Pharmacotherapeutic Treatment of Glioblastoma: Where Are We to Date?Gatto, Lidia; Di Nunno, Vincenzo; Franceschi, Enrico; Tosoni, Alicia; Bartolini, Stefania; Brandes, Alba Ariela
doi: 10.1007/s40265-022-01702-6pmid: 35397073
The clinical management of glioblastoma (GBM) is still bereft of treatments able to significantly improve the poor prognosis of the disease. Despite the extreme clinical need for novel therapeutic drugs, only a small percentage of patients with GBM benefit from inclusion in a clinical trial. Moreover, often clinical studies do not lead to final interpretable conclusions. From the mistakes and negative results obtained in the last years, we are now able to plan a novel generation of clinical studies for patients with GBM, allowing the testing of multiple anticancer agents at the same time. This assumes critical importance, considering that, thanks to improved knowledge of altered molecular mechanisms related to the disease, we are now able to propose several potential effective compounds in patients with both newly diagnosed and recurrent GBM. Among the novel compounds assessed, the initially great enthusiasm toward trials employing immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) was disappointing due to the negative results that emerged in three randomized phase III trials. However, novel biological insights into the disease suggest that immunotherapy can be a convincing and effective treatment in GBM even if ICIs failed to prolong the survival of these patients. In this regard, the most promising approach consists of engineered immune cells such as chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T, CAR M, and CAR NK alone or in combination with other treatments. In this review, we discuss several issues related to systemic treatments in GBM patients. First, we assess critical issues toward the planning of clinical trials and the strategies employed to overcome these obstacles. We then move on to the most relevant interventional studies carried out on patients with previously untreated (newly diagnosed) GBM and those with recurrent and pretreated disease. Finally, we investigate novel immunotherapeutic approaches with special emphasis on preclinical and clinical data related to the administration of engineered immune cells in GBM.Graphical Abstract[graphic not available: see fulltext]
From a Symptom-Based to a Mechanism-Based Pharmacotherapeutic Treatment in Complex Regional Pain SyndromeMangnus, Thomas J. P.; Bharwani, Krishna D.; Dirckx, Maaike; Huygen, Frank J. P. M.
doi: 10.1007/s40265-022-01685-4pmid: 35247200
Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) is a debilitating painful condition of a distal extremity that can develop after tissue damage. CRPS is thought to be a multimechanism syndrome and ideally the most prominent mechanism(s) should be targeted by drugs in an individually tailored manner. This review gives an overview of the action and evidence of current and future pharmacotherapeutic options for CRPS. The available options are grouped in four categories by their therapeutic actions on the CRPS mechanisms, i.e. inflammation, central sensitisation, vasomotor disturbances and motor disturbances. More knowledge about the underlying mechanisms of CRPS helps to specifically target important CRPS mechanisms. In the future, objective biomarkers could potentially aid in selecting appropriate mechanism-based drugs in order to increase the effectiveness of CRPS treatment. Using this approach, current and future pharmacotherapeutic options for CRPS should be studied in multicentre trials to prove their efficacy. The ultimate goal is to shift the symptom-based selection of therapy into a mechanism-based selection of therapy in CRPS.
Contemporary Management of DyslipidemiaFerraro, Richard A.; Leucker, Thorsten; Martin, Seth S.; Banach, Maciej; Jones, Steven R.; Toth, Peter P.
doi: 10.1007/s40265-022-01691-6pmid: 35303294
The treatment of dyslipidemia continues to be a dynamic and controversial topic. Even the most appropriate therapeutic range for lipid levels—including that of triglycerides and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol—remain actively debated. Furthermore, with ever-increasing options and available treatment modalities, the management of dyslipidemia has progressed in both depth and complexity. An understanding of appropriate lipid-lowering therapy remains an essential topic of review for practitioners across medical specialties. The goal of this review is to provide an overview of recent research developments and recommendations for patients with dyslipidemia as a means of better informing the clinical practice of lipid management. By utilizing a guideline-directed approach, we provide a reference point on optimal lipid-lowering therapies across the spectrum of dyslipidemia. Special attention is paid to long-term adherence to lipid-lowering therapies, and the benefits derived from instituting appropriate medications in a structured manner alongside monitoring. Novel therapies and their impact on lipid lowering are discussed in detail, as well as potential avenues for research going forward. The prevention of cardiovascular disease remains paramount, and this review provides a roadmap for instituting appropriate therapies in cardiovascular disease prevention.
