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Simeprevir (Olysio™; Galexos™; Sovriad®) is an orally-administered NS3/4A protease inhibitor for use in combined drug regimens against chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. This article reviews studies relevant to the EU simeprevir label. In proof-of-concept studies, simeprevir had potent antiviral activity against all HCV genotypes, except genotype 3. In trials in patients with chronic HCV genotype 1 infection, week-12 sustained virological response (SVR12) rates in treatment-naïve patients and prior relapsers were significantly higher with simeprevir plus peginterferon-α/ribavirin (PR) [79-89 %] than with placebo plus PR (36-62 %). In prior partial/null responders, the SVR12 rate with simeprevir plus PR (54 %) was noninferior to that with telaprevir plus PR (55 %). Simeprevir plus PR was also efficacious in patients with HCV genotype 1/HIV-1 co-infection. In prior null responders without severe liver fibrosis (cohort 1) and treatment-naïve patients with severe liver fibrosis (cohort 2) treated with simeprevir plus sofosbuvir, the SVR12 rate for the two cohorts combined was 92 %. In patients with chronic HCV genotype 4 infection, the SVR12 rates with simeprevir plus PR were 83, 87 and 40 % in treatment-naïve patients, prior relapsers and prior null responders, respectively. Grade 3-4 adverse event, serious adverse event and treatment withdrawal rates with simeprevir plus PR were similar to those with placebo plus PR. Skin rashes with simeprevir were mostly mild or moderate; serious photosensitivity reactions occur, but are rare. Simeprevir is efficacious and generally well tolerated in patients with chronic HCV genotypes 1 and 4 infection. Studies of simeprevir in interferon-free regimens and in other subpopulations with HCV infections will be of interest.

Dulaglutide (Trulicity™) is a long-acting, glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist that has been developed by Eli Lilly and Company for the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus. It consists of a dipeptidyl peptidase-IV-protected GLP-1 analogue covalently linked to a human IgG4-Fc heavy chain by a small peptide linker. The subcutaneous formulation is approved for use in type 2 diabetes in the US, has been recommended for approval in the EU in this indication, and is under regulatory review in other countries. This article summarizes the milestones in the development of subcutaneous dulaglutide leading to this first approval for type 2 diabetes.

Fingolimod (Gilenya(®)) is an orally administered disease modifying agent (DMA) for use in relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS). In placebo-controlled trials in patients with RRMS with active disease, fingolimod 0.5 mg/day significantly reduced the annualized relapse rate (ARR) by approximately one-half over 2-year trial periods. It also significantly increased the proportion of patients with no disability progression, reduced deterioration from baseline in the Extended Disability Status Scale score and reduced MRI markers of disease progression (new/newly enlarging brain lesions and percentage change in brain volume). In a 12-month, comparison with intramuscular interferon β-1a (IFNβ- 1a) 30 μg/week, the ARR in fingolimod 0.5 mg/day recipients was significantly lower than in IFNβ-1a recipients by one-half; fingolimod recipients also had significantly lower MRI markers of disease progression. In extensions to the pivotal clinical trials, fingolimod exposure for up to 4 years was associated with low relapse rates and continuing benefits in terms of disability and disease progression. In clinical trials, adverse events in fingolimod recipients were generally mild to moderate in severity. In the pivotal placebo-controlled trial, serious adverse events occurred in similar proportions of fingolimod 0.5 mg/day and placebo recipients. First-dose bradycardia and atrioventricular block, which are generally asymptomatic, were clinically important adverse events associated with fingolimod in placebo-controlled trials. The risk for serious cardiovascular adverse events at the approved fingolimod dosage appears to be low in patients without pre-existing cardiac conditions. Fingolimod is an efficacious therapy for RRMS that reduces relapses, disability progression, new brain lesions and loss of brain volume. It has an acceptable tolerability profile and provides a useful alternative treatment in patients with RRMS who have responded poorly to other DMAs.

OnabotulinumtoxinA (BOTOX(®)) is a type A neurotoxin derived from Clostridium botulinum bacteria that is approved as treatment for urinary incontinence (UI) in patients with neurogenic detrusor overactivity resulting from multiple sclerosis (MS) or subcervical spinal cord injury (SCI) who are not adequately treated by antimuscarinics. This article reviews the pharmacology of intradetrusor onabotulinumtoxinA in this indication. The presumed mode of action of onabotulinumtoxinA in bladder disorders is by interfering with efferent innervation of the detrusor muscle and afferent pathways involved in the micturition reflex. In phase III trials in adult patients with MS or SCI with UI who were not adequately treated with antimuscarinics, intradetrusor onabotulinumtoxinA 200 U produced significantly greater mean changes (reductions) from baseline in UI episodes/week at week 6 than placebo (primary endpoint). Similar significant benefits of intradetrusor onabotulinumtoxinA 200 U over placebo were observed on other UI, urodynamic, health-related quality of life and treatment satisfaction endpoints. Intradetrusor onabotulinumtoxinA 200 U was generally well tolerated, with the most frequent adverse events being urinary tract infections and urinary retention. Few patients discontinued treatment because of adverse events. Based on interim analyses of an extension study of the phase III trials, repeat injections of onabotulinumtoxinA 200 U were similarly efficacious and well tolerated. Intradetrusor onabotulinumtoxinA represents a clinically important advance in the therapy of UI in patients with MS or SCI who have not responded to antimuscarinics or who are unable to tolerate antimuscarinics.

Elosulfase alfa (Vimizim™) is a recombinant form of N-acetylgalactosamine-6-sulfatase (GALNS) that was developed by BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc. as an enzyme replacement therapy for patients with mucopolysaccharidosis type IVA (MPS IVA), also known as Morquio A syndrome. Patients with MPS IVA have a GALNS deficiency, which results in serious musculoskeletal, cardiorespiratory and other system disturbances. Elosulfase alfa was approved by the US FDA on 14 February 2014 for the treatment of MPS IVA. The European Medicines Agency Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) has recently recommended that elosulfase alfa be approved for use in the EU in the same indication. Within the last year, the manufacturer has also filed applications for approval for the use of elosulfase alfa in MPS IVA in Brazil, Australia, Canada and Mexico. This article summarizes the milestones in the development of elosulfase alfa leading to its first global approval in MPS IVA.

