Citations

AbstractBackgroundThe U.S. Study to Protect Brain Health Through Lifestyle Intervention to Reduce Risk (U.S. POINTER) is a 2‐year randomized controlled trial to evaluate the effect of lifestyle interventions in older adults (60‐79 years) who are cognitively unimpaired but at increased risk for cognitive decline/dementia due to factors such as cardiovascular disease and family history. The POINTER Imaging ancillary study is collecting PET and MRI data to evaluate neuroimaging biomarkers of AD and cerebrovascular pathophysiology in this at‐risk sample.MethodPOINTER Imaging is actively enrolling 1250 participants, 23% from under‐represented racial/ethnic groups (URG), recruited from five U.S. POINTER clinical sites. Participants have undergone PET imaging with [18F]Florbetaben (FBB) to measure Aβ and [18F]MK‐6240 to measure tau burden, as well as MRI to measure brain morphometry, white matter hyperintensities and cerebral blood flow. FBB and MK‐6240 data were quality checked, pre‐processed, and quantified using previously validated methods. PET images were coregistered to a structural MRI, which was also used to create FreeSurfer‐defined reference regions and regions of interest. We examined PET imaging measures (global Aβ, regional tau) and basic demographic (age, sex, race/ethnicity) characteristics of the sample.Result96 participants (mean age 69.3±5.0) have been enrolled in POINTER Imaging. Of these, 59 (61%) are women and 22 (23%) are URG, which is similar to rates of women (75%) and URG (22%) in the main trial. This dataset is <10% of targeted enrollment, was predominantly recruited from 2/5 clinical sites and may not represent the final imaging cohort. FBB quantification (N=20) revealed a mean cortical summary SUVR of 1.09±0.12 (19.6±18.4 centiloids) (whole cerebellum normalization; previously validated positivity threshold=1.08), and 8/20 (40%) of these participants were Aβ+ (Fig. 1A). MK‐6240 quantification (N=23) showed predominantly no/minimal binding with a few exceptions in medial and lateral temporal lobes (Fig. 1B&C).ConclusionThe POINTER imaging study is meeting the target URG enrollment and representative of the main U.S. POINTER trial. Higher frequency of Aβ positivity than published in population cohorts coupled with greater cardiovascular risk factors among POINTER participants highlights our success in recruiting individuals at increased risk of cognitive decline.

Objective: The aim of this study was to determine overall trends and center-level variation in utilization of completion lymph node dissection (CLND) and adjuvant systemic therapy for sentinel lymph node (SLN)-positive melanoma. Summary Background Data: Based on recent clinical trials, management options for SLN-positive melanoma now include effective adjuvant systemic therapy and nodal observation instead of CLND. It is unknown how these findings have shaped practice or how these contemporaneous developments have influenced their respective utilization. Methods: We performed an international cohort study at 21 melanoma referral centers in Australia, Europe, and the United States that treated adults with SLN-positive melanoma and negative distant staging from July 2017 to June 2019. We used generalized linear and multinomial logistic regression models with random intercepts for each center to assess center-level variation in CLND and adjuvant systemic treatment, adjusting for patient and disease-specific characteristics. Results: Among 1109 patients, performance of CLND decreased from 28% to 8% and adjuvant systemic therapy use increased from 29 to 60%. For both CLND and adjuvant systemic treatment, the most influential factors were nodal tumor size, stage, and location of treating center. There was notable variation among treating centers in management of stage IIIA patients and use of CLND with adjuvant systemic therapy versus nodal observation alone for similar risk patients. Conclusions: There has been an overall decline in CLND and simultaneous adoption of adjuvant systemic therapy for patients with SLN-positive melanoma though wide variation in practice remains. Accounting for differences in patient mix, location of care contributed significantly to the observed variation.

