BackgroundInterleukin-2 (IL-2) plays a pivotal role in immune homeostasis due to its ability to stimulate numerous lymphocyte subsets including natural killer (NK) cells, effector CD4+and CD8+T cells, and regulatory T cells (Tregs). Low concentrations of IL-2 induce signaling through the high-affinity IL-2 receptor (IL-2R) comprised of IL-2Rα, IL-2Rβ, and common γ chain (γc), preferentially expressed on Tregs. Higher concentrations of IL-2 are necessary to induce signaling through the intermediate-affinity IL-2R, composed of IL-2Rβ and γc, expressed on memory CD8+T cells and NK cells. Recombinant human IL-2 (rhIL-2) is approved for treatment of metastatic melanoma and renal cell carcinoma (RCC), but adverse events including capillary leak syndrome, potentially mediated through interaction with the high-affinity IL-2R, limit its therapeutic use. Furthermore, antitumor efficacy of IL-2 may also be limited by preferential expansion of immunosuppressive Tregs. ALKS 4230 is an engineered fusion protein comprised of a circularly-permuted IL-2 with the extracellular domain of IL-2Rα, designed to selectively activate effector lymphocytes bearing the intermediate-affinity IL-2R.ResultsALKS 4230 was equipotent to rhIL-2 in activating human cells bearing the intermediate-affinity IL-2R, and less potent than rhIL-2 on cells bearing the high-affinity IL-2R. As observed in vitro with primary human cells from healthy donors and advanced cancer patients, ALKS 4230 induced greater activation and expansion of NK cells with reduced expansion of Tregsrelative to rhIL-2. Similarly, in mice, ALKS 4230 treatment stimulated greater expansion of NK cells and memory-phenotype CD8+T cells at doses that did not expand or activate Tregs. ALKS 4230 treatment induced significantly lower levels of proinflammatory cytokines, including tumor necrosis factor alpha, interleukin-6, and interferon gamma relative to rhIL-2. Furthermore, ALKS 4230 exhibited superior antitumor efficacy in the mouse B16F10 lung tumor model, where ALKS 4230 could be administered via multiple routes of administration and dosing schedules while achieving equivalent antitumor efficacy.ConclusionsALKS 4230 exhibited enhanced pharmacokinetic and selective pharmacodynamic properties resulting in both improved antitumor efficacy and lower indices of toxicity relative to rhIL-2 in mice. These data highlight the potential of ALKS 4230 as a novel cancer immunotherapy, and as such, the molecule is being evaluated clinically.

BackgroundA combination of olanzapine and samidorphan (OLZ/SAM) is in development to provide the established antipsychotic efficacy of olanzapine while mitigating olanzapine-induced weight gain.MethodsTwo multicenter, open-label, parallel-cohort studies were performed to evaluate the effect of moderate hepatic impairment (Child-Pugh score 7–9 [class B]; study 1) and severe renal impairment (estimated glomerular filtration rate: 15–29 mL/min/1.73 m2; study 2) on the pharmacokinetics, safety, and tolerability of a single dose of OLZ/SAM 5/10 mg.ResultsThere was a 1.67-fold increase in area under the plasma concentration-time curve from time 0 to infinity (AUC0-∞) and a 2.17-fold increase in maximum plasma concentration (Cmax) of olanzapine, and a 1.52-fold increase in AUC0-∞ and a 1.63-fold increase in Cmax of samidorphan, in subjects with moderate hepatic impairment compared with healthy control subjects. Compared with healthy control subjects, subjects with severe renal impairment had a 33% and 56% reduction in clearance, a 1.51- and 2.31-fold increase in AUC0-∞, and a 1.32- and 1.37-fold increase in Cmax of olanzapine and samidorphan, respectively.ConclusionOLZ/SAM 5/10 mg was generally well tolerated under the conditions of the studies, with a safety profile consistent with that observed in other clinical studies of OLZ/SAM.