Ibrutinib (Imbruvica™) is a small molecule, first-in-class, once-daily, orally available, Bruton's tyrosine kinase inhibitor that is under development for the treatment of B cell malignancies, including chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL), mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) and diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL), as well as multiple myeloma (MM), follicular lymphoma (FL) and Waldenstrom's macroglobulinemia (WM). It has been developed by Pharmacyclics, Inc. and Janssen Biotech, Inc. Ibrutinib acts by blocking B-cell antigen receptor signalling, thereby reducing malignant proliferation of B cells and inducing cell death. Based chiefly on findings from a phase Ib/II study, ibrutinib has been approved in the USA for the treatment of MCL in previously treated patients and is one of the first approvals through the US FDA's Breakthrough Therapy Designation Pathway. An application has been filed in the EU seeking regulatory approval in this indication. In both the USA and EU, further applications have been filed with regulatory bodies seeking approval for the use of ibrutinib in patients with previously treated CLL/small lymphocytic lymphoma (SLL). Phase III trials are underway worldwide to evaluate ibrutinib in the treatment of patients with CLL/SLL, DLBCL and MCL, and the agent is in phase II development for use in WM, FL and MM. This article summarizes the milestones in the development of ibrutinib leading to its first approval in MCL.

Enzalutamide (MDV3100, XTANDI(®)) is an androgen receptor inhibitor that is indicated for the treatment of metastatic, castration-resistant, prostate cancer (mCRPC) that has progressed despite treatment with docetaxel. This article reviews the pharmacology, efficacy and tolerability of enzalutamide relevant to this indication. In a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multinational, phase III trial in patients with mCRPC progressing after docetaxel therapy, enzalutamide significantly prolonged overall survival (OS), delayed prostate specific antigen progression and prolonged radiographic progression-free survival and time to the first skeletal event. The median OS was 18.4 months in the enzalutamide group and 13.6 months in the placebo group, which represents a 37 % reduction in the mortality risk in the enzalutamide group. Enzalutamide was also associated with significant benefits in health-related quality of life and in pain palliation. Enzalutamide was generally as well tolerated as placebo during the trial, with most adverse events at a mild or moderate level of severity. Enzalutamide carries a small increased risk of seizures that appears to be dose-dependent. Enzalutamide is an efficacious and well tolerated treatment for this severe, rapidly progressive disease.

Trastuzumab (Herceptin(®)) is a humanized monoclonal antibody that binds selectively to human epidermal growth factor 2 (HER2), interfering with its downstream cancer-promoting effects. This article focuses on the efficacy and tolerability of trastuzumab in HER2-positive advanced gastric cancer. The potential of trastuzumab as a cytotoxic for use in gastric cancer was confirmed by in vitro studies in HER2-positive gastric cancer cell lines and gastric cancer xenograft models. In a randomized, controlled, open-label, multinational trial in patients with HER2-positive advanced gastric cancer, trastuzumab plus chemotherapy (cisplatin plus capecitabine or 5-fluorouracil) was significantly more efficacious than chemotherapy alone, in terms of a longer median overall survival (13.8 vs. 11.1 months in the chemotherapy alone group) [primary endpoint], a longer median progression-free survival, and a higher response rate. Trastuzumab was efficacious across patient subgroups, although stronger effects were observed in a subgroup with high HER2 overexpression (immunohistochemistry 2+/fluorescence in-situ hybridization positive or immunohistochemistry 3+). There was a slightly higher tolerability burden in the trastuzumab plus chemotherapy group than with chemotherapy alone, based on small between-group numerical differences in rates of common gastrointestinal and general adverse events. Most individual adverse events reported in this trial were at a grade 1 or 2 level of severity. However, in both treatment groups approximately half of the haematological adverse were at a grade 3 or 4 level of severity, with no marked between-group differences. Trastuzumab in combination with cisplatin and a fluoropyrimidine is an effective regimen for patients with HER2-positive advanced gastric cancer, has acceptable tolerability and represents an important advance in the treatment of gastric cancer.

Mirabegron (YM178, Myrbetriq™, Betanis(®), Betmiga™) is a β3-adrenergic receptor agonist approved in several countries for the symptomatic treatment of adults with overactive bladder syndrome. In three 12-week, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multinational trials in patients with overactive bladder syndrome, oral mirabegron 25 or 50 mg once daily significantly reduced the adjusted mean number of incontinence episodes per 24 h (in patients with incontinence at baseline) and the adjusted mean number of micturition episodes per 24 h (in full trial populations) [coprimary endpoints]. Across trials, mirabegron 50 mg once daily also consistently significantly reduced urgency episodes and increased the volume of urine voided per micturition, generally in association with improved health-related quality of life (HR-QOL) and treatment satisfaction. Based on descriptive analyses from a 12-month trial, once-daily mirabegron 50 mg and tolterodine extended-release (ER) 4 mg were both efficacious in reducing urinary symptoms and improving HR-QOL. Mirabegron was generally well tolerated in the trials. Over 12 weeks, the adverse event rate with mirabegron 50 mg once daily was similar to that with placebo. During 12 months of treatment, 2.8 % of mirabegron 50 mg once daily recipients reported dry mouth compared with 8.6 % with tolterodine ER 4 mg once daily recipients. Mirabegron 50 mg once daily carries a low risk of QT interval prolongation. Thus, mirabegron is an efficacious new treatment for overactive bladder syndrome with a favourable tolerability profile.

