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Real-World Evidence (RWE), which has historically been used to support post-approval safety studies, has recently gained acceptance for new drug applications as supportive evidence or as new clinical evidence for medicinal products with orphan designation and/or in disease areas with high unmet need. Here, we present a case study for the use of RWE in the approval of abaloparatide in the European Union (EU) under the tradename Eladynos. In addition to data from the pivotal Phase 3 study, the marketing authorization application (MAA) included clinical data from additional interventional and observational studies, as well as post-marketing data obtained from the United States (US) market since approval of abaloparatide by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2017. The new interventional studies were not designed to assess fracture efficacy and cardiovascular safety which were topics of concern raised by the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) during their review of the initial MAA submitted in 2015. However, these studies taken together with the RWE formed the basis for a new MAA. Prior to the planned resubmission in the EU, national Scientific Advice (SA) was sought on the proposed clinical program, specifically on the relevance of Real-World Data (RWD) derived from an observational study to support and complement the efficacy and safety data already available from prospective randomized clinical trials. This case study demonstrates successful use of RWE to address a previously identified gap raised by the CHMP during the review of an earlier MAA, which led to the approval of Eladynos for the treatment of osteoporosis in the EU. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objective: Abaloparatide, an anabolic osteoporosis treatment administered by subcutaneous (SC) injection, increases bone mineral density (BMD) and reduces fracture risk in postmenopausal women with osteoporosis. The abaloparatide-solid Microstructured Transdermal System [abaloparatide-sMTS (Kindeva, St Paul, MN, USA)], which delivers abaloparatide intradermally, is in development to provide an alternative method for abaloparatide delivery. The objective of this study was to evaluate the ability of subjects to self-administer abaloparatide-sMTS, based on pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic markers. Methods: In this single-arm, open-label, Phase 1b study, 22 healthy postmenopausal women aged 50–85 years with low BMD were trained to self-administer abaloparatide-sMTS 300 μg once daily to the thigh for 5 min for 29 days. The primary endpoint was systemic exposure to abaloparatide. Secondary endpoints included percent change from baseline in serum procollagen type I N-terminal propeptide (s-PINP), patient experience, and safety. Results: All 22 subjects completed the study. At baseline, mean age was 65.2 years, mean total hip T-score was − 1.32, and mean lumbar spine T-score was − 1.98. On Day 1, the median time to reach maximum concentration (Tmax) for abaloparatide-sMTS was 0.33 h and geometric mean (CV %) maximum concentration (Cmax) and area under the concentration-time curve from time 0 to the time of the last quantifiable concentration (AUC0–t) were 447 (38.0) pg/mL and 678 (45.3) pg·h/mL, respectively; the pharmacokinetic profile was similar on Days 15 and 29. Median percentage change in s-PINP was 45.4% and 64.4% at Days 15 and 29, respectively. The most common adverse events (AEs) were application site erythema, pain, and swelling, which were mostly of mild or moderate severity. No AEs led to study drug withdrawal and no serious AEs were reported. The success rate for self-administration at first application was 99.7%, and subject acceptability was high (~ 4.5 on a 5-point Likert Scale). Conclusions: Subjects successfully self-administered abaloparatide-sMTS, which provided a consistent pharmacokinetic profile over 29 days and produced s-PINP increases from baseline similar to that observed in the pivotal trial with abaloparatide-SC. Observed patient experience along with the clinical data support continued clinical development of abaloparatide-sMTS. Trial Registration Number: NCT04366726, Date of registration 04/29/2020, retrospectively registered Plain Language Summary: Osteoporosis is a serious health condition that causes more than 2 million fractures in the USA annually. Treatment options for osteoporosis include drugs that prevent bone resorption and anabolic agents that build new bone. Bone anabolic agents, such as abaloparatide, have been shown to increase bone mineral density and reduce the risk of fracture in postmenopausal women with osteoporosis. Currently, all bone anabolic agents are delivered by subcutaneous injection. However, some patients do not like injectable treatments, which can negatively impact patients' adherence to prescribed medication. In this study, we describe a novel mode of administration, the abaloparatide-solid Microstructured Transdermal System (abaloparatide-sMTS), which is applied to the thigh for 5 min and delivers abaloparatide intradermally. The study showed that this new method delivered abaloparatide into the blood as effectively as subcutaneous injections and demonstrated