8 results
P170: Safety and Tolerability of Brexpiprazole for the Treatment of Agitation in Alzheimer’s Dementia: Pooled Results From Three Phase III Trials
- Anja Farovik, Maia Miguelez, Daniel Lee, Mary Slomkowski, Nanco Hefting, Dalei Chen, Klaus Larsen, Eva Kohegyi, Mary Hobart, Alpesh Shah, Alvin Estilo, Moeen Panni, Pedro Such, George T. Grossberg
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- Journal:
- International Psychogeriatrics / Volume 35 / Issue S1 / December 2023
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 02 February 2024, pp. 259-260
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Objective:
Agitation in Alzheimer’s dementia (AAD) is prevalent, distressing, and burdensome. Medications for agitation are commonly prescribed off-label, although use is hindered by safety and tolerability concerns. This pooled analysis evaluates the safety and tolerability of brexpiprazole in patients with AAD.
Methods:Data were pooled from three Phase 3, 12-week, placebo-controlled trials (NCT01862640, NCT01922258, NCT03548584) (overall, and by brexpiprazole dose). The primary objective of each trial was to assess the efficacy of brexpiprazole on agitation. Safety was a secondary objective.
Results:658 patients were randomized to brexpiprazole (0.5–3 mg/day, depending on the trial; n=655 treated), and 389 patients were randomized to placebo (n=388 treated). Mean baseline age was 73.5–74.2 years, and mean time since diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease was 28.2–35.6 months. The pooled incidence of treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs) was 51.1% with brexpiprazole, with no notable differences between doses, and 45.9% with placebo. The incidence of serious TEAEs was 6.4% (brexpiprazole) versus 4.1% (placebo), and the incidence of TEAEs leading to discontinuation was 6.3% versus 3.4%, respectively. TEAEs that occurred in ≥2% of patients receiving brexpiprazole and more than in placebo-treated patients were insomnia (3.7% versus 2.8%), somnolence (3.4% versus 1.8%), nasopharyngitis (2.7% versus 2.6%), and urinary tract infection (2.6% versus 1.5%). Other TEAEs of interest included falls (1.7% versus 2.6%) and sedation (0.3% versus 0.0%). TEAE categories of interest included extrapyramidal symptom (EPS)-related TEAEs (5.3% versus 3.1%), cardiovascular TEAEs (3.7% versus 2.3%), and cerebrovascular TEAEs (0.5% versus 0.3%). The mean change from baseline to last visit in Mini–Mental State Examination score was 0.21 (brexpiprazole) and 0.14 (placebo). Six patients receiving brexpiprazole (0.9%) and one patient receiving placebo (0.3%) died; none of the deaths was considered related to brexpiprazole.
Conclusion:Based on pooled data, brexpiprazole was well tolerated in patients with AAD, and had a clinical safety profile consistent with that of brexpiprazole in other indications. Patients receiving brexpiprazole had a similar incidence of sedation, EPS events, falls, cardiovascular events, and cerebrovascular events compared with placebo, and no worsening of cognition. The incidence of death was low, and no deaths were considered related to study treatment.
P96: Efficacy of Brexpiprazole for the Treatment of Agitation in Alzheimer’s Dementia: Post Hoc Line Item Analysis of the Cohen-Mansfield Agitation Inventory
- Jyoti Aggarwal, Daniel Lee, Mary Slomkowski, Nanco Hefting, Dalei Chen, Klaus Larsen, Denise Chang, Eva Kohegyi, Mary Hobart, Maia Miguelez, Pedro Such
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- Journal:
- International Psychogeriatrics / Volume 35 / Issue S1 / December 2023
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 02 February 2024, pp. 209-210
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Objective:
Agitation is a common neuropsychiatric symptom in Alzheimer’s dementia. The Cohen-Mansfield Agitation Inventory (CMAI) assesses the frequency of 29 agitation behaviors in elderly persons. The frequency of each behavior is rated from 1–7 (1=never, 2=less than once a week, 3=once or twice a week, 4=several times a week, 5=once or twice a day, 6=several times a day, 7=several times an hour), typically reported as a single total score. This post hoc analysis explored the efficacy of brexpiprazole on the frequency of individual agitation behaviors.