Abstract Purpose: To report on the first-in-human phase I study of VIP152 (NCT02635672), a potent and highly selective cyclin-dependent kinase 9 (CDK9) inhibitor. Patients and Methods: Adults with solid tumors or aggressive non–Hodgkin lymphoma who were refractory to or had exhausted all available therapies received VIP152 monotherapy as a 30-minute intravenous, once-weekly infusion, as escalating doses (5, 10, 15, 22.5, or 30 mg in 21-day cycles) until the MTD was determined. Results: Thirty-seven patients received ≥ 1 VIP152 dose, with 30 mg identified as the MTD based on dose-limiting toxicity of grade 3/4 neutropenia. The most common adverse events were nausea and vomiting (75.7% and 56.8%, respectively), all of grade 1/2 severity. Of the most common events, grade 3/4 events occurring in &gt; 1 patient were neutropenia (22%), anemia (11%), abdominal pain (8%), increased alkaline phosphatase (8%), and hyponatremia (8%). Day 1 exposure for the MTD exceeded the predicted minimum therapeutic exposure and reproducibly achieved maximal pathway modulation; no accumulation occurred after multiple doses. Seven of 30 patients with solid tumors had stable disease (including 9.5 and 16.8 months in individual patients with pancreatic cancer and salivary gland cancer, respectively), and 2 of 7 patients with high-grade B-cell lymphoma with MYC and BCL2/BCL6 translocations (HGL) achieved durable complete metabolic remission (ongoing at study discontinuation, after 3.7 and 2.3 years of treatment). Conclusions: VIP152 monotherapy, administered intravenously once weekly, demonstrated a favorable safety profile and evidence of clinical benefit in patients with advanced HGL and solid tumors.

Background Guidelines promote shared decision‐making (SDM) for anticoagulation in patients with atrial fibrillation. We recently showed that adding a within‐encounter SDM tool to usual care (UC) increases patient involvement in decision‐making and clinician satisfaction, without affecting encounter length. We aimed to estimate the extent to which use of an SDM tool changed adherence to the decided care plan and clinical safety end points. Methods and Results We conducted a multicenter, encounter‐level, randomized trial assessing the efficacy of UC with versus without an SDM conversation tool for use during the clinical encounter (Anticoagulation Choice) in patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation considering starting or reviewing anticoagulation treatment. We conducted a chart and pharmacy review, blinded to randomization status, at 10 months after enrollment to assess primary adherence (proportion of patients who were prescribed an anticoagulant who filled their first prescription) and secondary adherence (estimated using the proportion of days for which treatment was supplied and filled for direct oral anticoagulant, and as time in therapeutic range for warfarin). We also noted any strokes, transient ischemic attacks, major bleeding, or deaths as safety end points. We enrolled 922 evaluable patient encounters (Anticoagulation Choice=463, and UC=459), of which 814 (88%) had pharmacy and clinical follow‐up. We found no differences between arms in either primary adherence (78% of patients in the SDM arm filled their first prescription versus 81% in UC arm) or secondary adherence to anticoagulation (percentage days covered of the direct oral anticoagulant was 74.1% in SDM versus 71.6% in UC; time in therapeutic range for warfarin was 66.6% in SDM versus 64.4% in UC). Safety outcomes, mostly bleeds, occurred in 13% of participants in the SDM arm and 14% in the UC arm. Conclusions In this large, randomized trial comparing UC with a tool to promote SDM against UC alone, we found no significant differences between arms in primary or secondary adherence to anticoagulation or in clinical safety outcomes. Registration URL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov ; Unique identifier: clinicaltrials.gov. Identifier: NCT02905032.

Malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) is a rare malignancy with few treatment options. Recent advances have led to US Food and Drug Administration approvals and changes in the standard of care with a novel biomedical device approved for use with platinum-pemetrexed, and also for immunotherapy agents to be included as a frontline treatment option in unresectable disease. Although predictive biomarkers for systemic therapy are not currently in use in clinical practice, it is essential to correctly identify the MPM histology to determine an optimal treatment plan. Patients with nonepithelioid MPM may have a greater magnitude of benefit to dual immunotherapy checkpoint inhibitors and this regimen should be preferred in the frontline setting for these patients. However, all patients with MPM can derive benefit from immunotherapy treatments, and these agents should ultimately be used at some point during their treatment journey. There are ongoing studies in the frontline unresectable setting that may further define the frontline therapy space, but a critical area of research will need to focus on the immunotherapy refractory population. This review article will describe the new developments in the areas of biology with genomics and chromothripsis, and also focus on updates in treatment strategies in radiology, surgery, radiation, and medical oncology with cellular therapies. These recent innovations are generating momentum to find better therapies for this disease.

