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Fernando J Martinez,1 Gary T Ferguson,2 Eric Bourne,3 Shaila Ballal,4 Patrick Darken,5 Magnus Aurivillius,6 Paul Dorinsky,3 Colin Reisner4 1Joan and Sanford I. Weill Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA; 2Pulmonary Research Institute of Southeast Michigan, Farmington Hills, MI, USA; 3AstraZeneca, Durham, NC, USA; 4AstraZeneca, Morristown, NJ, USA; 5AstraZeneca, Wilmington, DE, USA; 6AstraZeneca, Gothenburg, SwedenCorrespondence: Fernando J MartinezJoan and Sanford I. Weill Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10065, USATel +1 646 962 2748Email fjm2003@med.cornell.eduPurpose: In the Phase III, 24-week KRONOS study (NCT02497001), triple therapy with budesonide/glycopyrrolate/formoterol fumarate metered dose inhaler (BGF MDI) reduced exacerbation rates versus glycopyrrolate/formoterol fumarate (GFF) MDI in patients with moderate-to-very severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and no requirement for a history of exacerbations. We report a post hoc analysis investigating whether the benefits observed were driven by patients with ≥ 1 exacerbation in the 12 months prior to the study.Patients and Methods: Patients received BGF MDI 320/18/9.6 μg, GFF MDI 18/9.6 μg, budesonide/formoterol fumarate (BFF) MDI 320/9.6 μg, or budesonide/formoterol fumarate dry powder inhaler (BUD/FORM DPI) 400/12 μg twice-daily. Post hoc analyses were conducted on exacerbation and lung function results from patients with and without a documented exacerbation in the 12 months prior to the study.Results: Overall, 74% (1411/1896) of the modified-intent-to-treat (mITT) population had no moderate/severe exacerbations in the 12 months prior to the study. BGF MDI reduced exacerbation rates versus GFF MDI in the prior (58%; unadjusted p=0.0003) and no prior (48%; unadjusted p=0.0001) exacerbations subgroups. The magnitude of reduction in exacerbation rates was generally similar within subgroups for BGF MDI versus BFF MDI and BUD/FORM DPI. In the prior exacerbations subgroup, risk during treatment for time to first exacerbation was lower with BGF MDI versus GFF MDI (p=0.0022) and BFF MDI (p=0.0110); excluding the first 30 days of data yielded similar results. The magnitude of reduction in exacerbation rates for BGF MDI compared with GFF MDI increased with eosinophil count.Conclusion: In patients with or without a history of exacerbations in the 12 months prior to the study, BGF MDI reduced exacerbation rates versus GFF MDI, suggesting results observed in the overall population were not driven by the small subgroup with a prior history of exacerbations.Keywords: fixed-dose combination, COPD, exacerbations of COPD

Masakazu Ichinose,1 Yasushi Fukushima,2 Yoshikazu Inoue,3 Osamu Hataji,4 Gary T Ferguson,5 Klaus F Rabe,6 Nobuya Hayashi,7 Hiroshi Okada,7 Mami Takikawa,7 Eric Bourne,8 Shaila Ballal,9 Kiernan DeAngelis,10 Magnus Aurivillius,11 Paul Dorinsky,8 Colin Reisner9 1Department of Respiratory Medicine, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Japan; 2Department of Internal Medicine, Fukuwa Clinic, Tokyo, Japan; 3Clinical Research Center, National Hospital Organization, Kinki-Chuo Chest Medical Center, Osaka, Japan; 4Respiratory Center, Matsusaka Municipal Hospital, Matsusaka, Japan; 5Pulmonary Research Institute of Southeast Michigan, Farmington Hills, MI, USA; 6LungenClinic Grosshansdorf and Christian-Albrechts University Kiel, Airway Research Center North, Member of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Grosshansdorf, Germany; 7AstraZeneca K.K., Osaka, Japan; 8AstraZeneca, Durham, NC, USA; 9AstraZeneca, Morristown, NJ, USA; 10Formerly of AstraZeneca, Durham, NC, USA; 11AstraZeneca, Gothenburg, SwedenCorrespondence: Masakazu IchinoseDepartment of Respiratory Medicine, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, JapanTel +81-22-717-8534Email ichinose@rm.med.tohoku.ac.jpBackground: KRONOS, a Phase III, multicenter, randomized, double-blind study (NCT02497001) conducted in Canada, China, Japan, and the USA, assessed the efficacy and safety of budesonide/glycopyrrolate/formoterol fumarate metered dose inhaler (BGF MDI), a triple fixed-dose combination therapy, relative to dual therapies in patients with moderate-to-very severe COPD. Here we present findings from the Japanese subgroup of KRONOS.Methods: Patients received BGF MDI 320/18/9.6μg, glycopyrrolate/formoterol fumarate (GFF) MDI 18/9.6μg, budesonide/formoterol fumarate (BFF) MDI 320/9.6μg, or budesonide/formoterol fumarate dry powder inhaler (BUD/FORM DPI) 400/12μg twice-daily for 24 weeks. The primary endpoint was the change from baseline in morning pre-dose trough forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1) over Weeks 12–24. Symptoms, quality of life, exacerbations, and safety were also assessed.Results: In total, 416 Japanese patients (21.9% of the global KRONOS population) were randomized and treated with BGF MDI (n=139), GFF MDI (n=138), BFF MDI (n=70), or BUD/FORM DPI (n=69). Nominally significant improvements in the change from baseline in morning pre-dose trough FEV1 over Weeks 12–24 were observed for BGF MDI vs GFF MDI (least squares mean [LSM] difference 37 mL, 95% confidence interval [CI] 3, 72; P=0.0337) and BFF MDI (67 mL; 95% CI 25, 109; P=0.0020). Treatment with BGF MDI led to a nominally significant reduction in the rate of moderate/severe exacerbations vs GFF MDI (rate ratio 0.40, 95% CI 0.19, 0.83; P=0.0142). Compared with dual therapies, numerical improvements were observed with BGF MDI for Transition Dyspnea Index focal score and the change from baseline in Evaluating Respiratory Symptoms in COPD total score (P≤0.3899). All treatments were generally well tolerated.Conclusion: BGF MDI nominally significantly improved lung function and numerically improved symptoms vs GFF MDI and BFF MDI. BGF MDI nominally significantly reduced exacerbations vs GFF MDI in Japanese patients with COPD. Efficacy and safety findings were generally comparable to those in the global KRONOS population.Keywords: co-suspension delivery technology, ICS/LAMA/LABA, inhaled corticosteroid, long-acting muscarinic antagonist, long-acting β2-agonist, Japan

