Noninvasive ventilation use by patients enrolled in VITALITY-ALS.

To evaluate the prescribing practices of noninvasive ventilation (NIV) and patient compliance during VITALITY-ALS. VITALITY-ALS enrolled patients with a slow vital capacity (SVC) ≥70% of predicted who were not using NIV at screening. Physicians prescribed NIV without restriction following randomization.

Improved stratification of ALS clinical trials using predicted survival.

Introduction: In small trials, randomization can fail, leading to differences in patient characteristics across treatment arms, a risk that can be reduced by stratifying using key confounders. In ALS trials, riluzole use (RU) and bulbar onset (BO) have been used for stratification. We hypothesized that randomization could be improved by using a multifactorial prognostic score of predicted survival as a single stratifier.

VITALITY-ALS, a phase III trial of tirasemtiv, a selective fast skeletal muscle troponin activator, as a potential treatment for patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: study design and baseline characteristics.

Objective: To assess the efficacy of tirasemtiv, a fast skeletal muscle troponin activator, vs. placebo on respiratory function and other functional measures in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). This study was designed to confirm and extend results from a large phase IIb trial and maximize tolerability with a slower dose escalation.

Longitudinal modeling to predict vital capacity in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

Objectives: Death in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patients is related to respiratory failure, which is assessed in clinical settings by measuring vital capacity. We developed ALS-VC, a modeling tool for longitudinal prediction of vital capacity in ALS patients.

Methods: A gradient boosting machine (GBM) model was trained using the PRO-ACT (Pooled Resource Open-access ALS Clinical Trials) database of over 10,000 ALS patient records.

Profile of medical care costs in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis in the Medicare programme and under commercial insurance.

Objective: To determine amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)-associated costs incurred by patients covered by Medicare and/or commercial insurance before, during and after diagnosis and provide cost details.

Methods: Costs were calculated from the Medicare Standard Analytical File 5% sample claims data from Parts A and B from 2009, 2010 and 2011 for ALS Medicare patients aged ≥70 years (monthly costs) and ≥65 years (costs associated with disability milestones). Commercial insurance patients aged 18-63 years were selected based on the data provided in the Coordination of Benefits field from Truven MarketScan® in 2008-2010.

A randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind phase IIb trial evaluating the safety and efficacy of tirasemtiv in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

Our objectives were to evaluate the safety and tolerability of tirasemtiv over 12 weeks and its effect on the revised ALS Functional Rating Scale (ALSFRS-R) and other secondary functional measures. This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial enrolled adults with ALS and slow vital capacity (SVC) > 50% from 73 centers in eight countries. Patients who tolerated open-label tirasemtiv 125 mg b.

Arbaclofen placarbil in GERD: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study.

Objectives: It has been shown that arbaclofen placarbil (AP) inhibits reflux in gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) following single oral dosing. This study evaluated the efficacy and safety of AP over 4 weeks in subjects with symptomatic GERD.

Methods: One hundred fifty-six subjects with heartburn and/or regurgitation ≥3 days/week and either no history of taking proton pump inhibitors (PPIs naive, n=58) or at least partial symptom response to PPI therapy (PPI responsive, n=98) were enrolled in this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.