Abstract Recognizing that race is a social and not a biological construct, healthcare professionals and the public have called for removal of race in clinical algorithms. In response, the National Kidney Foundation and the American Society of Nephrology created the Task Force on Reassessing the Inclusion of Race in Diagnosing Kidney Diseases to examine the issue and provide recommendations. The final report from the Task Force recommends calculating estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) without a race coefficient using the recently published CKD-EPI 2021 creatinine (cr) and creatinine-cystatin C (cr-cys) equations. The Task Force recommends immediately replacing older eGFRcr equations (MDRD Study and CKD-EPI 2009) with the new CKD-EPI 2021 equation. In a 2019 survey by the College of American Pathologists, 23% of 6200 laboratories reporting eGFRcr used an incorrect equation that is not suitable for use with standardized creatinine measurements, 34% used the CKD-EPI 2009 equation and 43% used the MDRD Study 2006 equation re-expressed for standardized creatinine measurement. Rapid transition to using the CKD-EPI 2021 equation is an opportunity for laboratories to standardize to a single equation to eliminate differences in eGFRcr due to different equations used by different laboratories, and to report eGFR without use of race. We provide guidance to laboratories for implementing the CKD-EPI 2021 equations for both eGFRcr and eGFRcr-cys.

Abstract Background Although uncommon, nontuberculous mycobacterial infections (NTMI) of the upper extremity cause significant morbidity based on their natural history, delay in diagnosis, prolonged duration of antimicrobial therapy often combined with surgical debridement, and functional loss. Herein we describe our experience with such infections. Methods Records for adult patients from two academic, tertiary facilities with culture-proven NTMI involving the upper extremity were retrospectively reviewed. Demographic information, co-morbidities, laboratory and microbiological evaluation, management, and outcomes were extracted. Patients were analyzed based on pathogen identified and immune suppression. Results 77 patients were identified. The mean age was 59 years and 65% of patients were male. 48% reported a preceding injury, with the hand being most frequently involved (58%). 41% were considered immune compromised; 19% of them were organ transplant recipients. Mean symptom duration prior to presentation was 203 days. Mean time to culture identification was 33 days, and 25 different species of NTM were identified (subcategorized as rapid or slow growers). 77% had solitary lesions, with cutaneous/subcutaneous location as the most common site. All patients underwent surgical debridement with four undergoing amputation to control infection. 69% received combination antimicrobial therapy for a mean duration of 184 days. Immunosuppressed patients were treated with antimicrobial therapy for a longer duration (mean 243 vs 155 days). One-third of patients experienced complications and/or recurrence regardless of organism type. Conclusion NTMI of the upper extremity is often misdiagnosed leading to significant delays in appropriate management. Knowledge of its protean manifestations and early consideration in the differential diagnosis of chronic, painful swelling of the hand or wrist, nodular or inflammatory lesions, or septic arthritis is crucial. A low threshold for surgical or biopsy with specimens sent for histopathology as well as microbiologic analysis is warranted. A combined approach with surgical debridement and prolonged combination antimicrobial therapy is necessary for optimal outcomes; however, adverse reactions from such therapy are commonly encountered. Disclosures All Authors: No reported disclosures