Pneumococcal polysaccharide conjugate vaccine (13-valent, adsorbed) [PCV13] is approved for protection against pneumococcal disease in children aged 6 weeks to 5 years and adults aged ≥50 years. In randomized trials in adults aged 60–64 years (not previously vaccinated with 23-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine [PPV23]) and ≥70 years (previously vaccinated with PPV23), PCV13 was non-inferior to PPV23 in opsonophagocytic assay (OPA) geometric mean titres (GMTs) for all 12 serotypes common to the two vaccines. More PCV13 than PPV23 recipients had ≥4-fold increases in serotype 6A OPA GMTs (serotype 6A is not included in PPV23). PCV13 recipients also had higher OPA GMTs and met superiority criteria for most serotypes. Adults aged 50–59 years had antibody responses to PCV13 that were noninferior to those in adults aged 60–64 years for all included serotypes. PCV13 administered concomitantly with trivalent inactivated influenza vaccine in adults aged 50–59 or ≥65 years produced antibody responses that were noninferior to those following sequential administration, except for influenza strain A/H3N2 and pneumococcal serotype 19F in those aged ≥65 years. Antibody responses were numerically higher with sequential administration, although the clinical significance of this is unknown. Adverse events within 14 days of vaccination were mostly of mild-to-moderate severity, with serious events occurring in 0.2–1.4% of PCV13 and 0.4–1.7% of PPV23 recipients.

Vardenafil orodispersible tablet (ODT) is a supralingual formulation of vardenafil that is available for the on-demand treatment of erectile dysfunction. The pharmacokinetics of vardenafil ODT are not equivalent to those of the vardenafil film-coated tablet in that the ODT formulation provides consistently greater vardenafil systemic exposure. Therefore, the two formulations are not interchangeable. The efficacy of on-demand vardenafil ODT 10 mg was established in the POTENT I and II studies, which were 6-week, randomized, double-blind, multinational trials in men with erectile dysfunction of at least 6 months duration. In both trials, vardenafil ODT improved erectile function significantly more than placebo, as indicated by International Index of Erectile Function-Erectile Function subscale scores at week 12 and overall erection success rates during treatment according to responses to questions 2 and 3 of the Sexual Encounter Profile (coprimary endpoints). In a pooled analysis of both trials, vardenafil ODT improved erectile function regardless of age, severity of erectile dysfunction at baseline or the presence or absence of underlying medical conditions. Vardenafil ODT was generally well tolerated in clinical trials, including in men aged ≥65 years, and adverse events were mostly mild or moderate in severity.

Subcutaneous recombinant interferon-β-1a (Rebif®) 22 or 44μg three times weekly is a valuable option in the first-line treatment in patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS). It has shown benefits on outcome measures related to relapses, progression of disability and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in clinical trials. A significant efficacy advantage for subcutaneous interferon-β-1a three times weekly over intramuscular interferon-β-1a 30μg once weekly was shown at 24 and 48 weeks. The most common adverse events are generally mild and clinically manageable. Considering both direct and indirect comparative clinical trial data, an assessment suggests that subcutaneous interferon-β-1a 44μg three times weekly has the best benefit-to-risk values of the available disease-modifying drugs used to treat RRMS. Glycosylated recombinant interferon-β-1a has the same primary structure and biological effects in the body as endogenous human interferon-β. Immunomodulatory activity, the principal pharmacodynamic property of interferon-β-1a, most likely results from interferon-stimulated gene products mediating biological activities. The long-term clinical significance of the development of neutralising antibodies (NABs) to interferon-β-1a is currently unclear; therefore, it is recommended that treatment decisions are based on clinical efficacy and not on the presence of NABs alone. In healthy volunteers, subcutaneous interferon-β-1a has a long apparent elimination half-life and appears to accumulate after repeated doses. In a randomised 2-year trial, subcutaneous interferon-β-1a 22 or 44μg three times weekly for 2 years was more effective than placebo as assessed by a number of clinical (e.g. relapse rate per patient, proportion of patients without clinical relapse and changes from baseline in Kurtzke Expanded Disability Status Scale [EDSS] scores) and MRI (total burden of disease and numbers of active lesions per patient per scan) endpoints. Significant dose-response effects in favour of the higher dosage were evident when the study period was extended for another 2 years. Extension data for a total follow-up period of 7–8 years in the original cohort showed sustained clinical benefits with subcutaneous interferon-β-1a therapy. In a 48-week comparative trial, patients randomised to subcutaneous interferon-β-1a 44μg three times weekly were more likely to remain free of relapses and have significantly more favourable measures of MRI lesion activity at weeks 24 and 48 weeks, and a longer time to first relapse, than those randomised to intramuscular interferon-β-1a 30μg once weekly. In the crossover extension phase (median treatment duration 34 weeks), clinical and MRI outcomes improved in patients who crossed over from treatment with intramuscular interferon-β-1a 30μg once weekly to subcutaneous interferon-β-1a 44μg three times weekly. In clinical trials of subcutaneous interferon-β-1a, the most commonly reported adverse events (e.g. injection-site reactions, headache and influenza-like symptoms) were generally mild, manageable and reversible. Mild, asymptomatic and reversible haematological disorders and alterations in liver function tests may occur. A few patients experience serious effects on liver function. Subcutaneous interferon-β-1a 44μg three times weekly was associated with a significantly higher incidence of injection-site disorders and liver function or haematological abnormalities than intramuscular interferon-β-1a 30μg once weekly. No between-group differences were noted regarding the proportions of patients experiencing serious adverse events. In an assessment that evaluated the four available RRMS disease-modifying treatments based on the numbers of patients needed to treat to obtain benefit or harm, subcutaneous interferon-β-1a 44μg three times weekly had the best benefit-to-risk values. Based on data from pivotal directly comparative trials, subcutaneous interferon-β-1a 44μg three times weekly had favourable benefit-to-risk values relative to subcutaneous interferon-β-1a 22μg three times weekly and intramuscular interferon-β-1a 30μg once weekly. Based on indirect comparative data from published clinical trials, subcutaneous interferon-β-1a appeared to have favourable efficacy values relative to interferon-β-1b every other day, and interferon-β formulations appeared to have favourable benefit-to-risk ratios relative to placebo and also subcutaneous glatiramer acetate 20gmg once daily. In pharmacoeconomic analyses from a healthcare payer perspective, subcutaneous interferon-β-1a 44μg three times weekly was predicted to be increasingly more cost effective than placebo over the mid-(10 years) and long-(20 years) term with regard to preventing EDSS-months of disability in the UK and France, and cost saving relative to intramuscular interferon-β-1a 30μg once weekly over 48 weeks in the US.