Aumolertinib: A Review in Non-Small Cell Lung CancerShirley, Matt; Keam, Susan J.
doi: 10.1007/s40265-022-01695-2pmid: 35305259
Aumolertinib (formerly almonertinib; Ameile®) is an oral, third-generation epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) tyrosine kinase inhibitor (EGFR-TKI) that is selective for mutant EGFR over wild-type EGFR. It has been developed for the treatment of advanced EGFR mutation-positive non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). In the phase 3 AENEAS trial conducted in Chinese patients, aumolertinib as first-line treatment significantly prolonged progression-free survival (PFS) and duration of response (DoR) compared with gefitinib in patients with advanced EGFR mutation-positive NSCLC; overall survival (OS) data from this study are immature. In the phase 1/2 APOLLO trial, aumolertinib showed good clinical activity (based on objective response rate, PFS, DoR and OS) in Chinese patients with locally advanced or metastatic EGFR T790M mutation-positive NSCLC who had progressed on or after prior EGFR-TKI therapy. Aumolertinib has a generally manageable tolerability profile; adverse events associated with wild-type EGFR inhibition (e.g. rash and diarrhoea) were less frequent with aumolertinib than gefitinib in AENEAS. Thus, aumolertinib is a promising new option for both first-line and second-line treatment in patients with advanced EGFR mutation-positive NSCLC.
Nirmatrelvir Plus Ritonavir: First ApprovalLamb, Yvette N.
doi: 10.1007/s40265-022-01692-5pmid: 35305258
Nirmatrelvir plus ritonavir (Paxlovid™; Pfizer) is a co-packaged combination of nirmatrelvir and ritonavir tablets, intended for co-administration and developed for the treatment and post-exposure prophylaxis of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Nirmatrelvir is a peptidomimetic inhibitor of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) main protease, while ritonavir is a human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) protease inhibitor and CYP3A inhibitor. Nirmatrelvir plus ritonavir received its first conditional authorization in December 2021 in the United Kingdom, for the treatment of COVID-19 in adults who do not require supplemental oxygen and who are at increased risk for progression to severe COVID-19. In January 2022, nirmatrelvir plus ritonavir received authorization in the EU for use in the same indication. Nirmatrelvir plus ritonavir is authorized for emergency use in the USA. This article summarizes the milestones in the development of nirmatrelvir plus ritonavir leading to its first authorizations and approval for the treatment of COVID-19.
Sugemalimab: First ApprovalDhillon, Sohita; Duggan, Sean
doi: 10.1007/s40265-022-01693-4pmid: 35298827
Sugemalimab (Cejemly® in China) is a fully human, full length, anti-programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) immunoglobulin G4 (IgG4) monoclonal antibody (mAb) that is being developed by CStone Pharmaceuticals for the treatment of advanced solid tumours and lymphoma. In December 2021, sugemalimab was approved in China for the first-line treatment of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) gene mutation and anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) negative metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) administered in combination with pemetrexed and carboplatin for non-squamous NSCLC and in combination with paclitaxel and carboplatin for squamous NSCLC. Sugemalimab is under regulatory review as consolidation treatment in patients with stage III NSCLC in China. Clinical studies assessing sugemalimab for the treatment of several other cancers, including liver cancer, gastric cancer, oesophageal cancer, Hodgkin lymphoma and extranodal natural killer/T cell lymphoma are underway in China, the US and Australia. This article summarizes the milestones in the development of sugemalimab leading to this first approval for the first-line treatment of EGFR gene mutation and ALK-negative metastatic NSCLC.
Daridorexant: First ApprovalMarkham, Anthony
doi: 10.1007/s40265-022-01699-ypmid: 35298826
Daridorexant (Quviviq™; Idorsia Pharmaceuticals Ltd.) is an orally administered dual orexin type 1 and type 2 (OX1 and OX2) receptor antagonist (DORA) being developed for the treatment of insomnia. It was selected from a pool of drug candidates on the basis of an expected effect duration of ≈ 8 h at a dose of 25 mg, with a half-life intended to minimize residual effects that might impair daytime functioning. Based on the results of two pivotal phase III trials, daridorexant was recently approved in the USA for the treatment of adult patients with insomnia characterized by difficulties with sleep onset and/or sleep maintenance. This article summarizes the milestones in the development of daridorexant leading to this first approval.