192 to 0·660; p<0·0001). Stair climbing time (four-step and 12-step tests), chair rise with arms, and fast gait speed improved significantly from baseline to week 24 with differences between LY and placebo of respectively -0·46 s (p=0·093), -1·28 s (p=0·011), -4·15 s (p=0·054), and 0·05 m/s (p=0·088). No effect was detected for other performance-based measures. Injection site reactions were recorded in nine (9%) patients given placebo and in 31 (30%) patients given LY (p<0·0001), and were generally mild, and led to treatment discontinuation in two patients given LY., Interpretation: Our findings show LY treatment increases lean mass and might improve functional measures of muscle power. Although additional studies are needed to confirm these results, our data suggest LY should be tested for its potential ability to reduce the risk of falls or physical dependency in older weak fallers., Funding: Eli Lilly and Company., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Administration of blosozumab, a humanized monoclonal antibody that binds sclerostin, increases bone formation and bone mineral density (BMD) in postmenopausal women with low BMD. To evaluate the effect of discontinuing blosozumab, we studied women enrolled in a 1-year randomized, placebo-controlled phase 2 trial for an additional year after they completed treatment. Of the 120 women initially enrolled in the study, 106 women completed treatment and continued into follow-up; 88 women completed 1 year of follow-up. At the beginning of follow-up, groups remained balanced for age, race, and body mass index, but lumbar spine and total hip BMD were increased in prior blosozumab groups, reflecting an anabolic treatment effect. At the end of follow-up, 1 year after discontinuing treatment, lumbar spine BMD remained significantly greater than placebo in women initially treated with blosozumab 270 mg every 2 weeks (Q2W) and blosozumab 180 mg Q2W (6.9% and 3.6% above baseline, respectively). Total hip BMD also declined after discontinuation of treatment but at 1 year after treatment remained significantly greater than placebo in women initially treated with blosozumab 270 mg Q2W and blosozumab 180 mg Q2W (3.9% and 2.6% above baseline, respectively). During follow-up, median serum P1NP was not consistently different between the prior blosozumab groups and placebo. A similar pattern was apparent for median serum C-terminal telopeptide of type 1 collagen (CTx) levels, with more variability. Mean serum total sclerostin concentration increased with blosozumab, indicating target engagement, and declined to baseline after discontinuation. There were no adverse events considered related to prior treatment with blosozumab. Anti-drug antibodies generally declined in patients who had detectable levels during prior treatment. These findings support the continued study of blosozumab as an anabolic therapy for treatment of osteoporosis., (© 2015 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.)

Sclerostin, a SOST protein secreted by osteocytes, negatively regulates formation of mineralized bone matrix and bone mass. We report the results of a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled multicenter phase 2 clinical trial of blosozumab, a humanized monoclonal antibody targeted against sclerostin, in postmenopausal women with low bone mineral density (BMD). Postmenopausal women with a lumbar spine T-score -2.0 to -3.5, inclusive, were randomized to subcutaneous blosozumab 180 mg every 4 weeks (Q4W), 180 mg every 2 weeks (Q2W), 270 mg Q2W, or matching placebo for 1 year, with calcium and vitamin D. Serial measurements of spine and hip BMD and biochemical markers of bone turnover were performed. Overall, 120 women were enrolled in the study (mean age 65.8 years, mean lumbar spine T-score -2.8). Blosozumab treatment resulted in statistically significant dose-related increases in spine, femoral neck, and total hip BMD as compared with placebo. In the highest dose group, BMD increases from baseline reached 17.7% at the spine, and 6.2% at the total hip. Biochemical markers of bone formation increased rapidly during blosozumab treatment, and trended toward pretreatment levels by study end. However, bone specific alkaline phosphatase remained higher than placebo at study end in the highest-dose group. CTx, a biochemical marker of bone resorption, decreased early in blosozumab treatment to a concentration less than that of the placebo group by 2 weeks, and remained reduced throughout blosozumab treatment. Mild injection site reactions were reported more frequently with blosozumab than placebo. In conclusion, treatment of postmenopausal women with an antibody targeted against sclerostin resulted in substantial increases in spine and hip BMD. These results support further study of blosozumab as a potential anabolic therapy for osteoporosis., (© 2014 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.)