journal articles
PHASE 2A LEARNINGS INCORPORATED INTO REWIND-LB, A PHASE 2B CLINICAL TRIAL OF NEFLAMAPIMOD IN DEMENTIA WITH LEWY BODIES
N.D. Prins, W. de Haan, A. Gardner, K. Blackburn, H.-M. Chu, J.E. Galvin, J.J. Alam
J Prev Alz Dis 2024;3(11):549-557
BACKGROUND: In an exploratory 91-participant phase 2a clinical trial (AscenD-LB, NCT04001517) in dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB), neflamapimod showed improvement over placebo on multiple clinical endpoints. To confirm those results, a phase 2b clinical study (RewinD-LB, NCT05869669 ) that is similar to AscenD-LB has been initiated.
OBJECTIVES: To optimize the choice of patient population, primary endpoint, and biomarker evaluations in RewinD-LB.
DESIGN: Evaluation of the efficacy results from AscenD-LB, the main results of which, and a re-analysis after stratification for absence or presence of AD co-pathology (assessed by plasma ptau181), have been published. In addition, the MRI data from a prior phase 2a clinical trial in Early Alzheimer’s disease (AD), were reviewed.
SETTING: 22 clinical sites in the US and 2 in the Netherlands.
PARTICIPANTS: Probable DLB by consensus criteria and abnormal dopamine uptake by DaTscan™ (Ioflupane I123 SPECT).
INTERVENTION: Neflamapimod 40mg capsules or matching placebo capsules, twice-a-day (BID) or three-times-a-day (TID), for 16 weeks.
MEASUREMENTS: 6-test Neuropsychological Test Battery (NTB) assessing attention and executive function, Clinical Dementia Rating Sum-of-Boxes (CDR-SB), Timed Up and Go (TUG), International Shopping List Test (ISLT).
RESULTS: Within AscenD-LB, patients without evidence of AD co-pathology exhibited a neflamapimod treatment effect that was greater than that in the overall population and substantial (cohen’s d effect size vs. placebo ≥ for CDR-SB, TUG, Attention and ISLT-recognition). In addition, the CDR-SB and TUG performed better than the cognitive tests to demonstrate neflamapimod treatment effect in comparison to placebo. Further, clinical trial simulations indicate with 160-patients (randomized 1:1), RewinD-LB conducted in patients without AD co-pathology has >95% (approaching 100%) statistical power to detect significant improvement over placebo on the CDR-SB. Preliminary evidence of positive treatment effects on beta functional connectivity by EEG and basal forebrain atrophy by MRI were obtained in AscenD-LB and the Early AD study, respectively.
CONCLUSION: In addition to use of a single dose regimen of neflamapimod (40mg TID), key distinctions between phase 2b and phase 2a include RewinD-LB (1) excluding patients with AD co-pathology, (2) having CDR-SB as the primary endpoint, and (3) having MRI studies to evaluate effects on basal forebrain atrophy.
CITATION:
N.D. Prins ; W. de Haan ; A. Gardner ; K. Blackburn ; H.-M. Chu ; J.E. Galvin ; J.J. Alam (2024): Phase 2A Learnings Incorporated into RewinD-LB, a Phase 2B Clinical Trial of Neflamapimod in Dementia with Lewy Bodies. The Journal of Prevention of Alzheimer’s Disease (JPAD). http://dx.doi.org/10.14283/jpad.2024.36