Eldecalcitol (1α,25[OH](2)-2β-(3-hydroxypropyloxy)vitamin D(3); ED-71; Edirol®) is an orally administered analogue of active vitamin D (calcitriol) that is available in Japan for the treatment of osteoporosis. Two randomized, double-blind, multicentre trials were conducted in patients with osteoporosis. In a placebo-controlled, dose-ranging trial, eldecalcitol significantly reduced serum bone-specific alkaline phosphatase (BALP) and serum osteocalcin, markers of bone formation, more than placebo. Eldecalcitol at a 1.0 μg/day dosage, but not at lower dosages, also significantly reduced urinary type I collagen N-telopeptide (NTX), a marker of bone resorption, more than placebo. In a comparison with alfacalcidol (a prodrug of calcitriol), eldecalcitol produced significantly greater reductions in serum BALP and urinary NTX, and had a positive effect on CT markers of femoral biomechanical properties. In the comparison with alfacalcidol, eldecalcitol 0.75 μg/day significantly reduced the 3-year incidence of vertebral fractures, with an absolute risk reduction of 4.1% over this period, representing a relative risk reduction of 26%. There was no significant difference in the rate of non-vertebral fractures. In both trials, eldecalcitol treatment was also associated with an increase in bone mineral density, whereas patients who received the comparators generally had a reduction in bone mineral density. Increases in blood calcium (to >2.6 mmol/L) and urinary calcium (to >0.1 mmol/L glomerular filtrate) were the most clinically important treatment-emergent adverse events. In the placebo-controlled, dose-ranging trial, 23% and 25% of patients in the eldecalcitol 1 μg/day group had increased blood and urinary calcium compared with 7% and 7%, 6% [corrected] and 9%, and 0% and 1.9% in the eldecalcitol 0.5 and 0.75 μg/day, and placebo groups, respectively. In the comparison with alfacalcidol, 21.0% and 13.5% of eldecalcitol 0.75 μg/day and alfacalcidol 1.0 μg/day recipients had increased blood calcium, whereas hypercalcaemia (defined as a serum calcium >2.9 mmol/L) occurred in 0.4% and urolithiasis in 1.3% of eldecalcitol recipients over 36 months of treatment. Eldecalcitol is an efficacious treatment for patients with osteoporosis that should be further investigated in head-to-head trials with other recommended first-line pharmacological treatments.

Imatinib is a protein-tyrosine kinase inhibitor with antitumour effects in patients with gastrointestinal stromal tumour (GIST) that is indicated for the treatment of unresectable and/or metastatic GIST and as adjuvant therapy in patients with KIT-positive GIST. Imatinib binds to and inhibits KIT and platelet-derived growth factor receptor (PDGFR)-α tyrosine kinases, interfering with their downstream tumourogenic processes. Cell lines with KIT mutations that are common in patients with GIST were sensitive to imatinib at low in vitro concentrations. Patients with exon 11 KIT mutations were significantly more likely to have partial tumour responses and longer overall survival (OS) and were significantly less likely to have progression of disease than patients with exon 9 KIT mutations or no detectable KIT or PDGFR mutations. In a large (n > 700) randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multinational trial (ACOSOG [American College of Surgeons Oncology Group] Z9001), patients who received 1 year of adjuvant treatment with oral imatinib 400 mg/day after surgical resection of GIST had significantly longer recurrence-free survival than placebo recipients, with an overall hazard ratio of 0.35 (95% CI 0.22, 0.53) [primary endpoint]. At the time of reporting, there was no significant between-group difference in OS. In patients with GIST who received adjuvant imatinib in this trial, adverse events were mostly of mild or moderate severity; the imatinib treatment group had an almost 2-fold higher rate of US National Cancer Institute Common Toxicity Criteria grade 3 or 4 adverse events than the placebo group.

Ofatumumab is a fully human anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody that induces antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity and complement-dependent cytotoxicity in CD20-expressing B lymphocytes. Ofatumumab is highly potent in lysing B cells, and this appears to stem from its binding site on the short extracellular loop of the target CD20 protein and its slow release from the target molecule. In a pivotal, noncomparative study in patients with fludarabine- and alemtuzumab-refractory chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL), ofatumumab induced objective responses in 58% (99% CI 40, 74) of patients, which met a prespecified superiority criterion. The median duration of response was 7.1 months. The median progression-free survival was 5.7 months and the median overall survival was 13.7 months. In patients with fludarabine- and alemtuzumab-refractory CLL, infections and neutropenia were the most frequent treatment-related adverse events (all grades) that occurred during ofatumumab treatment; infections that commenced during treatment led to death in five patients (8%).

Levobupivacaine (Chirocaine ® ) is a long-acting amide local anaesthetic that is effective when administered as an epidural, spinal, peripheral nerve or ocular block, or by topical application or local infiltration. In comparative trials, its clinical effects were not generally significantly different from those of bupivacaine or ropivacaine, although there was some variability in efficacy findings in different clinical populations. Levobupivacaine was generally well tolerated. Levobupivacaine provides effective anaesthesia and analgesia for a wide range of clinical populations and is a useful alternative to bupivacaine.