Methods:Post hoc analyses were conducted for two 12-week, randomized, double- blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-arm, fixed-dose trials of brexpiprazole in patients with agitation in Alzheimer’s dementia (NCT01862640, NCT03548584). Data are reported using descriptive statistics for brexpiprazole (2 or 3 mg/day) and placebo, for patients who completed 12 weeks of treatment.
Results:In the first fixed-dose trial (brexpiprazole 2 mg/day, n=120; placebo, n=118), baseline behavior frequency was similar between groups (range 1.12 to 4.92). At baseline, the most frequently observed behavior was “general restlessness” (brexpiprazole, 4.92; placebo, 4.82; approximately “once or twice a day”), and the least frequently observed behaviors were “biting” (brexpiprazole, 1.12) and “making physical sexual advances” (placebo, 1.14). At Week 12, the average reduction in mean frequency was -0.73 (brexpiprazole) and -0.60 (placebo), with a greater numerical reduction for 21/29 behaviors with brexpiprazole versus placebo. In the second fixed-dose trial (brexpiprazole 2 or 3 mg/day, n=192; placebo, n=103), baseline behavior frequency was similar between groups (range 1.12 to 5.22), and higher than in the first trial due to study inclusion criteria. At baseline, the most frequently observed behavior was “general restlessness” (brexpiprazole, 5.22; placebo, 5.09; approximately “once or twice a day”), and the least frequently observed behaviors were “making physical sexual advances” (brexpiprazole, 1.13) and “intentional falling” (placebo, 1.12). At Week 12, the average reduction in mean frequency was -0.78 (brexpiprazole) and -0.54 (placebo), with a greater numerical reduction for 26/29 behaviors with brexpiprazole versus placebo.
Conclusion:In this post hoc analysis, brexpiprazole was associated with numerically greater reduction in the frequency of most individual agitation behaviors versus placebo.
Post hoc analysis of a randomised, placebo-controlled, active-reference 6-week study of brexpiprazole in acute schizophrenia
- Stephen R. Marder, Hans Eriksson, Yudong Zhao, Mary Hobart
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- Acta Neuropsychiatrica / Volume 32 / Issue 3 / June 2020
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 14 February 2020, pp. 153-158
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Objective:
We provide a closer look at the result of a randomised, placebo-controlled, active-reference (quetiapine XR), flexible-dose, 6-week study of brexpiprazole in schizophrenia, which did not meet its primary endpoint – change from baseline in Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) total score. We also investigate potential expectancy bias from the well-known side-effect profile of the active reference that could have affected the study outcome.
Methods:Pre-specified sensitivity analyses of the primary end point were performed using analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) last observation carried forward (LOCF) and observed cases (OC). Post hoc analyses of change from baseline in PANSS total score were performed using the mixed model for repeated measures approach with treatment groups split by having typical adverse events with potential for functional unblinding, for example, somnolence, increase in weight, dizziness, dry mouth and sedation.
Results:Pre-specified sensitivity analyses showed separation from placebo for brexpiprazole at week 6: LOCF, ANCOVA: −4.3 [95% CI (−8.0, −0.5), p = 0.0254]. OC, ANCOVA: −3.9 [95% CI (−7.3, −0.5), p = 0.0260]. Patients treated with brexpiprazole experiencing typical adverse events with potential for functional unblinding before or at Week 2 had a least square (LS) mean PANSS change of −29.5 (improvement), with a difference in change from baseline to Week 6 in PANSS total score between brexpiprazole and placebo of −13.5 [95% CI (−23.1, −4.0), p = 0.0057], and those who did not had an LS mean change of −18.9 and a difference between brexpiprazole and placebo of −2.9 [95% CI (−7.2, 1.4), p = 0.1809].
Conclusion:Pre-specified sensitivity analyses showed separation from placebo for brexpiprazole at Week 6. A post hoc analysis suggested a potential confounding of efficacy rating towards symptom improvement in patients who experience known side effects of quetiapine XR.
