Browsing by Author "Merlini, Giampaolo"
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- Evaluation of Mortality During Long-Term Treatment with Tafamidis for Transthyretin Amyloidosis with Polyneuropathy: Clinical Trial Results up to 8.5 YearsPublication . Merlini, Giampaolo; Coelho, Teresa; Waddington Cruz, Márcia; Li, Huihua; Stewart, Michelle; Ebede, BenIntroduction: The effects of tafamidis on mortality in Val30Met and non-Val30Met patients with transthyretin amyloidosis with polyneuropathy (ATTR-PN) were evaluated. Methods: The analyses were based on cumulative data from the Val30Met patients in the 18-month double-blind registration study and its 12-month open-label extension study, the non-Val30Met patients of the 12-month open-label study, and both patient groups in the ongoing 10-year extension study. Kaplan-Meier analyses of time to death from first treatment dose were performed. For the Val30Met group, two treatment groups were analyzed: those who received tafamidis in both the parent and extension studies (T-T) and those who received placebo in the parent study and switched to tafamidis in the extension studies (P-T). Results: Kaplan-Meier estimates (95% confidence interval [CI]) were available up to 9 years for the Val30Met group, at which time 85.9% (53.1-96.4) and 91.1% (77.9-96.6) of the patients in the T-T and P-T groups, respectively, were alive. For the non-Val30Met group, estimates were available up to 8 years from the first dose, and the percentage of patients alive was 75.9% (47.7-90.2). Conclusion: Long-term tafamidis treatment may confer survival benefit in patients with ATTR-PN.
- Expert consensus recommendations to improve diagnosis of ATTR amyloidosis with polyneuropathyPublication . Adams, David; Ando, Yukio; Beirão, João; Coelho, Teresa; Gertz, Morie A.; Gillmore, Julian D.; Hawkins, Philip N.; Lousada, Isabelle; Suhr, Ole B.; Merlini, GiampaoloAmyloid transthyretin (ATTR) amyloidosis with polyneuropathy (PN) is a progressive, debilitating, systemic disease wherein transthyretin protein misfolds to form amyloid, which is deposited in the endoneurium. ATTR amyloidosis with PN is the most serious hereditary polyneuropathy of adult onset. It arises from a hereditary mutation in the TTR gene and may involve the heart as well as other organs. It is critical to identify and diagnose the disease earlier because treatments are available to help slow the progression of neuropathy. Early diagnosis is complicated, however, because presentation may vary and family history is not always known. Symptoms may be mistakenly attributed to other diseases such as chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy (CIDP), idiopathic axonal polyneuropathy, lumbar spinal stenosis, and, more rarely, diabetic neuropathy and AL amyloidosis. In endemic countries (e.g., Portugal, Japan, Sweden, Brazil), ATTR amyloidosis with PN should be suspected in any patient who has length-dependent small-fiber PN with autonomic dysfunction and a family history of ATTR amyloidosis, unexplained weight loss, heart rhythm disorders, vitreous opacities, or renal abnormalities. In nonendemic countries, the disease may present as idiopathic rapidly progressive sensory motor axonal neuropathy or atypical CIDP with any of the above symptoms or with bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome, gait disorders, or cardiac hypertrophy. Diagnosis should include DNA testing, biopsy, and amyloid typing. Patients should be followed up every 6-12 months, depending on the severity of the disease and response to therapy. This review outlines detailed recommendations to improve the diagnosis of ATTR amyloidosis with PN.
- Inotersen preserves or improves quality of life in hereditary transthyretin amyloidosisPublication . Coelho, Teresa; Yarlas, Aaron; Waddington-Cruz, Marcia; White, Michelle K.; Sikora Kessler, Asia; Lovley, Andrew; Pollock, Michael; Guthrie, Spencer; Ackermann, Elizabeth J.; Hughes, Steven G.; Karam, Chafic; Khella, Sami; Gertz, Morie; Merlini, Giampaolo; Obici, Laura; Schmidt, Hartmut H.; Polydefkis, Michael; Dyck, P. James B.; Brannagan III, Thomas H.; Conceição, Isabel; Benson, Merrill D.; Berk, John L.Objective: To examine the impact on quality of life (QOL) of patients with hATTR amyloidosis with polyneuropathy treated with inotersen (Tegsedi™) versus placebo. Methods: Data were from the NEURO-TTR trial (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01737398), a phase 3, multinational, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of inotersen in patients with hATTR amyloidosis with polyneuropathy. At baseline and week 66, QOL measures-the Norfolk-QOL-Diabetic Neuropathy (DN) questionnaire and SF-36v2® Health Survey (SF-36v2)-were assessed. Treatment differences in mean changes in QOL from baseline to week 66 were tested using mixed-effect models with repeated measures. Responder analyses compared the percentages of patients whose QOL meaningfully improved or worsened from baseline to week 66 in inotersen and placebo arms. Descriptive analysis of item responses examined treatment differences in specific activities and functions at week 66. Results: Statistically significant mean differences between treatment arms were observed for three of five Norfolk-QOL-DN domains and five of eight SF-36v2 domains, with better outcomes for inotersen than placebo in physical functioning, activities of daily living, neuropathic symptoms, pain, role limitations due to health problems, and social functioning. A larger percentage of patients in the inotersen arm than the placebo arm showed preservation or improvement in Norfolk-QOL-DN and SF-36v2 scores from baseline to week 66. Responses at week 66 showed more substantial problems with daily activities and functioning for patients in the placebo arm than in the inotersen arm. Conclusion: Patients with hATTR amyloidosis with polyneuropathy treated with inotersen showed preserved or improved QOL at 66 weeks compared to those who received placebo.