Gefitinib (Iressa™) is an epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) tyrosine kinase inhibitor that offers treatment for patients with locally advanced or metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), in particular in those who are harbouring EGFR mutations. In a large phase III trial (IPASS) in chemotherapy-naive Asian patients with adenocarcinoma who were never smokers or former light smokers, oral gefitinib was more effective than carboplatin plus paclitaxel in prolonging progression-free survival (PFS). In a prespecified subgroup analysis, EGFR-mutation-positive status was associated with a positive response to gefitinib treatment. Furthermore, a trial in chemotherapy-naive patients with NSCLC that was restricted to those with EGFR mutations found that gefitinib recipients had significantly longer PFS than carboplatin plus paclitaxel recipients. In large phase III trials (INTEREST, V-15-32) in unselected, previously treated patients, the overall survival (OS) in gefitinib recipients was noninferior to, or not significantly different from, that of docetaxel recipients. In a placebo-controlled trial in previously treated patients (ISEL), pre-planned subgroup analyses in Asian patients and non-smokers showed that in these subgroups gefitinib prolonged OS, and that EGFR biomarkers predicted a positive response to gefitinib. Gefitinib was also associated with greater improvements in quality of life (QOL) in both chemotherapy-naive and previously treated patients. A head-to-head trial of gefitinib versus erlotinib in EGFR-mutation-positive patients would help position gefitinib relative to erlotinib in this population. Further research is also required to identify factors associated with non-response to EGFR-tyrosine-kinase inhibitors in EGFR-mutation-positive patients. Gefitinib was a generally well tolerated treatment, with rash and diarrhoea being the most common treatment-emergent adverse events. Interstitial lung disease (ILD) is a serious co-morbidity of NSCLC associated with gefitinib and other cancer treatments; ILD-type events occurred with an overall incidence of ≈1% in gefitinib recipients participating in clinical trials, and were more common in Asian patients. Notably, gefitinib was associated with significantly fewer haematological and neurological adverse effects than comparator chemotherapy regimens. Gefitinib as monotherapy is an effective treatment for patients with locally advanced or metastatic NSCLC with EGFR mutations. Pharmacological The presumed mechanism of action of gefitinib is through inhibition of EGFR Properties tyrosine kinase, thereby blocking EGFR downstream signalling processes that activate cell proliferation, cell migration, angiogenesis and cell survival. Inhibitory effects on downstream EGFR processes occur at concentrations well below those achieved at the recommended clinical dosage. Mutations in the kinase domain of EGFR are correlated with sensitivity to gefitinib and other EGFR-tyrosine-kinase inhibitors. After oral administration, gefitinib is relatively slowly absorbed, with a time to peak concentration of 3-7 hours. In healthy adults, for single doses up to and including 250 mg, increases in systemic exposure to gefitinib are dose-proportional. The oral bioavailability of gefitinib in patients with solid tumours is 59%. Gefitinib also penetrates tumour tissues, reaching high concentrations 42- to 60-fold those in plasma.

Niacin extended-release (ER)/simvastatin is a once-daily, fixed-dose combination of the HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor simvastatin and an ER formulation of niacin (a B-complex vitamin). In healthy volunteers who were given niacin ER/simvastatin 2000 mg/40 mg, niacin exposure was similar to that with niacin ER 2000 mg, while simvastatin exposure was increased compared to that with simvastatin 40 mg. In patients with elevated non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (non-HDL-C) but with low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) at or below the National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) goal after a > or = 2-week simvastatin 20 mg/day run-in period (SEACOAST I), 24 weeks of niacin ER/simvastatin 1000 mg/20 mg or 2000 mg/20 mg per day reduced median plasma non-HDL-C levels to a significantly greater extent than simvastatin 20 mg/day. In patients with elevated non-HDL-C and LDL-C at any level after a > or = 2-week simvastatin 40 mg/day run-in period (SEACOAST II), 24 weeks of niacin ER/simvastatin 1000 mg/40 mg or 2000 mg/40 mg per day was noninferior to simvastatin 80 mg/day in reducing median plasma non-HDL-C levels. Compared with simvastatin monotherapy, there was no significant difference in reduction in plasma LDL-C levels with niacin ER/simvastatin in SEACOAST I, and the noninferiority criterion for LDL-C was not met in SEACOAST II. However, plasma HDL-C levels increased more and triglyceride levels were lowered more than with simvastatin monotherapy (SEACOAST I and II). Niacin ER/simvastatin was generally well tolerated, with flushing being the most common adverse reaction.

Anastrozole (Arimidex) is an aromatase inhibitor approved in the EU, the US and in other countries worldwide for use as an adjuvant treatment in postmenopausal women with early-stage, hormone receptor-positive breast cancer. It is also approved in the EU and other countries worldwide for continuing adjuvant treatment in women who have already had 2-3 years of adjuvant tamoxifen treatment for breast cancer. Anastrozole is an effective primary adjuvant treatment for postmenopausal women with early-stage breast cancer. In patients with hormone receptor-positive tumours, 5 years of anastrozole treatment was more efficacious in reducing breast cancer recurrence than 5 years of tamoxifen, both in a head-to-head comparison and in switching trials when given after 2-3 years of tamoxifen treatment. The treatment benefits have now been shown to extend to 100 months following breast surgery. To date, overall survival was better in anastrozole than tamoxifen recipients in one switching trial and in a meta-analysis of three switching trials. There was no increased benefit in health-related quality of life with anastrozole over tamoxifen. In women who had received 5 years of tamoxifen treatment, continuation of treatment with anastrozole further reduced the risk of breast cancer recurrence. Ongoing head-to-head trials against other third-generation aromatase inhibitors will provide data as to its relative efficacy against these agents. Anastrozole is a generally well tolerated treatment for early-stage breast cancer. Like other aromatase inhibitors, its most important adverse effect was an increased risk of bone fractures, which for anastrozole was restricted to the treatment period. It is still unclear whether primary adjuvant treatment extended beyond 5 years is of benefit and whether primary adjuvant treatment with anastrozole for 5 years is preferable to switching to anastrozole after 2-3 years of tamoxifen treatment. However, the evidence to date establishes anastrozole as a valuable adjuvant and extended adjuvant treatment for postmenopausal women with hormone receptor-positive, early-stage breast cancer.