Cavernous malformations (CMs) affecting the central nervous system occur in approximately 0.16% to 0.4% of the general population. The majority (85%) of the CMs are in a sporadic form, but the genetic background of sporadic CMs remains enigmatic. Of the 81 patients, 73 (90.1%) patients were detected carrying somatic missense variants in 2 genes: MAP3K3 and PIK3CA by whole-exome sequencing (WES). The mutation spectrum correlated with lesion size (P = 0.001), anatomical distribution (P < 0.001), MRI appearance (P = 0.004) and haemorrhage events (P = 0.006). PIK3CA mutation was a significant predictor of overt haemorrhage events (P = 0.003, OR = 11.252, 95% CI = 2.275-55.648). Enrichment of endothelial cell (EC) population was associated with a higher fractional abundance of the somatic mutations. Overexpression of the MAP3K3 mutation perturbed angiogenesis of EC models in vitro and zebrafish embryos in vivo. Distinct transcriptional signatures between different genetic subgroups of sporadic CMs were identified by single-cell RNA-sequencing (scRNA-seq) and verified by pathological staining. Significant apoptosis in MAP3K3 mutation carriers and overexpression of GDF15 and SERPINA5 in PIK3CA mutation carriers contributed to their phenotype. We identified activating MAP3K3 and PIK3CA somatic mutations in the majority (90.1%) of sporadic CMs and PIK3CA mutations could confer a higher risk for overt haemorrhage. Our data provide insights into genomic landscapes, propose a mechanistic explanation and underscore the possibility of a molecular classification for sporadic CMs.

Purpose: ALKS 3831 is composed of a flexible dose of olanzapine and a fixed dose of 10-mg samidorphan (a novel opioid system modulator), designed to provide the established antipsychotic efficacy of olanzapine and to mitigate olanzapine-induced weight gain. To support clinical development of ALKS 3831, we conducted a multicenter, randomized, open-label, Phase I study to obtain steady-state exposure for olanzapine and samidorphan and short-term safety at the intended therapeutic dose range of ALKS 3831 10/10 (10-mg olanzapine/10-mg samidorphan) to ALKS 3831 20/10 (20-mg olanzapine/10-mg samidorphan) in subjects with schizophrenia. Methods: After a 1-week olanzapine lead-in period, 42 subjects (14 women) with schizophrenia were randomly assigned (1:1) to receive ALKS 3831 10/10 or ALKS 3831 20/10 bilayer oral tablets once daily for 14 days. Plasma concentrations of olanzapine and samidorphan were quantified by using an LC-MS/MS method. Pharmacokinetic parameters were calculated according to noncompartmental analysis. Safety was monitored throughout the study. Findings: After a 1-week olanzapine lead-in phase with titration of olanzapine dose up to 15 mg/d, the steady-state concentration of olanzapine was reached in 3e4 days and that of samidorphan was reached in 5 days after initiation of once-daily oral administration of ALKS 3831 10/10 or ALKS 3831 20/10. At steady state, exposure to olanzapine increased dose proportionally from 10 mg (ALKS 3831 10/10) to 20 mg (ALKS 3831 20/10), and exposure to samidorphan was similar between the 2 ALKS 3831 dose groups, indicating that different dose levels of olanzapine in ALKS 3831 had no impact on the pharmacokinetic profile of samidorphan. ALKS 3831 was well tolerated, and no safety concerns unique to ALKS 3831 compared with olanzapine monotherapy were identified. Implications: In the present study, samidorphan exposure was not affected by different dose levels of olanzapine in ALKS 3831. In addition, olanzapine exposure as a component of ALKS 3831 was comparable with previously published data for olanzapine monotherapy. The present data indicate that combining olanzapine with samidorphan does not affect the pharmacokinetic profile of either drug and support continued clinical evaluation of ALKS 3831. ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT02804568.

The type of exhalation valve and the position of the nebulizer in the ventilator circuit have a significant influence on the efficiency of aerosol delivery during NPPV. As a result, with different exhalation valves, an appropriate nebulizer position should be carefully chosen, and the inhaled dose should be adjusted after accurate prediction of aerosol delivery to ensure optimal clinical efficacy.