14 Long-term Efficacy of Brexpiprazole in Patients with Schizophrenia with Clinically Relevant Levels of Negative Symptoms
- Catherine Weiss, Peter Zhang, Ross A Baker, Mary Hobart, Nanco Hefting, Stine R Meehan
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- Journal:
- CNS Spectrums / Volume 24 / Issue 1 / February 2019
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 12 March 2019, p. 180
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Background
Effective treatments for patients with high levels of negative symptoms of schizophrenia are lacking. Brexpiprazole is a serotonin–dopamine activity modulator that is a partial agonist at 5-HT1A and dopamine D2 receptors, and an antagonist at 5-HT2A and noradrenaline alpha1B/2C receptors, all with subnanomolar potency. Long-term treatment with brexpiprazole demonstrated broad efficacy across all five Marder factor groupings, including positive, negative, disorganized thoughts, uncontrolled hostility/excitement, and anxiety/depression. This post-hoc analysis of long-term effects of brexpiprazole in patients with clinically relevant levels of negative symptoms of schizophrenia is based on data from two similarly designed short-term, placebo-controlled studies (Vector; NCT01396421 or Beacon; NCT01393613) for the brexpiprazole-treated patients who continued into an open-label extension study (Zenith; NCT01397786).
MethodsIn the short-term studies, patients with acute schizophrenia were randomly assigned to fixed once-daily doses of brexpiprazole 0.25mg (Vector), 1mg (Beacon), 2mg , 4mg or placebo for 6weeks. The long-term study was an open-label, 52-week (amended to 26weeks), safety extension study with flexible-dose (1–4mg/day) brexpiprazole. The post-hoc analyses were performed on brexpiprazole-treated patients from the short-term studies who continued into the long-term study, and who had clinically relevant negative symptoms, defined as PANSS Factor Score for Negative Symptoms (PANSS-FSNS; N1, N2, N3, N4, G7, G16) of ≥24, and score of ≥4 on at least two of three core negative symptom PANSS items at randomization in the parent study. The outcome of the analysis included change from baseline to up to 58weeks in PANSS-FSNS, PANSS Total, and PSP. Safety was also assessed.
ResultsA total of 187 patients with clinically relevant levels of negative symptoms in the parent study rolled-over into the open-label extension study and were available for analysis. Eighty-three of these patients remained in the studies for 58weeks. Due to the study amendment, not all patients had the opportunity of complete 52weeks of open-label treatment. Baseline PANSS Total score was 104.4, while baseline PANSS-FSNS was 27.6 and baseline PSP Total score was 41.3. Mean change (SD) from baseline in PANSS-FSNS was –10.9 (5.0), and –44.2 (17.5) for PANSS Total score at Week 58. Change from baseline (SD) to Week 58 for PSP Total score was 24.8 (12.9) with improvement in all domains (socially useful activities, personal and social relationship, self-care, and disturbing and aggressive behaviors). The TEAEs reported ≥5% were schizophrenia (18.9%), insomnia (8.6%), weight increased (5.9%) and akathisia (5.9%).
ConclusionThis post-hoc analysis suggests that brexpiprazole has long-term effectiveness on negative symptoms and functioning in patients with schizophrenia and clinically relevant levels of negative symptoms.
Funding Acknowledgements: The study was funded by Otsuka Pharmaceutical Development & Commercialization Inc. and H. Lundbeck A/S
Successful switching of patients with acute schizophrenia from another antipsychotic to brexpiprazole: comparison of clinicians’ choice of cross-titration schedules in a post hoc analysis of a randomized, double-blind, maintenance treatment study
- Christoph U. Correll, Lily Shi, Catherine Weiss, Mary Hobart, Anna Eramo, Ruth A. Duffy, Emmanuelle Weiller, Ross A. Baker
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- Journal:
- CNS Spectrums / Volume 24 / Issue 5 / October 2019
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 11 October 2018, pp. 507-517
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Objective
To compare the tolerability and efficacy of different antipsychotic cross-titration schedules, using data from a brexpiprazole study (Equator; NCT01668797).
MethodsPatients with schizophrenia were cross-titrated from other antipsychotics to brexpiprazole monotherapy in a 1–4 week open-label conversion phase, then entered a single-blind brexpiprazole treatment phase. Patients were stratified into four “conversion groups,” according to the amount of time spent in the conversion phase. Discontinuation rates, treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs), and efficacy (Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale [PANSS]) were compared between conversion groups.
