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Background This study evaluated characteristics of patients treated with abemaciclib and diagnosed with interstitial lung disease (ILD), using 12-month post-marketing data from the real-world setting in Japan. Methods Spontaneous reports of adverse events in patients receiving abemaciclib were collected regularly from healthcare providers (HCPs) from November 30, 2018, to November 29, 2019. Detailed follow-up was requested on suspected ILD cases via questionnaires and/or interviews. Radiological images (when available) were reviewed by an ILD adjudication committee of specialists. The age distribution of patients prescribed abemaciclib in Japan was estimated based on insurance claims data. Results Of 4700 patients estimated to be exposed to abemaciclib, 82 cases of ILD were reported (46 serious, 13 fatal). Most (91%) had ≥ 1 symptom at diagnosis, commonly dyspnea/shortness of breath (59%), cough (44%), and/or fever (37%). The majority (68%) received steroid therapy (24 [56%] recovered/recovering; 5 [12%] not recovered; 13 [30%] deaths, 1 [2.3%] unknown). No specific imaging patterns or sites of predilection were identified, but a diffuse alveolar damage (DAD) pattern was observed at outcome in 3 of 4 evaluated fatal cases (16 in total evaluated). Features of fatal cases included advanced age, pre-existing interstitial change, and advanced Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group Performance Status. Conclusion Advanced age and a DAD pattern were identified as potential risk factors for cases with poorer outcomes, as previously reported for drug-induced ILD. HCPs should consider the benefit–risk profile when prescribing abemaciclib, informing patients of risks and regularly monitoring treated patients to ensure early detection and treatment of ILD.

Our objective was to gain a better understanding of the safety of abemaciclib in Japanese patients with hormone receptorpositive, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-negative advanced breast cancer. Patients and Methods: Treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs) were assessed in pooled Japanese subpopulation data from two phase 3 studies assessing abemaciclib/placebo in combination with fulvestrant (MONARCH 2; M2) or non-steroidal aromatase inhibitors (MONARCH 3; M3). For common, clinically relevant TEAEs, event characteristics and management were summarized by study. Results: In the Japanese safety subpopulation (abemaciclib: N=101; placebo: N=46), all patients experienced ≥1 TEAE (Grade ≥ 3: abemaciclib, 71.3%; placebo, 23.9%; no Grade 5). Clinically relevant TEAEs that were more frequent in abemaciclib-treated Japanese patients compared to the overall safety populations included diarrhea (any grade, 95.0%; Grade ≥ 3, 12.9%), neutropenia (any grade, 75.2%; Grade 3-4, 35.6%), increased alanine aminotransferase (ALT; any grade, 39.6%; Grade 3-4, 14.9%), and increased aspartate aminotransferase (AST; any grade, 37.6%; Grade 3-4, 8.9%). Diarrhea was Grade ≤3 and successfully managed with medications (≥87%) and dose reductions (≤25%) and/ or omissions (≤23.3%). Most Grade ≥2 diarrhea occurred in the first treatment cycle, declining thereafter. Neutropenia, the most common Grade ≥3 TEAE in abemaciclib-treated Japanese patients, was generally manageable with dose omissions (M2: 42.0%; M3: 23.1%) and/or reductions (M2: 16%; M3: 15.4%). Neutrophil counts plateaued after Cycle 2, recovering to pretreatment levels after discontinuation of abemaciclib. Hepatic events were managed with medication (≤21%) and dose adjustments (≤33.3%), with most Grade ≥2 events occurring in early treatment cycles. Discontinuation of any study treatment in Japanese patients occurred more frequently due to increased ALT/AST (M2: 9.1%/10.5%; M3: 16.7%/10.5%) compared with diarrhea (M2: 0%; M3: 2.8%) or neutropenia (M2: 0%; M3: 3.8%). Conclusion: Abemaciclib was well tolerated in Japanese patients in MONARCH 2 and MONARCH 3, with common, clinically relevant TEAEs manageable with appropriate interventions.

Background This study evaluated the safety and effectiveness of ramucirumab monotherapy and combination therapy for advanced gastric cancer in the real-world setting. Methods This single-arm, prospective, multicenter, non-interventional, observational, post-marketing study was conducted in Japan from August 2015 to March 2019. Patients with unresectable advanced or recurrent gastric cancer and newly prescribed ramucirumab were followed for up to 12 months after first treatment. Data on adverse events and survival were collected via Electronic Data Capture. Results Of 687 enrolled patients, 658 were eligible for analysis. Most patients received either ramucirumab monotherapy (123/658; 18.7%) or ramucirumab plus paclitaxel combination therapy (528/658; 80.2%). The majority of patients reported ≥ 1 adverse events in both the combination therapy (any grade, 479/528; 90.7%; ≥ Grade 3, 321/528; 60.8%) and monotherapy groups (any grade, 77/123; 62.6%; ≥ Grade 3, 42/123; 34.2%). The most common any grade adverse events were neutropenia (combination: 49.6%; monotherapy: 8.9%), fatigue (combination: 19.5%; monotherapy: 13.8%), and decreased appetite (combination: 18.2%; monotherapy: 10.6%). Grade 5 adverse events were reported in 4 patients, including metastases to meninges, pneumonia aspiration, death, and gastric perforation; of these, gastric perforation was deemed treatment-related. Median survival time was 5.7 months (95% confidence interval: 4.1–6.8 months) following monotherapy and 11.0 months (95% confidence interval: 9.8–12.2 months) following combination therapy. Conclusions This analysis adds to the limited data available on ramucirumab use in a real-world setting, demonstrating similar safety and effectiveness for ramucirumab in treating advanced gastric cancer in routine clinical practice in Japan to that of global clinical trials.