Publications by authors named "Youakim J"

Purpose: Rett syndrome (RTT) is a rare neurodevelopmental disorder that mainly affects girls and women. Trofinetide is approved for the treatment of RTT in adults and children aged ≥2 years. To gain insight into experiences with RTT and effects of trofinetide treatment at different stages of RTT, interviews with caregivers of individuals with RTT were conducted upon their exit from the open-label trofinetide trials.

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Introduction: The clinical, research and advocacy communities for Rett syndrome are striving to achieve clinical trial readiness, including having fit-for-purpose clinical outcome assessments. This study aimed to (1) describe psychometric properties of clinical outcome assessment for Rett syndrome and (2) identify what is needed to ensure that fit-for-purpose clinical outcome assessments are available for clinical trials.

Methods: Clinical outcome assessments for the top 10 priority domains identified in the Voice of the Patient Report for Rett syndrome were compiled and available psychometric data were extracted.

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Introduction: Weight-banded trofinetide dosing improved physician- and caregiver-rated efficacy measures and had acceptable tolerability in patients aged 2‒4 years (DAFFODIL study) and 5‒20 years (LAVENDER study) with Rett syndrome (RTT). Selection of weight-banded dosing regimens for these studies was based on population pharmacokinetic (popPK) modeling and exposure simulations. This study applied an updated popPK model to confirm steady-state trofinetide exposures achieved in DAFFODIL patients were within target range.

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Introduction: Oral trofinetide administered using a body weight-banded dosing regimen was approved in the US for the treatment of Rett syndrome (RTT) in patients aged ≥ 2 years. This approval was principally based on efficacy and safety findings of the phase 3 LAVENDER study in girls and women aged 5-20 years with RTT and extended to younger children aged 2-4 years with supporting data from the DAFFODIL study. Weight-banded dosing regimens were selected based on early clinical population pharmacokinetic (popPK) modeling and different scenario simulations.

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Background And Objectives: Trofinetide, the first approved treatment for Rett syndrome (RTT), is primarily excreted unchanged in the urine; therefore, it is important to assess the extent to which the exposure is affected in patients with renal impairment. Pharmacokinetic modeling overcomes the challenge of dose finding in phase 1 studies that include special populations where there is the potential for increased exposure to study drug. The objectives of this phase 1 study were to evaluate trofinetide pharmacokinetics, safety, and tolerability in a population with moderate renal impairment and normal renal function.

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Article Synopsis
  • Trofinetide was shown to be effective for treating Rett syndrome in a long-term study called LILAC-2, following a shorter study, LAVENDER, confirming its benefits over 32 months.
  • The study included 77 female participants aged 5-22, examining safety through adverse events and efficacy using specific rating scales, with diarrhea and COVID-19 being the most commonly reported side effects.
  • Caregivers expressed high satisfaction with trofinetide, noting significant improvements in their children's symptoms without any new safety issues arising during the extended treatment.
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  • Trofinetide is the first approved treatment for Rett syndrome, and the study examines how liver impairment affects its pharmacokinetics (PK).
  • Researchers used modeling to analyze drug concentration in virtual patients with varying degrees of liver impairment compared to healthy individuals after taking a 12 g dose.
  • The results showed that liver impairment doesn't significantly impact trofinetide exposure, though slight increases in drug concentration were observed with more severe liver conditions due to hematocrit changes.
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  • Trofinetide, approved for treating Rett syndrome, showed continued efficacy and safety in the 40-week LILAC extension study following the initial 12-week LAVENDER trial.
  • A total of 154 female participants aged 5-21 received trofinetide, with common side effects including diarrhea and vomiting; diarrhea was the leading cause for treatment withdrawal.
  • Symptoms of Rett syndrome improved over the 40-week period, with no significant difference in safety profiles between LILAC and the previous LAVENDER study.
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  • - Trofinetide was recently approved for treating Rett syndrome based on positive results from the phase 3 LAVENDER study, which allowed for a weight-based dosing approach.
  • - Efficacy endpoints like the Rett Syndrome Behaviour Questionnaire (RSBQ) and Communication and Symbolic Behavior Scales (CSBS-DP-IT) showed significant improvement correlating with higher trofinetide drug exposure.
  • - The analysis confirmed that higher drug exposure within the target range significantly improved symptoms in patients, supporting the established dosing regimen for trofinetide.
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  • * Trofinetide is a medication developed specifically for RTT, recently approved by the FDA for patients aged 2 years and older.
  • * The successful development of trofinetide highlights the importance of collaboration between research institutions, pharmaceutical companies, and patient advocacy groups in creating effective treatments for rare diseases.
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  • Trofinetide is the first FDA-approved drug for treating Rett syndrome and is metabolized primarily by CYP3A4, which has low potential for interactions in the liver due to its high inhibitory concentration.
  • The study utilized a physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) model to assess the effects of trofinetide on midazolam, a substrate for CYP3A4, and found that coadministration did not significantly alter midazolam's pharmacokinetic properties.
  • However, it suggested that while trofinetide may weakly inhibit CYP3A4, it could enhance midazolam's absorption and bioavailability when taken together orally, indicating a potential for intestinal drug interactions.
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  • - Trofinetide, approved for treating Rett syndrome in March 2023, was tested in a phase 3 study to evaluate its impact on communication abilities in females aged 5 to 20, with results showing caregivers prioritizing communication improvements.
  • - Participants were given either trofinetide or a placebo for 12 weeks, with communication outcomes measured using caregiver and clinician assessments, including the CSBS-DP-IT Social Composite score and ratings for nonverbal and verbal communication.
  • - Results indicated trofinetide significantly improved caregiver-rated communication compared to placebo, particularly in the CSBS-DP-IT score, suggesting its potential value for future research on communication in Rett syndrome and related disorders.
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Background And Objective: Trofinetide is the first drug to be approved for the treatment of Rett syndrome, a neurodevelopmental disorder. The purpose of the study is to fully characterize the metabolic and excretion profiles of trofinetide in humans.