ResultsOf the 404 patients treated with brexpiprazole, the majority (72.0%) spent 22–33 days in the conversion phase. Discontinuation rates due to lack of efficacy or adverse events were low in all conversion groups. Of the 292 patients who successfully switched and completed 8 weeks of brexpiprazole treatment, most were converted to brexpiprazole over 22–33 days (80.1%), and fewer were converted over 1–7 days (2.4%), 8–14 days (6.5%), or 15–21 days (11.0%). The incidence of TEAEs over 8 weeks was lower among those converted over 22–33 days (44.4%) than in other conversion groups (62.5–84.2%), although low patient numbers with shorter conversion times limit the generalizability of this finding. Each conversion group showed comparable improvement in PANSS total score from baseline.
ConclusionThe majority of patients were cross-titrated to brexpiprazole over a period of 22–33 days, by investigators’ choice. Additional data on shorter conversions may help clinicians to choose a switching paradigm that best meets their patients’ needs.
A randomised, placebo-controlled 24-week study evaluating adjunctive brexpiprazole in patients with major depressive disorder
- Michael Bauer, Nanco Hefting, Annika Lindsten, Mette Krog Josiassen, Mary Hobart
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- Acta Neuropsychiatrica / Volume 31 / Issue 1 / February 2019
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 18 September 2018, pp. 27-35
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Objective
To evaluate brexpiprazole adjunctive to antidepressant therapies (ADTs) as maintenance treatment in patients with major depressive disorder with inadequate response to ADT, utilising a novel study design.
MethodsThe study comprised an 8-week prospective treatment period with open-label ADT with double-blind placebo treatment and a 24-week randomised treatment period. Investigators and patients were blinded to treatment periods, randomisation criteria, and timing of randomisation. Patients with early response to open-label ADT were withdrawn at Week 6. Patients fulfilling criteria for inadequate response were randomised to ADT+brexpiprazole 1–3 mg/day, or ADT+placebo. The primary endpoint was full remission: Montgomery–Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) total score ≤10 and ≥50% decrease from randomisation (i.e. baseline) in MADRS total score for at least 8 consecutive weeks.
ResultsThe primary efficacy analysis failed to show a statistically significant difference between the proportions of patients on ADT+brexpiprazole (21.4%) and ADT+placebo (24.9%) achieving full remission; odds ratio: 0.83; p=0.2641. The secondary endpoint of change from baseline to Week 6 in MADRS total score showed no difference between ADT+brexpiprazole and ADT+placebo (−0.4; p=0.3259). The most frequent treatment-emergent adverse event (TEAE) in patients receiving ADT+brexpiprazole was weight increased (9.5% vs. 5.0% in ADT+placebo). The incidence of TEAEs leading to withdrawal in the randomised treatment period was 6.3% in the ADT+brexpiprazole group and 3.4% in the ADT+placebo group.
ConclusionAdjunctive brexpiprazole did not differentiate from ADT+placebo on the primary endpoint of full remission. A number of design elements in this previously untried study design may have contributed to the study result. Brexpiprazole was well tolerated.
123 Adjunctive Brexpiprazole in Patients With MDD and Symptoms of Anxiety: Results From Post-Hoc Analyses of Three Placebo-Controlled Studies
- Emmanuelle Weiller, Anna-Greta Nylander, Catherine Weiss, Peter Zhang, Mary Hobart
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- CNS Spectrums / Volume 23 / Issue 1 / February 2018
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 15 June 2018, pp. 77-78
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Study objectives
Symptoms of anxiety are prevalent in Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) and are associated with greater illness severity, suicidality, impaired functioning and poor response to antidepressant treatment (ADT). In MDD, anxiety symptoms can be assessed as ‘anxious distress’ (new DSM-5 specifier) or ‘anxious depression’ (score ≥7 on the HAM-D anxiety/somatization factor). Brexpiprazole is a serotonin–dopamine activity modulator that is a partial agonist at 5-HT1A and dopamine D2 receptors, and an antagonist at 5-HT2A and noradrenaline alpha1B/2C receptors – all at similar potency. Brexpiprazole is approved in the US for treatment ofschizophrenia, and as adjunctive treatment in MDD. The objective of this post-hoc analysis was to assess the efficacy of brexpiprazole as adjunct to ADT in patients with MDDand anxiety symptoms, using these two definitions of anxiety.
