TPS4207 Background: An unmet medical need remains in patients (pts) with HER2+ gastric or GEJ cancer. HER2 is a validated target in up to 20% of pts with gastric or GEJ cancer. The KEYNOTE-811 trial demonstrated that adding pembro to trastuzumab and chemo improved progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) versus placebo for first-line treatment of pts with HER2+ gastric or GEJ cancer with a PD-L1 combined positive score (CPS) ≥1 (Janjigian Y et al. N Engl J Med. 391;1360:2024). In the DESTINY-Gastric03 trial, first-line combinations involving T-DXd, a HER2-directed antibody-drug conjugate, and fluoropyrimidine (5-FU or capecitabine [CAPE]) ± pembro showed acceptable safety and encouraging efficacy in pts with HER2+ gastric or GEJ cancer, including pts with CPS < 1 (Janjigian Y et al. Ann Oncol . 35;S878:2024). Building on this evidence, the phase 3 DESTINY-Gastric05 trial aims to bring a potentially improved platinum-free treatment approach for all pts with HER2+ gastric or GEJ cancer. Methods: DESTINY-Gastric05 (NCT06731478) is an open-label, randomized, multicenter, phase 3 global trial designed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of T-DXd in combination with 5-FU (or CAPE) + pembro versus standard-of-care chemo with trastuzumab + pembro as first-line treatment in pts with unresectable, locally advanced or metastatic centrally confirmed HER2+ (immunohistochemistry [IHC] 3+ or IHC 2+/in situ hybridization+) gastric or GEJ cancer with a CPS ≥1. Pts must have ≥1 RECIST v1.1 measurable lesion, a left ventricular ejection fraction ≥50%, and an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status of 0 or 1. Approximately 576 pts will be randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to receive: T-DXd 5.4 mg/kg + either 5-FU or CAPE + pembro (arm M1); or trastuzumab + platinum-based chemo (either cisplatin + 5-FU or oxaliplatin + CAPE) + pembro (arm M2). The primary efficacy endpoint is PFS based on blinded independent central review (BICR), and the key secondary endpoint is OS. Other secondary endpoints include overall response rate, duration of response, and time to response per RECIST v1.1 assessed by BICR and investigator. Safety and tolerability will also be assessed. An exploratory cohort (approximately 150 pts) will evaluate the efficacy and safety of T-DXd in combination with 5-FU or CAPE versus trastuzumab plus standard-of-care chemo in pts with PD-L1 CPS < 1. Clinical trial information: NCT06731478 .

BACKGROUND:Nocturnal blood pressure (BP) is superior to daytime BP in predicting cardiovascular mortality. It is of clinical relevance to evaluate the effect of esaxerenone combination therapy on nighttime BP in patients with uncontrolled hypertension. METHODS:A post hoc analysis of a multicenter, open-label, phase 3 study evaluated the nighttime BP-lowering effects of esaxerenone as monotherapy or in combination with a calcium channel blocker (CCB) or renin-angiotensin system inhibitor (RASi) in Japanese patients with uncontrolled hypertension. In addition, the effect on N-terminal pro B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP), a known biomarker of cardiovascular disease prognosis, was evaluated. RESULTS:In total, 270 patients were included in this analysis (172, 49, and 49 patients in the monotherapy, CCB, and RASi groups, respectively). The 24-hour ambulatory systolic BP reduction from baseline was - 10.0, - 6.0, and - 17.0 mm Hg in the monotherapy, CCB, and RASi groups, respectively. Nighttime systolic BP decreased significantly from baseline to week 28 in all groups (P < 0.001 each); the RASi group showed the greatest change (- 20.6 mm Hg). NT-proBNP decreased significantly in all three treatment groups. CONCLUSIONS:Esaxerenone when used in combination with a CCB or RASi, but especially when used in combination with a RASi, may be a useful treatment option for patients with uncontrolled hypertension to control nocturnal BP.