signs of activity in the body. Study participants were satisfied with abaloparatide-sMTS and found it easy to use. The most common side effects were skin related, including redness, pain, and swelling, which resolved shortly after dosing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Sarcopenia is an age-related muscle condition which is frequently a precursor of frailty, mobility disability and premature death. It has a high prevalence in older populations and presents a considerable social and economic burden. Potential treatments are under development but, as yet, no guidelines support regulatory studies for new drugs to manage sarcopenia. The objective of this position paper is therefore to suggest a set of potential endpoints and target population definitions to stimulate debate and progress within the medico-scientific and regulatory communities. Methods: A multidisciplinary expert working group was hosted by the European Society for Clinical and Economic Aspects of Osteoporosis and Osteoarthritis, which reviewed and discussed the recent literature from a perspective of clinical experience and guideline development. Relevant parallels were drawn from the development of definition of osteoporosis as a disease and clinical assessment of pharmaceutical treatments for that indication. Results: A case-finding decision tree is briefly reviewed with a discussion of recent prevalence estimations of different relevant threshold values. The selection criteria for patients in regulatory studies are discussed according to the aims of the investigation (sarcopenia prevention or treatment) and the stage of project development. The possible endpoints of such studies are reviewed and a plea is made for the establishment of a core outcome set to be used in all clinical trials of sarcopenia. Conclusions: The current lack of guidelines for the assessment of new therapeutic treatments for sarcopenia could potentially hinder the delivery of effective medicines to patients at risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The reduced muscle mass and impaired muscle performance that define sarcopenia in older individuals are associated with increased risk of physical limitation and a variety of chronic diseases. They may also contribute to clinical frailty. A gradual erosion of quality of life (QoL) has been evidenced in these individuals, although much of this research has been done using generic QoL instruments, particularly the SF-36, which may not be ideal in older populations with significant comorbidities. This review and report of an expert meeting presents the current definitions of these geriatric syndromes (sarcopenia and frailty). It then briefly summarizes QoL concepts and specificities in older populations and examines the relevant domains of QoL and what is known concerning QoL decline with these conditions. It calls for a clearer definition of the construct of disability, argues that a disease-specific QoL instrument for sarcopenia/frailty would be an asset for future research, and discusses whether there are available and validated components that could be used to this end and whether the psychometric properties of these instruments are sufficiently tested. It calls also for an approach using utility weighting to provide some cost estimates and suggests that a time trade-off study could be appropriate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent advances in the understanding of the epidemiology of osteoporosis suggest that certain parts of the current European guidelines for the registration of drugs in osteoporosis might be no longer substantiated. The object of this review is to provide the European regulatory authorities with an evidence-based working document providing suggestions for the revision of the “Note for guidance for the approval of drugs to be used in postmenopausal osteoporosis” (CPMP/EWP/552/95). Following an extensive review of the literature (1990–2004), the Group for the Respect of Ethics and Excellence in Science (GREES) organized a workshop including European regulators, academic scientists and representatives of the pharmaceutical industry. The outcomes of this meeting reflect the personal views of those who attended and should not, in any case, be seen as an official position paper of any regulatory agency. The group identified a certain number of points that deserve discussion. They mainly relate to the nature of the indication being granted to new chemical entities (treatment of osteoporosis in women at high risk of fracture instead of prevention and treatment of osteoporosis), the requirements of showing an anti-fracture efficacy on all or on major nonvertebral fractures (instead of the hip), the duration of pivotal trials (2 years instead of 3) and the possibility of considering bridging studies for new routes of administration, new doses or new regimens of previously approved drugs. The group also recommends that an indication could be granted for the treatment of osteoporosis in males on the basis of a placebo-controlled study, with bone mineral density changes after 1 year as the primary endpoint, for medications approved in the treatment of osteoporosis in women at high risk of fractures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]