Pharmacoeconomic Analysis of the Use of Thrombopoietin Receptors Agonists in Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura Therapy

Background. New medications, thrombopoietin mimetics which were recently introduced into clinical practice allowed to achieve clinical response in patients with chronic glucocorticoid-resistant idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP). However, the high cost and the need for long-term administration necessitate a pharmacoeconomic analysis of the use of thrombopoietin receptors agonists in the treatment of ITP. Aim. To assess the cost-effectiveness of the use of thrombopoietin mimetics (romiplostim and eltrombopag) and immunosuppressive therapy in the treatment of chronic glucocorticoid-resistant ITP. Materials & Methods. The Markov modelling of diagnosis and treatment of ITP was conducted in accordance with the National guidelines for diagnosis and treatment of primary ITP. The cost-benefit analysis of the use of thrombopoietin receptors agonists (romiplostim and eltrombopag) and immunosuppressive therapy was performed. The time period (horizon) of the study was 5 years. Results. The therapy with thrombopoietin mimetics had higher costs but was shown to be more effective compared to immunosuppressive therapy. The cost-effectiveness for achieving 1 QALY in the treatment was 1.33 million rubles with eltrombopag, 4.2 million rubles with romiplostim, and 0.17 million rubles with immunosuppressive therapy. The lowest additional costs compared to immunosuppressive therapy had eltrombopag treatment, whereas romiplostim treatment doubled the additional costs. The threshold values of the ratio of thrombopoietin receptors agonists costs were determined for the cost-benefit analysis. The use of romiplostim is cost-effective at a price for 1 vial of 15–18 % less than for 1 package of eltrombopag. The total cumulative burden of treatment of chronic ITP for 5 years may be 7.18 billion rubles with the use of eltrombopag, 23.23 billion rubles with romiplostim, and 0.91 billion rubles with immunosuppressive therapy only. The results confirm the need for budgeting the diagnosis and treatment of ITP not as a part of general approach, but to consider ITP as an orphan disease. Conclusion. The developed pharmacoeconomic model can be used as an assessment tool of the costs of new diagnostic approaches and treatment strategies and optimizing budget expenditures

Correlation of CD34+ Hematopoietic Stem Cells and CFU in Peripheral Blood Apheresis Products in Patients with Malignant Lymphoproliferative Diseases Before and After Cryopreservation Prior to auto-HSCT

Aim. To establish correlation between CD34+ autologous hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) count and colony-forming units (CFU) in the same peripheral blood apheresis product samples before and after cryopreservation in multiple myeloma and lymphoma patients, and to assess clinical value of these parameters. Materials & Methods. Cell samples of peripheral blood cytapheresis product and cell cultures were studied before and after cryopreservation in 32 multiple myeloma and 25 lymphoma patients who underwent autologous HSC transplantation. The material was analyzed using culture technique and flow cytometry. Results. The paper provides information on the relationship between CD34+ HSC count obtained by flow cytometry, and CFU in cell culture obtained by cytapheresis of the same peripheral blood samples. A direct correlation was confirmed between CD34+ count and all the CFUs before and after cryopreservation in lymphoma patients. Correlation between CD34+ count and granulocyte-macrophage CFUs was revealed in multiple myeloma and lymphoma patients before cryopreservation. Conclusion. The parameter of colony-forming capacity used for the assessment of the functional HSC was shown to be equally reliable criterion for condition evaluation of autotransplant proliferative pool than CD34+ cells. Both methods should be applied for qualitative and quantitative evaluation of an autotransplant for multiple myeloma and lymphoma patients