Methods: This Phase 1, open-label, single-dose trial conducted in healthy male adults was designed to characterize the pharmacokinetics of trofinetide (absorption, metabolism, and excretion), mass balance of [C]-trofinetide, and safety profile of trofinetide following administration of an oral 12-g dose administered as a mixture of trofinetide and [C]-trofinetide.

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Patients with Rett syndrome (RTT) experience gastrointestinal (GI) manifestations. This study aimed to describe the prevalence of GI manifestations and the associated medical costs in patients with RTT in the USA. The study combined an insurance claims database analysis with a survey of 100 physicians experienced in RTT management.

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Rett syndrome is a rare, genetic neurodevelopmental disorder. Trofinetide is a synthetic analog of glycine-proline-glutamate, the N-terminal tripeptide of the insulin-like growth factor 1 protein, and has demonstrated clinical benefit in phase 2 studies in Rett syndrome. In this phase 3 study ( https://clinicaltrials.

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Background And Objective: Trofinetide, a synthetic analog of tripeptide glycine-proline-glutamate, is an investigational agent for the treatment of Rett syndrome, a neurodevelopmental disorder with affected individuals requiring lifelong support. Food can affect the pharmacokinetic profile of a drug, and this phase 1 study assessed the potential effect of food on the pharmacokinetics of trofinetide. The study also evaluated the potential effect of evening dosing on trofinetide bioavailability and characterized the pharmacokinetic profile of trofinetide in urine.

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Article Synopsis
  • - Rett syndrome (RTT) is a serious neurodevelopmental disorder without any approved treatments, but a phase 2 trial showed promising results for trofinetide, a drug that improved symptoms in females aged 5-15 compared to a placebo.
  • - A new phase 3 trial, called LAVENDER, will evaluate the safety and efficacy of trofinetide in 187 girls and women aged 5-20 using specific clinical scales to assess various aspects of the disorder.
  • - The research is designed to track changes in core RTT symptoms and could potentially provide the first strong evidence of a medication’s effectiveness for RTT, marking a significant step forward in treatment options.
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Background: Patients with dementia due to neurodegenerative disease can have dementia-related psychosis. The effects of the oral 5-HT inverse agonist and antagonist pimavanserin on psychosis related to various causes of dementia are not clear.

Methods: We conducted a phase 3, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled discontinuation trial involving patients with psychosis related to Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease dementia, dementia with Lewy bodies, frontotemporal dementia, or vascular dementia.

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Decreased mobility of the human eardrum, the tympanic membrane (TM), is an essential indicator of a prevalent middle ear infection. The current diagnostic method to assess TM mobility is via pneumatic otoscopy, which provides subjective and qualitative information of subtle motion. In this study, a handheld spectral-domain pneumatic optical coherence tomography system was developed to simultaneously measure the displacement of the TM, air pressure inputs applied to a sealed ear canal, and to perform digital pneumatic otoscopy.

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Background: Psychotic symptoms are common in Alzheimer's disease (AD) and related neurodegenerative disorders and are associated with more rapid disease progression and increased mortality. It is unclear to what degree existing criteria are utilized in clinical research and practice.

Objective: To establish research criteria for the diagnosis of psychosis in AD.

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Background: Pimavanserin is a 5-HT2A receptor inverse agonist/antagonist and is approved in the United States for the treatment of hallucinations and delusions associated with Parkinson's disease psychosis.

Objective: Evaluate the efficacy of pimavanserin on symptoms of psychosis in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD).

Design: Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.

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Psychosis is common across dementia types with a prevalence of 20% to 70%. Currently, no pharmacologic treatment is approved for dementia-related psychosis. Atypical antipsychotics are frequently used to treat these disorders, despite significant safety concerns.

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Background: Pimavanserin is a selective 5-HT receptor inverse agonist and antagonist approved in the USA for the treatment of hallucinations and delusions associated with Parkinson's disease psychosis. No safe or effective pharmacological treatment is approved for psychosis in patients with Alzheimer's disease. Therefore, we aimed to evaluate the safety, tolerability, and efficacy of pimavanserin versus placebo in patients with Alzheimer's disease psychosis.

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Objective: To evaluate efficacy, safety, and tolerability of brexpiprazole adjunctive to antidepressant treatments (ADTs) in patients with major depressive disorder (as defined by DSM-IV-TR criteria) with inadequate response to ADTs.

Method: Patients still depressed despite 1-3 prior ADTs followed by 8 weeks of prospective physician-determined, open-label ADT were randomized (1:1:1) to double-blind brexpiprazole 3 mg/d, brexpiprazole 1 mg/d, or placebo for 6 weeks. The primary efficacy end point was change in Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) total score from baseline to week 6.

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Objective: To assess the efficacy, tolerability, and safety of brexpiprazole as adjunctive therapy to antidepressant treatments (ADTs) in adults with major depressive disorder (as defined by DSM-IV-TR criteria) and inadequate response to ADTs.

Method: Patients with historical inadequate response to 1-3 ADTs were enrolled. All patients entered a prospective 8-week phase on physician-determined, open-label ADT.

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