Background: HER2-expressing salivary gland carcinoma (SGC) is associated with poor prognosis. Trastuzumab deruxtecan (T-DXd, DS-8201) has shown evidence of antitumor activity for several HER2-expressing solid tumors in multiple studies. This study aimed to present the efficacy and safety of T-DXd in patients with HER2-expressing SGC from a pooled analysis. Methods: Patients with HER2-expressing SGC were pooled from two phase I, open-label studies of T-DXd: a two-phase, multiple-dose, first-in-human study (NCT02564900) and a single-sequence crossover drug-drug interaction study (NCT03383692). Endpoints included efficacy (objective response rate [ORR], duration of response [DoR] and progression-free survival [PFS]) and safety. Results: This pooled analysis included 17 patients with SGC (median age: 57 years; male: 88.2%); median (range) follow-up duration was 12.0 (2.3-34.8) months. Among these patients, 14 had received prior HER2-targeted agents and 13 had undergone prior radiotherapy. The investigator-assessed confirmed ORR was 58.8% (95% confidence interval [CI], 32.9-81.6). The median (95% CI) DoR and PFS were 17.6 months (4.0 to not evaluable [NE]) and 20.5 months (11.1-NE), respectively. All 17 patients reported treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs); 76.5% reported TEAEs of grade >= 3. The most common TEAEs were decreased appetite (94.1%), nausea (88.2%) and neutrophil count decreased (76.5%). Of the 17 patients, five (29.4%) reported adjudicated drug-related interstitial lung disease (grade 1, n = 3; grade 2, n =1; grade 3, n = 1). Conclusion: The results of this pooled analysis provide evidence that clinical benefit is achievable with T-DXd in patients with HER2-expressing SGC.

This study investigated factors associated with the antihypertensive effects of esaxerenone and the incidence of serum potassium elevation in patients with hypertension. Using pooled data from seven phase III studies, the study analyzed factors associated with changes in office systolic (SBP) and diastolic (DBP) blood pressure from baseline to 12 weeks, and factors associated with incidence of serum potassium levels ≥ 5.5 mEq/L in esaxerenone-treated patients. Overall, 1466 and 1472 patients were included in the full analysis and safety analysis sets, respectively. Male sex (4.02/2.40 mmHg), weight ≥ 78.4 kg (4.62/2.09 mmHg), hypertension duration ≥ 10 years (2.66/1.71 mmHg), prior antihypertensive treatment (2.38/1.40 mmHg), plasma aldosterone concentration ≥ 120 pg/mL (1.66/1.17 mmHg), urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio (UACR) ≥ 300 mg/gCr (8.94/4.85 mmHg) or 30–299 mg/gCr (5.17/4.15 mmHg), and smoking (2.62/1.27 mmHg) were associated with mean changes in SBP and DBP. Fasting blood glucose ≥ 126 mg/dL (− 2.73 mmHg) was associated with the mean change in SBP only, and older age (65–74 years, − 2.12 mmHg; and ≥ 75 years, − 3.06 mmHg) with mean change in DBP only. Factors significantly associated with incidence of serum potassium levels ≥ 5.5 mEq/L were higher baseline serum potassium (≥ 4.5 mEq/L, odds ratio [OR] 6.702); lower estimated glomerular filtration rate (≥ 90 mL/min/1.73 m2, OR 0.148; 60–89 mL/min/1.73 m2, OR 0.331 vs 30–59 mL/min/1.73 m2, respectively); higher UACR (30–299 mg/gCr, OR 7.317); higher DBP (≥ 100 mmHg, OR 3.248); and grade I hypertension (OR 2.168). Esaxerenone is effective in patients with a broad range of backgrounds, though some factors may predict increased benefit. Regarding elevated serum potassium, careful therapeutic management is recommended for patients with higher baseline serum potassium and reduced renal function. Clinical trial registration: UMIN000047026.

In the first few years of toddlers’ locomotion, various gait parameters improve gradually and dynamically with gait development. Therefore, in this study, we hypothesized that the age of gait development, or the level of gait development with age as its indicator, can be estimated from several gait parameters related to gait development, and investigated its estimability. In total, 97 healthy toddlers aged about 1–3 years participated in the study. All five selected gait parameters showed a moderate or higher correlation with age, but the duration with a large change and the strength of the association with gait development varied for each gait parameter. Multiple regression analysis was performed using age as the objective variable and five selected gait parameters as explanatory variables, and an estimation model ( R 2 = 0.683, adjusted R 2 = 0.665) was created. The estimation model was verified using a test dataset separate from the training dataset ( R 2 = 0.82, p < 0.001). It was suggested that the age of gait development could be estimated from gait alone. Gait analysis based on empirical observations may reduce the need for skilled observers and their potential variability.