Abstract TGFβ plays a pivotal role in the pathobiology of myelofibrosis (MF) by not only promoting bone marrow fibrosis (BMF) but also by enhancing the dormancy of normal but not MF hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs). TGFβ has also previously been reported to inhibit normal megakaryocyte (MK) production (Bruno et al Blood 1998). TGFβ1 promotes the synthesis of collagen by normal human mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs). Treatment of MSCs with AVID200, a potent TGFβ1/3 protein trap, significantly decreased MSC proliferation, phosphorylation of SMAD2, and collagen expression. Robust expression of pSMAD2 was observed in the absence of exogenous TGFβ in normal donor or MF-MKs, Addition of AVID200 to MKs decreased pSMAD2 without affecting total SMAD2/3 and led to increased numbers of MKs. Treatment of MF MNCs with AVID200 also led to increased numbers of progenitor cells with wild type JAK2 and a reduction of mutated colonies. A phase 1b trial of AVID200 (NCT03895112) was performed and completed in INT-2/high risk MF patients resistant/intolerant to ruxolitinib (rux); baseline platelet count of ≥ 25 x 10 9/L, and grade 2/3 BMF. Subjects received AVID200 intravenously on Day 1 of a 21 day cycle. Response was assessed by IWG/ELN criteria after 6 cycles of AVID200. Subjects attaining at least a CI or SD with a decrease in BMF by ≥1 grade, continued AVID200. We previously presented the results of the dose escalation study (Mascarenhas ASH 2020) demonstrating that AVID200 was well tolerated without dose limiting toxicities at 3 tested dose levels (Lots A and B) in dose cohorts of 180 mg (A), 550 mg (A)/70 mg (B), and 180 mg (B). Here we report updated safety and efficacy results of the phase 1b dose expansion stage at the two highest doses tested (70 mg (B) and 180 mg (B). Twenty-two subjects were enrolled (1 withdrew before receiving treatment) and 9 were treated with AVID200 in the dose escalation phase and 12 in the dose expansion phase [Table1]. Median time after rux discontinuation was 7.4 months (0.5-59.9). The most common mutations observed at baseline in this cohort included JAK2V617F (71%), TET2 (29%) ASXL1 (24%) and CALR (19%). (Fig 1) No DLTs were observed and Grade 3/4 AEs were observed in 16 (76.2%) subjects. Grade 3/4 non-hematologic AEs were observed in 8 (38.1%) subjects and included one subject in each case (epistaxis, mucositis, extraocular muscle paresis, fatigue, rash, duodenal hemorrhage, gastric hemorrhage, urinary tract infection, and syncope). Grade 3/4 hematologic AEs were anemia (6; 28.3%) and thrombocytopenia (2; 14.3%) [Table 2]. No fatal events were observed. The median number of cycles received was 5 (range 2 - 13) and 7 (33%) patients received more than 6 cycles. For dose levels 2-3 at cycle 7, a CI was attained in one subject at dose level 2 [anemia, spleen and TSS], 5 subjects had SD, 3 subjects had PD and two subjects with 10% and 15% blasts at screening developed MPN-BP while on study based on central review. Reasons for discontinuation by local PI included PD (n=8), lack of response (n=5), study completed (n=2), other (n=2), patient decision (n=1). Median % change in palpable spleen length was +10% (range -70% to +150%) and TSS change was -50% (-100% to +185.7%) The median platelet count at baseline was 114 x 10 9/L (range: 28-695) and 215 x 10 9/L (range: 66-263) after cycle 6 in 7 evaluable subjects (Fig 2A). Notably, 17 subjects had an increase in platelets from baseline during treatment and two subjects normalized their platelet counts. Maximum changes in platelets from baseline across all cycles was +63.8% [range -15.7%, +505.5%] (Fig 2B). Paired bone marrow biopsy pathology samples for 12 subjects were available for central review and showed no significant changes in BMF score or MK histo topography at end of treatment compared to baseline. All patients had elevated plasma levels of TGF β1, but not TGFβ2/β3 levels as detected by ELISA, which were dramatically reduced 21 days after the last dose of AVID200. AVID200 a TGFβ1/3 protein trap is well tolerated and clinical responses at cycle 7 of therapy in this advanced MF patient population were limited as judged by IWG/MRT response criteria. However, AVID200 therapy resulted in significant reduction in serum TGFβ levels and improvements in platelet counts indicating that TGF β1 plays a pivotal role in MF leading to thrombocytopenia which can be reversed with AVID200 therapy. We conclude that AVID200 may best be employed in combination therapy approaches in thrombocytopenic MF patients. Figure 1 Figure 1. Disclosures Mascarenhas: Constellation: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Promedior: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Incyte: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Geron: Consultancy, Research Funding; Forbius: Research Funding; Genentech/Roche: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Sierra