▲ Dabigatran etexilate is an orally administered prodrug of dabigatran, which is a potent, concentration-dependent inhibitor of thrombus formation and thrombin-induced platelet aggregation. ▲ Dabigatran etexilate pharmacokinetics were linear across a wide dosage range. There were no clinically important pharmacokinetic interactions with digoxin (a P-glycoprotein substrate), pantoprazole (a proton-pump inhibitor) or drugs that are substrates and/or inhibitors of hepatic cytochrome P450 enzymes. ▲ In two large, randomized, double-blind trials of the prevention of venous thromboembolism (VTE) in patients undergoing total hip or total knee replacement surgery, orally administered dabigatran etexilate 220 mg/day was noninferior to subcutaneous enoxaparin sodium 40 mg/day for the primary composite endpoint of total VTE events or all-cause mortality during the treatment period. ▲ There were no significant differences between dabigatran etexilate and enoxaparin sodium in major VTE events and VTE-related mortality. Across trials, ≤0.5% of patients experienced a symptomatic pulmonary embolus or died. ▲ Dabigatran etexilate was generally well tolerated. In patients undergoing total hip or total knee replacement surgery, there was no significant difference between dabigatran etexilate and enoxaparin sodium recipients in the incidence of major or minor bleeding.

Secukinumab (Cosentyx™) is a fully human monoclonal antibody against interleukin-17A, formulated for intravenous and subcutaneous administration. It received its first global approval in Japan on 26 December 2014 for the treatment of psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis in adults who are not adequately responding to systemic therapies (except for biologic agents). In the USA and the EU, secukinumab was approved in early 2015 for the treatment of patients with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis. Secukinumab is also being investigated in patients with ankylosing spondylitis and rheumatoid arthritis. This article summarizes the milestones in the development of secukinumab leading to its first approval for the treatment of adult patients with psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis.

Blinatumomab (BLINCYTO™) is a novel, bispecific T-cell engaging antibody that binds cluster of differentiation (CD) 19 antigens on blast cells while also binding and activating the CD3/T cell receptor complex, causing cell lysis. The antibody is being developed by Amgen as a treatment for haematological cancers that originate from B cell lines. Blinatumomab was approved by the US FDA in December 2014 for the treatment of adults with Philadelphia chromosome (Ph)-negative relapsed/refractory B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (BCP-ALL). It is awaiting approval for this indication in the EU and is in phase III development in various countries. This article summarizes the milestones in the development of blinatumomab leading to its first approval for the treatment of Ph-negative BCP-ALL.

Fluocinolone acetonide intravitreal implant (Iluvien®) is an injectable, non-erodible, corticosteroid implant that is approved in several European countries for the treatment of chronic diabetic macular oedema (DMO). In analyses of two multinational trials in patients with DMO previously treated with macular laser photocoagulation, fluocinolone acetonide intravitreal implant 0.2 μg/day was significantly more efficacious than sham injection in improving visual acuity. At 24 months post injection, 29 % of fluocinolone acetonide intravitreal implant 0.2 μg/day recipients had an improvement in the best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) letter score of ≥15 compared with 16 % in the sham injection group (p = 0.002) [primary endpoint]. Treatment benefit was most evident in the subgroup of patients whose duration of DMO was ≥3 years. In this subgroup at 36 months, 34 % of fluocinolone acetonide intravitreal implant 0.2 μg/day recipients had an increase in the BCVA score of ≥15, compared with 13 % of sham injection recipients (p < 0.001). Fluocinolone acetonide intravitreal implant recipients also had generally greater benefits than sham injection recipients on secondary endpoints. In patients who were phakic in the study eye at baseline, cataracts occurred in 82 % of fluocinolone acetonide intravitreal implant 0.2 μg/day recipients and 51 % of sham injection recipients. Overall, 37 % and 12 % of patients in the fluocinolone acetonide intravitreal implant and sham injection groups developed raised intraocular pressure (IOP), which was generally controlled with IOP-lowering drugs.

Rilpivirine is an orally administered, non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor that is a component drug in combination therapy for antiretroviral-naive patients with HIV-1 infection. The randomized, double-blind, double-dummy, multinational ECHO and THRIVE trials in antiretroviral-naive adult patients with HIV-1 infection compared rilpivirine with efavirenz, administered with background nucleoside/nucleotide antiretroviral regimens. Rilpivirine 25 mg once daily recipients had a treatment response (confirmed plasma HIV-1 RNA level of50 copies/mL at 48 weeks; primary endpoint) that was noninferior to that of efavirenz 600 mg once daily recipients. The response rates in the rilpivirine and efavirenz groups were 83% and 84% (ECHO) and 87% and 83% (THRIVE). Virological failure rates in rilpivirine and efavirenz groups in the intent-to-treat analysis were 11% and 4% in the ECHO trial and 7% and 5% in the THRIVE trial. In a pooled analysis of both trials, in rilpivirine recipients with an HIV-1 RNA level of100,000 copies/mL at baseline, the virological failure rate at 48 weeks was 15% (vs 6% with efavirenz), whereas in those with a level of ≤100,000 copies/mL, the virological failure rate was 4% (vs 3% with efavirenz). In general, rilpivirine was better tolerated than efavirenz throughout treatment. Rilpivirine recipients had significantly fewer treatment-related adverse events, discontinuations because of adverse events, psychiatric-neurological adverse events and a significantly lower rate of blood lipid abnormalities.

