AANAM

#AANAM – Precision Innovative Network and Splice Machine Will Present Predictive Healthcare Application at AAN Meeting

A new clinical application prototype that uses machine learning to help physicians predict the best treatment options for patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) will be unveiled at theĀ American Academy of Neurology’s 2019 annual meetingĀ May 4ā€“10, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The prototype is called PIN Population Data Platform. It has been…

#AANAM – Ublituximab Safe, Well-tolerated in Extension Study of Phase 2 Trial in Relapsing MS

Treatment withĀ ublituximab continues to be safe and well-tolerated by patients with relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis, according to an extension study of a Phase 2 trial. According to a press release, Edward Fox, MD, PhD, from Central Texas Neurology Consultants, will give the presentation on May 7 at poster session P3: MS Clinical Trials and Therapeutic Research. Ublituximab is an investigational monoclonal antibody being developed by TG Therapeutics to target the immune B-cell marker protein CD20. This leads to the depletion of B-cells from the blood and central nervous system ā€” B-cells are activated during MS relapses. According to the company, ublituximab may be superior to current anti-CD20 treatments in MS, enabling both lower doses and shorter infusion times. Final results of the main TG-Therapeutics-sponsored Phase 2 trial were recently presented at the 4thĀ Annual Americas Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (ACTRIMS) Forum, held in Dallas, Texas. Data showed that 93% of the 48 patients enrolled (mean age 40 years) were relapse-free after a 48-week treatment with ublituximab. The annualized relapse rate ā€” the number of relapses per year ā€” was 0.07. In addition, median B-cell depletion was more than 99% throughout 48 weeks.Ā Moreover, 87% of participants showed no evidence of clinical disease. Magnetic resonance imaging showed a complete elimination of T1 lesions at 24 and 48 weeks 24 in all 46 patients analyzed. Mean T2 lesion volume decreased by 10.6% at 48 weeks, compared with the beginning of the study. T1 lesions refer to areas of active inflammation and disease activity, while T2 lesions are a measure of the total amount of lesions, both old and new. Ublituximab was found to be well-tolerated, and did not induce an severe treatment-related adverse events. The most frequent adverse events were infusion-related reactions. No patient had to discontinue treatment due to an ublituximab-related side effect. At the upcoming AAN meeting, Fox will present data on both this Phase 2 trial andĀ its open-label extension, in which 37 patients from the primary study continued receiving one-hour infusions of 450 mg of ublituximab every 24 weeks for an additional 96 weeks. Safety was monitored throughout the study, and disability assessments using theĀ Expanded Disability Status ScaleĀ were conducted every 48 weeks. As of October 2018, nearly 30% of participants had completed 48 weeks of treatment in the extension study. Results showed that ublituximab continues to be well-tolerated, with no discontinuations due to adverse events. ā€œThe Phase 2 OLE supports that one-hour infusions of [ublituximab] continue to be safe and well tolerated,ā€ the researchers wrote. Of note, five of the eight study authors are affiliated with TG Therapeutics. The team expects additional patient follow-up data from the study to be available by the time of the AAN presentation. According to the scientists, the results support the ongoing Phase 3 ULTIMATE program, which includes the ULTIMATE 1 and ULTIMATE 2 trials. These studies are comparing the efficacy and safety of 450 mg of ublituximab withĀ AubagioĀ over 96 weeks of treatment in relapsing MS patients.Ā Both trials are led byĀ Lawrence Steinman, MD, atĀ Stanford University. TG Therapeutics expects toĀ have results from these trials as early as mid-2020.