Oncology: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Celgene/BMS: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; PharmaEssentia: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Roche: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Galecto: Consultancy; Novartis: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Prelude: Consultancy; Kartos: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; CTI Biopharm: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Geron: Consultancy; Merck: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; AbbVie: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Gilead: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Merus: Research Funding. Palmer: PharmaEssentia: Research Funding; Sierra Oncology: Consultancy, Research Funding; Incyte: Research Funding; CTI BioPharma: Consultancy, Research Funding; Protagonist: Consultancy, Research Funding. Kuykendall: Celgene/BMS: Honoraria; Pharmaessentia: Honoraria; Novartis: Honoraria, Speakers Bureau; Protagonist: Consultancy, Research Funding; Incyte: Consultancy; Abbvie: Honoraria; Blueprint: Honoraria. Mesa: Genentech: Research Funding; Promedior: Research Funding; Samus: Research Funding; Gilead: Research Funding; CTI: Research Funding; Abbvie: Research Funding; Sierra Oncology: Consultancy, Research Funding; Celgene: Research Funding; Novartis: Consultancy; Pharma: Consultancy; CTI: Research Funding; Constellation Pharmaceuticals: Consultancy, Research Funding; AOP: Consultancy; La Jolla Pharma: Consultancy; Incyte Corporation: Consultancy, Research Funding. Rampal: Stemline: Consultancy, Research Funding; Memorial Sloan Kettering: Current Employment; BMS/Celgene: Consultancy; Abbvie: Consultancy; CTI: Consultancy; Novartis: Consultancy; Disc Medicine: Consultancy; Blueprint: Consultancy; Pharmaessentia: Consultancy; Incyte: Consultancy, Research Funding; Jazz Pharmaceuticals: Consultancy; Constellation: Research Funding; Kartos: Consultancy; Sierra Oncology: Consultancy. Gerds: PharmaEssentia Corporation: Consultancy; Sierra Oncology: Consultancy; CTI BioPharma: Research Funding; Constellation: Consultancy; Celgene/Bristol Myers Squibb: Consultancy; AbbVie: Consultancy; Novartis: Consultancy. Yacoub: Novartis: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau; CTI Biopharma: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; ACCELERON PHARMA: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Agios: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau; Dynavex: Current equity holder in publicly-traded company; Cara: Current equity holder in publicly-traded company; Ardelyx: Current equity holder in publicly-traded company; Seattle Genetics: Honoraria, Speakers Bureau; Incyte: Consultancy, Honoraria, Speakers Bureau; Hylapharm: Current equity holder in publicly-traded company. Talpaz: Imago: Consultancy; Constellation: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Bristol Myers Squibb: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Novartis: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Takeda: Other: Grant/research support ; Celgene: Consultancy. Komrokji: Acceleron: Consultancy; Taiho Oncology: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; AbbVie: Consultancy; BMSCelgene: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau; PharmaEssentia: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Novartis: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Geron: Consultancy; Jazz: Consultancy, Speakers Bureau. Kremyanskaya: Astellas: Research Funding; Astex: Research Funding; Chimerix: Research Funding; Bristol Myers Squibb: Research Funding; Constellation: Research Funding; Protagonist Therapeutics: Consultancy, Research Funding; Incyte: Research Funding. Salama: Mayo Clinic: Current Employment, Other: Mayo Clinic had the contractual work for the central pathology review for this study and I was one of the reviewing pathologists; Constellation Pharmaceuticals: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees. Hoffman: Kartos Therapeutics, Inc.: Research Funding; Protagonist Therapeutics, Inc.: Consultancy; Novartis: Other: Data Safety Monitoring Board, Research Funding; AbbVie Inc.: Other: Data Safety Monitoring Board, Research Funding. OffLabel Disclosure: AVID200 is a TGFb trap and is in clinical testing for fibrotic diseases. It does not have an approved indication at this time.