Objective: To evaluate the nighttime blood pressure(BP)-lowering effects of esaxerenone with different concomitant antihypertensive treatments, we conducted a post hoc analysis of a multicenter, open-label, long-term phase 3 study (NCT02722265) of esaxerenone, a highly selective mineralocorticoid receptor blocker, alone or in combination with a calcium channel blocker (CCB) or a renin-angiotensin system (RAS) inhibitor in patients with essential hypertension. Design and method: Patients had previously untreated essential hypertension, or had received only one RAS inhibitor or CCB as a baseline antihypertensive agent at the start of the study. All patients had a sitting systolic BP of 140 to < 180 mmHg and a sitting diastolic BP of 90 to < 110 mmHg, a 24-h ambulatory BP of ≧130/80 mmHg. In this post hoc analysis, patients were classified into 3 treatment groups; esaxerenone monotherapy, combination with a CCB and combination with RAS inhibitor and targeted on the patient without any additional antihypertensive treatment at Week 28. For these 3 groups, mean changes in 24-hour, early morning, daytime, and nighttime systolic BP in 24-h ambulatory BP, mean changes in N-terminal pro B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) levels, and changes in dipping pattern (extreme dippers, dippers, non-dippers, risers) were evaluated at 28 Week to include as many patients as possible available for analysis. Results: Of the total 368 patients in the study, 248 patients were included in this analysis and there were 153 in esaxerenone monotherapy, 48 in combination with a CCB and 48 in combination with a RAS inhibitor. Nighttime systolic BP statistically significantly decreased in all groups at Week 28 compared to baseline, with combination with a RAS inhibitor group showing the greatest change (-20.6 mmHg). Those changes were numerically greater than the daytime systolic blood pressure in all groups. The decrease in NT-proBNP from baseline to Week 28 was statistically significant in all group (p < 0.001, respectively) and the decrease in combination with RAS inhibitor was numerically greater than that of monotherapy. A statistically significant shift in dipping pattern and changes from riser/non-dipper to dipper/extreme dipper pattern were found at Week 28 in Monotherapy (p < 0.05) and the same trend of shifting was shown in combination with RAS inhibitor (p = 0.1615). The prevalence of riser/non-dipper pattern was decreased from 58.2% to 47.7% in monotherapy and from 54.2% to 39.6% in combination with RAS inhibitor. Conclusions: Esaxerenone would provide a useful treatment option for nocturnal hypertension, especially in combination with RAS inhibitor, in uncontrolled hypertension.

Supplementary Appendix (text only)

Table S1. Safety summary of T-DXd plus ritonavir (cohort 1) or T-DXd plus itraconazole (cohort 2) by cycle and on treatment.

Figure S1 Study flow diagram. aIncludes dose reductions and study discontinuations. T-DXd, trastuzumab deruxtecan

AbstractDESTINY-CRC01 (NCT03384940) was a multicenter, open-label, phase 2 trial assessing the efficacy and safety of trastuzumab deruxtecan (T-DXd) in patients with HER2-expressing metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) that progressed after ≥2 prior regimens; results of the primary analysis are published. Patients received T-DXd 6.4 mg/kg every 3 weeks and were assigned to either: cohort A (HER2-positive, immunohistochemistry [IHC] 3+ or IHC 2+/in situ hybridization [ISH]+), cohort B (IHC 2+/ISH−), or cohort C (IHC 1+). Primary endpoint was objective response rate (ORR) by independent central review in cohort A. Secondary endpoints included ORR (cohorts B and C), duration of response, disease control rate, progression-free survival, overall survival, pharmacokinetics, and safety of T-DXd. 86 patients were enrolled (53 in cohort A, 15 in cohort B, and 18 in cohort C). Results of the primary analysis are published, reporting an ORR of 45.3% in cohort A. Here, we report the final results. No responses occurred in cohorts B or C. Median progression-free survival, overall survival, and duration of response were 6.9, 15.5, and 7.0 months, respectively. Overall serum exposure (cycle 1) of T-DXd, total anti-HER2 antibody, and DXd were similar regardless of HER2 status. Most common grade ≥3 treatment-emergent adverse events were decreased neutrophil count and anemia. Adjudicated drug-related interstitial lung disease/pneumonitis occurred in 8 patients (9.3%). These findings support the continued exploration of T-DXd in HER2-positive mCRC.

