Echocardiographic Changes and Long-Term Clinical Outcomes in Pediatric Patients With Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension Treated With Bosentan for 72 Weeks: A Analysis From the FUTURE 3 Study.

FormUlation of bosenTan in pUlmonary arterial hypeRtEnsion (FUTURE) 3 was a 24-week open-label, prospective, and randomized phase 3 study that assessed the pharmacokinetics of bosentan 2 mg/kg b.i.d.

Bosentan added to sildenafil therapy in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension.

The safety and efficacy of adding bosentan to sildenafil in pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) patients was investigated.In this prospective, double-blind, event-driven trial, symptomatic PAH patients receiving stable sildenafil (≥20 mg three times daily) for ≥3 months were randomised (1:1) to placebo or bosentan (125 mg twice daily). The composite primary end-point was the time to the first morbidity/mortality event, defined as all-cause death, hospitalisation for PAH worsening or intravenous prostanoid initiation, atrial septostomy, lung transplant, or PAH worsening.

Validation of two predictive models for survival in pulmonary arterial hypertension.

The French Pulmonary Hypertension Network (FPHN) registry and the Registry to Evaluate Early And Long-term Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension Disease Management (REVEAL) have developed predictive models for survival in pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). In this collaboration, we assess the external validity (or generalisability) of the FPHN ItinérAIR-HTAP predictive equation and the REVEAL risk score calculator. Validation cohorts approximated the eligibility criteria defined for each model.

Heart failure care in low- and middle-income countries: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Heart failure places a significant burden on patients and health systems in high-income countries. However, information about its burden in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) is scant. We thus set out to review both published and unpublished information on the presentation, causes, management, and outcomes of heart failure in LMICs.

Long-term results from the EARLY study of bosentan in WHO functional class II pulmonary arterial hypertension patients.

Background: The double-blind phase of the EARLY study of bosentan remains the only randomized controlled trial of a PAH-targeted therapy in World Health Organization functional class (FC) II patients. We report on the efficacy, safety, disease worsening, survival and prognostic factors in mildly symptomatic pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) patients treated with bosentan in the open-label extension phase of the EARLY study.

Methods: Exploratory efficacy outcomes included 6-minute walk distance (6 MWD) and WHO FC.

Two formulations of epoprostenol sodium in the treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension: EPITOME-1 (epoprostenol for injection in pulmonary arterial hypertension), a phase IV, open-label, randomized study.

Background: Epoprostenol sodium with arginine-mannitol excipients (epoprostenol AM; Veletri [Actelion Pharmaceuticals Ltd, Allschwil, Switzerland]) and epoprostenol sodium with glycine-mannitol excipients (epoprostenol GM; Flolan [GlaxoSmithKline, Triangle Park, NC]) are intravenous treatments for pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). Epoprostenol AM contains different inactive excipients, resulting in greater stability at room temperature compared with epoprostenol GM.

Methods: In this prospective, multicenter, open-label, randomized, phase IV exploratory study, epoprostenol-naïve patients in need of injectable prostanoid therapy were randomized 2:1 to open-label epoprostenol AM or epoprostenol GM.

EPITOME-2: An open-label study assessing the transition to a new formulation of intravenous epoprostenol in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension.

Background: Continuous infusion of epoprostenol is the treatment of choice in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension in functional classes III to IV. However, this treatment's limitations include instability at room temperature. A new epoprostenol formulation offers improved storage conditions and patient convenience.

A predictive microarray-based biomarker for early detection of Alzheimer's disease intended for clinical diagnostic application.

Objective: Microarray-based signatures for clinical application are often plagued by processing variability or batch effects that compromise the robustness of the test performance.

Methods: A splice variant array-based signature for early detection of Alzheimer's disease (AD) was developed using 315 AD or normal subjects processed in three disparate microarray batches.

Results: A modified top scoring pair classifier using the signature, is robust to batch effects and outperforms other common classifiers, with sensitivity and specificity of 88.

Validation of AclarusDx™, a blood-based transcriptomic signature for the diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease.

Biomarkers have gained an increased importance in the past years in helping physicians to diagnose Alzheimer's disease (AD). This study was designed to identify a blood-based, transcriptomic signature that can differentiate AD patients from control subjects. The performance of the signature was then evaluated for robustness in an independent blinded sample population.

A proof-of-concept, randomized, placebo-controlled, multiple cross-overs (n-of-1) study of naftazone in Parkinson's disease.

To explore for the first time the tolerability and efficacy of naftazone in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). Proof-of-concept, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multiple-cross-over n-of-1 study in patients with PD with wearing-off and dyskinesias. Naftazone was titrated up to 120 mg/day during an initial single-blind dose-finding phase.

Long-term outcomes in children with pulmonary arterial hypertension treated with bosentan in real-world clinical settings.

Treatment algorithms in pediatric pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) are derived from clinical trials in adult populations and from clinical practice, but experience in children is limited. In this retrospective cohort study, we analyzed outcomes in a previously identified cohort of 86 consecutive children with PAH treated with bosentan as part of their treatment regimen. All children with idiopathic PAH or heritable PAH and PAH associated with congenital heart disease or connective tissue disease who started bosentan treatment from May 2001 to April 2003 in 2 tertiary pediatric referral centers were followed, with data collection ending August 2006.