MethodsData were pooled from three randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled studies with similar designs (Pyxis – NCT01360645; Polaris – NCT01360632; Sirius – NCT02196506). In each study, patients with MDD and an inadequate response to 1–3 ADTs received single-blind ADT for 8 weeks. Patients with inadequate response throughout this prospective phase were randomized to receive either ADT+brexpiprazole (2mg in Pyxis and Sirius; 1mg or 3 mg in Polaris) or ADT+placebo for 6 weeks. Proxies used to categorize patients as having ‘anxious distress’ included a score of ≥2 on the following symptoms at randomization: tension (MADRS item 3 score ≥3); restlessness (IDS item 24 score ≥2); concentration (MADRS item 6 score ≥3); or apprehension (HAM-D item 10 score ≥3). Scores on the items of the HAM-D anxiety/somatization factor at randomization (baseline) were used to identify patients with ‘anxious depression’. Efficacy was assessed as the change in MADRS total score from baseline to Week 6. Statistical analysis used a Mixed Model Repeated Measure approach using pooled brexpiprazole doses.
ResultsAfter 8 weeks of prospective ADT monotherapy, 57.6% (n=797/1,383) of patients met the criteria for anxious distress, and 48.5% (n=671/1,383) for anxious depression. The mean MADRS total score was 29.0 for patients with anxious distress in the adjunctive brexpiprazole (n=462) group and 29.1 in the placebo (n=327) group; while those with anxious depression were 28.9 (brexpiprazole; n=384) and 28.6 (placebo; n=282). Compared to those receiving placebo, patients with both anxious distress and anxious depression who received adjunctive brexpiprazole showed a greater improvement in MADRS total score (LS mean difference -2.38, p=0.0001 and -1.68, p=0.012, respectively). These improvements, compared to placebo, were similar to those in patients who had not met the criteria for anxious distress (-1.40, p=0.023) or anxious depression (-2.17, p<0.001).
ConclusionAdjunctive brexpiprazole may be efficacious in reducing depressive symptoms both in patients with or without symptoms of anxiety.
Funding AcknowledgementsThe studies were funded by H. Lundbeck A/S and Otsuka Pharmaceutical Development & Commercialization, Inc.
Brexpiprazole in patients with schizophrenia: overview of short- and long-term phase 3 controlled studies
- Stephen R. Marder, Mika Juhani Hakala, Mette Krog Josiassen, Peter Zhang, John Ouyang, Emmanuelle Weiller, Catherine Weiss, Mary Hobart
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- Acta Neuropsychiatrica / Volume 29 / Issue 5 / October 2017
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 16 November 2016, pp. 278-290
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Objective
Review efficacy, safety, and tolerability of brexpiprazole in patients with schizophrenia in short- and long-term phase 3 studies.
MethodsPatients experiencing a current exacerbation of schizophrenia received brexpiprazole in two fixed-dose (2 and 4 mg), 6-week, placebo-controlled studies, one flexible-dose (2–4 mg), 6-week, placebo-control and active reference study, and one fixed-dose (1–4 mg), 52-week, placebo-controlled maintenance study.
ResultsThe efficacy of brexpiprazole was demonstrated in the two short-term fixed-dose studies with statistically significant improvements from baseline in Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) total score compared with placebo. In the flexible-dose short-term study, treatment with brexpiprazole resulted in numerically greater improvements in PANSS total score than with placebo that approached statistical significance (p=0.056). A meta-analysis of these short-term studies showed a mean change in PANSS total score of −20.1, reflecting a clinically meaningful reduction in symptoms. In the maintenance study, brexpiprazole had a beneficial effect relative to placebo on time to exacerbation of psychotic symptoms/impending relapse (p<0.0001). For all studies, brexpiprazole demonstrated clinically meaningful treatment effects on the Personal and Social Performance scale. Brexpiprazole had a favourable safety profile, with a relatively low prevalence of activating and sedating side effects. Weight gain in the short-term studies was ~1 kg greater than placebo. No safety concerns were observed with brexpiprazole in laboratory values, electrocardiogram, or vital signs.
ConclusionsOverall, the results indicate brexpiprazole, used either short-term or as part of a long-term maintenance treatment programme, is an efficacious therapy option in adults with schizophrenia and has a favourable safety/tolerability profile.