Table S2. Clinical response with T-DXd plus ritonavir (cohort 1) or T-DXd plus itraconazole (cohort 2) across HER2 expression subgroups.

AbstractAims/IntroductionWe evaluated the effect of co‐administration of esaxerenone and a sodium–glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitor on the magnitude of serum potassium elevation in Japanese patients with diabetic kidney disease.Materials and MethodsWe carried out a prespecified subanalysis of data from two phase III studies: a multicenter, randomized, double‐blind, placebo‐controlled trial in patients with type 2 diabetes and microalbuminuria (J308); and a multicenter, single‐arm, open‐label trial in patients with type 2 diabetes and macroalbuminuria (J309). Changes in serum potassium levels during the studies and other measures were evaluated according to SGLT2 inhibitor use.ResultsIn both studies, time‐course changes in serum potassium levels, and incidence rates of serum potassium elevation were lower in patients with co‐administration of SGLT2 inhibitor in both the placebo and esaxerenone groups than those without the inhibitor. In contrast, time‐course changes and mean percentage changes from baseline in urinary albumin‐to‐creatinine ratio, the proportion of patients with albuminuria remission and time‐course changes in blood pressure did not change with or without SGLT2 inhibitor, whereas the albumin‐to‐creatinine ratio and blood pressure were reduced with esaxerenone. The blood glucose‐lowering effect of SGLT2 inhibitor was not affected by esaxerenone.ConclusionsIn Japanese patients with type 2 diabetes and albuminuria treated with esaxerenone, concomitant use of SGLT2 inhibitor reduced the magnitude of serum potassium elevation without any change of its antihypertensive and albuminuria‐suppressing effects. Co‐administration of esaxerenone and SGLT2 inhibitor might be a beneficial treatment option for patients with diabetic kidney disease.

Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors or angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs) are recommended as first-line drugs for hypertension with diabetic nephropathy owing to their renoprotective effect; however, their effect beyond lowering blood pressure (BP) has not been confirmed. Recent studies have shown that aldosterone plays a key role in causing renal injury; therefore, it is likely that mineralocorticoid receptor (MR) blockers inhibit aldosterone-induced renal damage in different ways from ACE inhibitors and ARBs. Therefore, we investigated the mechanism of the effect of an MR blocker on reducing the urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio (UACR) using data from a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase 3 study (ESAX-DN) of a new nonsteroidal MR blocker, esaxerenone. This post hoc analysis used a novel statistical method to quantitatively estimate the effect of esaxerenone on UACR reduction mediated, or not mediated, by changes in systolic BP (SBP) and/or estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR). The proportion of the mediated effect by SBP changes to the total effect on UACR reduction was 9.8–10.7%; the UACR was reduced to 0.903–0.911 times the baseline at the end of treatment through the SBP-related pathway and to 0.422–0.426 times the baseline through the non-SBP-related pathway. Even considering both SBP and eGFR simultaneously, the proportion of the mediated effect was 21.9–28.1%. These results confirm that esaxerenone has a direct UACR-lowering effect independent of BP lowering and that its magnitude is much larger than that of the BP-dependent effect. Thus, esaxerenone could be a UACR-reducing treatment option for patients with diabetic nephropathy.

Abstract Purpose: To evaluate drug–drug interactions between the human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)–targeted antibody-drug conjugate trastuzumab deruxtecan (T-DXd; DS-8201a) and the OATP1B/CYP3A inhibitor ritonavir or the strong CYP3A inhibitor itraconazole. Patients and Methods: Patients with HER2-expressing advanced solid tumors were enrolled in this phase I, open-label, single-sequence crossover study (NCT03383692) and received i.v. T-DXd 5.4 mg/kg every 3 weeks. Patients received ritonavir (cohort 1) or itraconazole (cohort 2) from day 17 of cycle 2 through the end of cycle 3. Primary endpoints were maximum serum concentration (Cmax) and partial area under the concentration-time curve from beginning of cycle through day 17 (AUC17d) for T-DXd and deruxtecan (DXd) with (cycle 3) and without (cycle 2) ritonavir or itraconazole treatment. Results: Forty patients were enrolled (cohort 1, n = 17; cohort 2, n = 23). T-DXd Cmax was similar whether combined with ritonavir [cohort 1, cycle 3/cycle 2; 90% confidence interval (CI): 1.05 (0.98–1.13)] or itraconazole [cohort 2, 1.03 (0.96–1.09)]. T-DXd AUC17d increased from cycle 2 to 3; however, the cycle 3/cycle 2 ratio upper CI bound remained at ≤1.25 for both cohorts. For DXd (cycle 3/cycle 2), Cmax ratio was 0.99 (90% CI, 0.85–1.14) for cohort 1 and 1.04 (0.92–1.18) for cohort 2; AUC17d ratio was 1.22 (1.08–1.37) and 1.18 (1.11–1.25), respectively. The safety profile of T-DXd plus ritonavir or itraconazole was consistent with previous studies of T-DXd monotherapy. T-DXd demonstrated promising antitumor activity across HER2-expressing solid-tumor types. Conclusions: T-DXd was safely combined with ritonavir or itraconazole without clinically meaningful impact on T-DXd or DXd pharmacokinetics.