Masakazu Ichinose,1 Yasushi Fukushima,2 Yoshikazu Inoue,3 Osamu Hataji,4 Gary T Ferguson,5 Klaus F Rabe,6 Nobuya Hayashi,7 Hiroshi Okada,7 Mami Takikawa,7 Eric Bourne,8 Shaila Ballal,9 Kiernan DeAngelis,10 Magnus Aurivillius,11 Colin Reisner,9 Paul Dorinsky8 1Department of Respiratory Medicine, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Japan; 2Department of Internal Medicine, Fukuwa Clinic, Tokyo, Japan; 3Clinical Research Center, National Hospital Organization, Kinki-Chuo Chest Medical Center, Osaka, Japan; 4Respiratory Center, Matsusaka Municipal Hospital, Matsusaka, Japan; 5Pulmonary Research Institute of Southeast Michigan, Farmington Hills, MI, USA; 6LungenClinic Grosshansdorf and Christian-Albrechts University Kiel, Airway Research Center North, Member of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Großhansdorf, Germany; 7AstraZeneca K.K., Osaka, Japan; 8AstraZeneca, Durham, NC, USA; 9AstraZeneca, Morristown, NJ, USA; 10Formerly of AstraZeneca, Durham, NC, USA; 11AstraZeneca, Gothenburg, SwedenCorrespondence: Masakazu IchinoseDepartment of Respiratory Medicine, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, JapanTel +81-22-717-8534Email ichinose@rm.med.tohoku.ac.jpBackground: Budesonide/glycopyrrolate/formoterol fumarate metered dose inhaler (BGF MDI) is a triple fixed-dose combination for COPD. The long-term safety of triple therapy for COPD has not been investigated in Japanese patients. In this 28-week extension study (NCT03262012), we investigated the long-term safety and tolerability of BGF MDI in Japanese patients with moderate-to-very severe COPD who completed the 24-week Phase III randomized, double-blind, multicenter KRONOS study (NCT02497001).Materials and methods: Patients randomized to BGF MDI 320/18/9.6 μg, glycopyrrolate/formoterol fumarate (GFF) MDI 18/9.6 μg, budesonide/formoterol fumarate (BFF) MDI 320/9.6 μg, or budesonide/formoterol fumarate dry powder inhaler (BUD/FORM DPI) 400/12 μg twice-daily in KRONOS continued treatment for up to 28 additional weeks. Safety was evaluated over 52 weeks via adverse event (AE) monitoring, electrocardiograms, clinical laboratory testing, and vital sign measurements.Results: The safety population included 416 patients who received BGF MDI (n=139), GFF MDI (n=138), BFF MDI (n=70), or BUD/FORM DPI (n=69). Treatment-emergent AE (TEAE) rates were similar across treatment groups (range: 82.6–82.9%). The most frequent TEAEs overall were nasopharyngitis (32.2%) and bronchitis (9.9%). The incidence of major adverse cardiovascular events was low across groups (range: 0.0–2.9%). Over 52 weeks, the incidence of confirmed pneumonia was 9.4% (BGF MDI), 3.6% (GFF MDI), 5.7% (BFF MDI), and 2.9% (BUD/FORM DPI); in the 28-week extension period, rates were comparable across groups (range: 2.9–5.7%). Six deaths were reported (0.7–2.2% per group); none were considered treatment-related. No clinically meaningful trends were observed in electrocardiograms, laboratory parameters, or vital signs over time in any of the treatment groups.Conclusion: All treatments were well tolerated over 52 weeks, and the safety profile of BGF MDI was generally comparable to dual long-acting muscarinic antagonist (LAMA)/long-acting β2-agonist (LABA) and inhaled corticosteroid (ICS)/LABA therapies. These findings support the long-term tolerability of BGF MDI in Japanese patients with COPD.Keywords: co-suspension delivery technology, ICS/LAMA/LABA, inhaled corticosteroid, long-acting muscarinic antagonist, long-acting β2-agonist, Japan

Lichen nitidus is a rare dermatitis characterized by pathognomonic skin and histological lesions, in the absence of a precise cause, although its relationship with lichen planus has long been discussed. The generalized form is even rarer and can affect the nails and mucous membranes. A case was described in a 5-year-old girl. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dense deposit disease (DDD), earlier called Type II membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis is distinct disease having frequent relapses reaching end-stage kidney disease by 10-year in up to 50%-60% of cases and high recurrence rate in the allograft. The term DDD is derived from its distinctive ribbon-like osmiophilic deposits in the lamina densa of glomerular basement membrane by electron microscopy. Pathogenetically, alternate pathway dysfunction leads to this disease, which is diagnosed by ultrastructure. Herein, we describe our observation of C4d positivity in an adolescent boy with DDD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]