Roflumilast is an orally administered, selective phosphodiesterase 4 inhibitor that is a novel treatment for patients with severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Across four randomized, double-blind, multinational trials in patients with moderate to severe or severe COPD, roflumilast 500 microg/day produced significantly greater improvements from baseline than placebo in pre- and post-bronchodilator forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV(1)). While mean increases in FEV(1) in roflumilast groups were small, they were in marked contrast to the decreases or negligible increase in FEV(1) in the placebo groups. In three of four trials, roflumilast significantly reduced the COPD exacerbation rate; in a pooled analysis of two 52-week trials, roflumilast was associated with a 17% reduction over placebo. Further randomized, double-blind, multinational trials compared roflumilast 500 microg plus salmeterol with placebo plus salmeterol and roflumilast 500 microg plus tiotropium bromide with placebo plus tiotropium bromide. In both trials, roflumilast plus long-acting bronchodilator produced significantly greater increases in pre- and post-bronchodilator FEV(1) than placebo plus long-acting bronchodilator. Roflumilast had an acceptable tolerability profile. In a pooled analysis of two trials, 19% and 22% of roflumilast and placebo recipients had serious adverse events; in the corresponding groups, 14% and 11% discontinued medications because of adverse events.

black triangle Olmesartan medoxomil/amlodipine is a fixed-dose combination of olmesartan medoxomil and amlodipine, both established antihypertensive agents. Dose titration with the individual constituent drugs is recommended before switching to the equivalent fixed-dose combination. black triangle In a randomized, double-blind, factorial trial in patients with mild to severe hypertension, 8 weeks of olmesartan medoxomil/amlodipine was more effective in reducing diastolic BP (DBP) and systolic BP (SBP) than placebo or equivalent dosages of olmesartan medoxomil or amlodipine as monotherapy. black triangle In two randomized, double-blind trials in patients with moderate to severe hypertension not adequately treated with amlodipine or olmesartan medoxomil monotherapy, 8 weeks of olmesartan medoxomil/amlodipine 20 mg/5 mg, 40 mg/5 mg or 40 mg/10 mg per day was more effective in reducing DBP and SBP than continuing treatment with olmesartan medoxomil 20 mg/day or amlodipine 5 mg/day monotherapy. black triangle More patients receiving olmesartan medoxomil/amlodipine at approved dosages than monotherapy recipients at equivalent dosages reached BP goals (42.5-51.0% vs 21.1-36.3% in the factorial trial and 44.5-54% vs 28.5-30% in the monotherapy comparisons). black triangle In the comparison with amlodipine monotherapy,70% of olmesartan medoxomil/amlodipine recipients, some requiring upwards dosage adjustment, met BP goals. black triangle Olmesartan medoxomil/amlodipine was generally well tolerated in clinical trials. Peripheral oedema was significantly less common in olmesartan medoxomil/amlodipine 40 mg/10 mg per day than amlodipine monotherapy 10 mg/day recipients.

UNLABELLED Sapropterin dihydrochloride (Kuvan), hereafter referred to as sapropterin, is a synthetic formulation of the active 6R-isomer of tetrahydrobiopterin, a naturally occurring cofactor for phenylalanine hydroxylase. In the EU, sapropterin is approved for the treatment of hyperphenylalaninaemia in patients >or=4 years of age with tetrahydrobiopterin-responsive phenylketonuria (PKU) and in adults and children with tetrahydrobiopterin deficiency who have been shown to be responsive to such treatment. In the US, it is approved to reduce blood phenylalanine levels in patients with hyperphenylalaninaemia due to tetrahydrobiopterin-responsive PKU. Oral sapropterin effectively lowers blood phenylalanine levels in a proportion of patients with PKU; to date, there are no published efficacy trials of the specific sapropterin formulation under review in patients with tetrahydrobiopterin deficiency. Sapropterin was well tolerated in patients with PKU, although longer-term tolerability data are required. Sapropterin is the first non-dietary treatment for patients with PKU that has been shown in randomized, double-blind trials to be effective in lowering blood phenylalanine levels. Thus, sapropterin provides a promising treatment option for patients with PKU who are tetrahydrobiopterin-responsive. PHARMACOLOGICAL PROPERTIES: The mechanism of action of sapropterin in lowering blood phenylalanine levels in patients with PKU has not been fully elucidated, but appears to be related, in part, to its effect in augmenting and stabilizing mutant phenylalanine hydroxylases, resulting in increased clearance of phenylalanine from the body. In tetrahydrobiopterin deficiency, its mechanism of action is presumed to be secondary to replacement of endogenous tetrahydrobiopterin. In healthy adults, orally-administered sapropterin is absorbed into the bloodstream, reaching maximum concentrations in 3-4 hours. It has a mean elimination half-life of approximately 4 hours in healthy adults and, based on a population pharmacokinetic study, 6.7 hours in patients with tetrahydrobiopterin-responsive PKU. Age, from 9 to 49 years, had no effect on key pharmacokinetic parameters. THERAPEUTIC EFFICACY: In an 8-day screening study in patients aged >or=8 years with PKU, approximately 20% of patients responded to sapropterin 10 mg/kg/day (i.e. were tetrahydrobiopterin responsive). Tetrahydrobiopterin-responsive patients from this study were entered into a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in which they received sapropterin 10 mg/kg/day or placebo. At the end of 6 weeks of treatment, sapropterin recipients experienced a significant 28% decrease from baseline in mean blood phenylalanine level, while there was no significant change in placebo recipients. The difference in mean blood phenylalanine level between sapropterin and placebo groups was statistically significant at -245 micromol/L. In an extension of this trial, significantly greater reductions in blood phenylalanine levels were observed with sapropterin dosages of 10 and 20 mg/kg/day than with sapropterin 5 mg/kg/day (each dose administered for 2 weeks), indicating a dose dependent effect. During 12 weeks of treatment with the sapropterin dosage individualized to the patient according to the earlier response to sapropterin 5, 10 or 20 mg/kg/day, reductions in plasma phenylalanine were observed in all dosage groups. In a randomized, double-blind trial in children aged 4-12 years with tetrahydrobiopterin-responsive PKU, patients treated with sapropterin 20 mg/kg/day had reduced blood phenylalanine levels after 3 weeks of treatment. Over the full 10-week trial, sapropterin and placebo recipients experienced a significantly increased tolerance to dietary phenylalanine (20.9 mg/kg/day in sapropterin and 2.9 mg/kg/day in placebo recipients). TOLERABILITY Sapropterin was well tolerated in patients with PKU. In clinical trials in patients with PKU, the following adverse events were identified: headache, rhinorrhoea (both at a frequency of >or=10%), pharyngolaryngeal pain, nasal congestion, cough, diarrhoea, vomiting, abdominal pain and hypophenylalaninaemia (all at a frequency of >or=1% to