Esaxerenone showed the potential to inhibit and induce activity against cytochrome P450 (CYP) 3A in in vitro studies. We investigated whether repeated administration of 5 mg/day esaxerenone for 14 days influences the pharmacokinetics of midazolam, a sensitive CYP3A substrate, in healthy Japanese males. This single-centre, open-label, single-sequence study had two administration periods: period 1: single oral dose of 2 mg midazolam (day 0); period 2: repeated oral doses of 5 mg/day esaxerenone for 14 days, with a single oral dose of 2 mg midazolam on day 14. Full pharmacokinetic profiles of midazolam and 1-hydroxymidazolam on days 0 and 14 and safety data were obtained. Primary pharmacokinetic endpoints for midazolam were area under the plasma concentration-time curve (AUC) from zero to time of the last measurable concentration (AUClast), AUC from zero to infinity (AUCinf), and peak plasma concentration (Cmax). The study included 28 male subjects. One subject was withdrawn because of a mild adverse event (increased hepatic enzyme levels) that resolved without intervention. Repeated administration of esaxerenone increased midazolam AUClast, AUCinf, and Cmax by about 1.2-fold (1.201, 1.201, and 1.224, respectively) compared with administration of midazolam alone. However, repeated administration of esaxerenone did not affect the elimination half-life of midazolam (2.86 versus 2.63 h with and without esaxerenone). There were no safety concerns associated with concomitant administration of esaxerenone and midazolam. Esaxerenone 5 mg/day had no clinically significant effect on midazolam pharmacokinetics and was not associated with any safety issues. Esaxerenone can be concomitantly administered with drugs of CYP3A substrates without dose adjustments. JapiCTI-152832.

Esaxerenone has potential renoprotective effects and reduces the urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio (UACR) in patients with diabetic kidney disease and overt nephropathy. We investigated the efficacy and safety of esaxerenone in Japanese patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D) and macroalbuminuria (UACR ≥ 300 mg/g creatinine). We conducted a multicenter, single-arm, open-label phase III study in 56 patients with T2D and UACR ≥ 300 mg/g creatinine with estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) ≥ 30 mL/min/1.73 m2 and treated with a renin–angiotensin system inhibitor. Patients received esaxerenone for 28 weeks at 1.25 mg/day initially with titration to 2.5 mg/day based on serum potassium (K+) monitoring. Efficacy was evaluated as the change in UACR from baseline to week 28. Safety endpoints included adverse events (AEs), incidence of serum K+ increase, and change in eGFR from baseline. UACR decreased by 54.6% (95% CI 46.9%, 61.3%) on average from baseline (544.1 mg/g creatinine) to the end of treatment (246.8 mg/g creatinine); 51.8% of patients showed improvement to early nephropathy. AE incidence was 69.6%. Three patients (5.4%) had serum K+ levels ≥ 6.0 mEq/L or ≥ 5.5 mEq/L on two consecutive occasions. Hyperkalemia in two patients was transient and resolved during the treatment period. One patient discontinued following two consecutive serum K+ values ≥ 5.5 mEq/L. The maximum change from baseline in eGFR was − 8.3 mL/min/1.73 m2 at week 24. Esaxerenone reduced UACR in Japanese patients with T2D and UACR ≥ 300 mg/g creatinine; more than half experienced a transition from UACR ≥ 300 mg/g creatinine to UACR < 300 mg/g creatinine. JapicCTI-173696