Enteric-coated mycophenolate sodium (Myfortic®) is a reversible, noncompetitive inosine monophosphate dehydrogenase (IMPDH) inhibitor that is approved in the EU, the US and in other countries worldwide for immunosuppressive prophylaxis against graft rejection in adult renal transplant patients. Enteric-coated mycophenolate sodium has a delayed absorption from the gastrointestinal (GI) tract in comparison with mycophenolate mofetil, thereby potentially reducing GI adverse events. In randomized, double-blind trials of de novo and maintenance immunosuppressive therapy in renal transplant patients receiving ciclosporin emulsion-based regimens, enteric-coated mycophenolate sodium was as effective as mycophenolate mofetil in preventing renal graft rejection. Enteric-coated mycophenolate sodium provides an alternative to mycophenolate mofetil in the treatment of de novo renal transplant recipients and ongoing research should indicate whether an intensified dosage regimen can further improve clinical outcomes. Renal transplant patients receiving mycophenolate mofetil maintenance immunosuppressive therapy may be switched to enteric-coated mycophenolate sodium without compromising efficacy. The general tolerability profile of enteric-coated mycophenolate sodium was similar to that of mycophenolate mofetil. Patients selected for GI intolerance associated with mycophenolate mofetil treatment showed reductions in GI symptoms when switched to enteric-coated mycophenolate sodium, while in unselected patients in comparative trials, there was no difference between enteric-coated mycophenolate sodium and mycophenolate mofetil in GI tolerability. Enteric-coated mycophenolate sodium provides an alternative to mycophenolate mofetil in renal transplant patients receiving mycophenolate mofetil maintenance immunosuppressive therapy who have GI symptoms that have not responded to other management strategies, because they may experience improvement if switched to enteric-coated mycophenolate sodium. Thus, in association with ciclosporin-based regimens, enteric-coated mycophenolate sodium is a valuable treatment option for immunosuppressive prophylaxis in adult renal transplant recipients. In stable renal transplant patients, the inhibitory effect of enteric-coated mycophenolate sodium on IMPDH, T-cell proliferation, T-cell activation, lymphocyte subsets and cytokine expression was not significantly different from that of mycophenolate mofetil. Mycophenolic acid (MPA) is released from enteric-coated mycophenolate sodium in the small intestine. In renal transplant patients receiving maintenance immunosuppressive therapy, the exposure to MPA with enteric-coated mycophenolate sodium treatment was equivalent to that seen with mycophenolate mofetil treatment, although the time to maximum plasma concentration was longer, as expected with an enteric-coated formulation. As observed with mycophenolate mofetil, in de novo renal transplant recipients, MPA exposure with enteric-coated mycophenolate sodium was generally lower in the immediate post-transplant period than in the maintenance period, although an intensified dosage regimen early after transplantation increased exposure to MPA. There is considerable interindividual and intraindividual variability in MPA pharmacokinetics with enteric-coated mycophenolate sodium and mycophenolate mofetil. In paediatric patents, MPA exposure with a single dose of enteric-coated mycophenolate sodium was slightly higher than that observed in adult patients. In randomized, double-blind, double-dummy, multinational trials, at recommended dosages, enteric-coated mycophenolate sodium had equivalent efficacy to mycophenolate mofetil in de novo renal transplant recipients, and renal transplant patients receiving maintenance immunosuppressive therapy could be switched from mycophenolate mofetil to enteric-coated mycophenolate sodium without affecting efficacy. Extension studies demonstrated that the efficacy of mycophenolate sodium was maintained in the longer term. Large, prospective, noncomparative studies confirm that de novo renal transplant recipients can be effectively treated with enteric-coated mycophenolate sodium, with low rates of renal graft loss and the establishment of stable renal functioning; renal transplant patients receiving maintenance immunosuppressive therapy switched from mycophenolate mofetil to enteric-coated mycophenolate sodium had low treatment failure rates, with no patient experiencing graft loss, and continuing stable renal function. In randomized, double-blind, multinational trials in de novo renal transplant patients and renal transplant patients receiving maintenance immunosuppressive therapy, the most common adverse events associated with mycophenolate sodium treatment were infections and GI symptoms. There were no significant differences between enteric-coated mycophenolate sodium and mycophenolate mofetil treatment groups in the incidence of general or serious adverse events, except that enteric-coated mycophenolate sodium recipients had a lower rate of serious pneumonia in de novo renal transplant patients and serious infections in renal transplant patients receiving maintenance immunosuppressive therapy. The GI tolerability of enteric-coated mycophenolate sodium was no different to that of mycophenolate mofetil in de novo and renal transplant patients receiving maintenance immunosuppressive therapy in randomized, double-blind, multinational trials. In PROGIS and myTIME studies, in patients who had received renal transplants ≥1 month previously and who were experiencing GI symptoms while receiving mycophenolate mofetil, switching to enteric-coated mycophenolate sodium was associated with a significant reduction in GI symptom scores and an improvement in GI health-related quality of life.