Targeted Therapy of Myelofibrosis

Background. Myelofibrosis (primary myelofibrosis, post-essential trombocythemia myelofibrosis, post-polycythemia myelofibrosis) is the most complex and pressing problem among all Ph-negative myeloproliferative diseases. The present article summarizes the author’s experience of using new Janus kinase inhibitors in routine clinical practice, and compares the data with the results of other clinical research. Aim. To evaluate the use of ruxolitinib in patients with myelofibrosis. Materials & Methods. Our analysis includes 48 patients (21 men and 27 women) with histologically verified myelofibrosis (primary myelofibrosis in 36 cases, post-essential trombocythemia myelofibrosis in 10 cases, and post-polycythemia myelofibrosis in 2 cases) in a chronic stage. All patients received ruxolitinib. Median age at the start of therapy was 60 years (range from 35 to 79). Massive splenomegaly (≥ 10 cm below the costal margin) was found in 34 (71 %) of 48 patients. The initial dose of ruxolitinib was determined by the platelet level. The efficacy of the therapy was evaluated in accordance with ELN 2013 criteria. Results. Median duration of treatment was 18 months (range from 1 to 50 months). Symptoms of intoxication were relieved in 33 of 37 patients (89 %). The spleen size decreased in 64 % of patients. In 33 % of cases spleen size did not change, whereas an increase was observed in 3 % of patients. In the majority of patients hemoglobin level remained stable through the course of treatment. Three of 14 transfusion dependent patients did not require blood transfusions after 3 months of therapy. In patients with high thrombocyte levels prior to ruxolitinib therapy the mean level was approaching normal by the end of the 1st month of treatment. The median JAK2V617F mutant allele burden at the beginning treatment was 56.5 % (n = 20; 22.5–126.1 %). After 6 moths of treatment it accounted for 62.3 % (n = 11; 25.4–79.7 %) and in 12 months accounted for 47.4 % (n = 12; 14.2–102.2 %). By the time of the analysis 42 of 48 patients continued the ruxolitinib treatment (88 %). Death occurred in 4 patients. Overall 1-year (92 %) and 2-year (87 %) survival corresponds to the data of COMFORT-I, COMFORT-II and JUMP clinical trials. Conclusion. Ruxolitinib showed to be an effective treatment for myelofibrosis. The most pronounced and rapid effect ruxolitinib had on the spleen size and the symptoms of intoxication. The tolerability of ruxolitinib was satisfactory in the majority of patients. According to the author’s data, ruxolitinib had a small impact on the JAK2V617F mutant allele burden. The overall survival rate in patients with myelofibrosis, receiving ruxolitinib in the clinical setting was similar to that of in the clinical trials

Molecular Genetic Markers and Clinical Characteristics of Essential Thrombocythemia

Background & Aims. The presence of different molecular genetic markers of clonality (mutations in JAK2, MPL, CALR) or their absence (triple negative status, TN) in essential thrombocythemia (ET) indicates a biological heterogeneity of the disease and can determine its clinical forms. The aim was to evaluate the association of molecular genetic markers with the clinical form and the prognosis of ET. Materials & Methods. We analyzed the data of 240 patients with ET at the age of 20–91 years (median age 58.7 years), who were observed in the Russian Research Institute of Hematology and Transfusiology from 1999 to 2016 (median observation period 37.2 months). Results. The JAK2V617F (JAK2+) mutation was found in 182 (75.9 %) of 240 patients. CALR (CALR+) mutations were found in 30 (12.5 %): type 1 (CALR1+) mutations in 13/30 (43.3 %) and type 2 (CALR2+) in 17/30 (56.7 %). MPL (MPL+) mutations were found in only 2 (0.8 %) of 240 patients. None of the mutations were detected in 26 (10.8 %) of 240 patients (TN status). Significantly higher platelet counts were observed in CALR1+ and CALR2+ subgroups during the primary diagnosis of ET compared with JAK2+ and TN groups. The mean platelet counts were 1252 × 109/L for CALR2+ and 1079 × 109/L for CALR1+ vs 841 × 109/L (p < 0.001; p = 0.06) and 775 × 109/L (p < 0.001; p = 0.04) for JAK2+ and TN, respectively. Thrombosis was diagnosed in 50 (27.4 %) of 182 patients of the JAK2+ subgroup, in 8 (30.7 %) of the 26 patients of the TN subgroup, and in 2 (18.2 %) of 11 patients of the CALR1+ subgroup. No thrombosis was found in the CALR2+ and MPL+ subgroups (p < 0.001). In general, the CALR1+ status was characterized as the most favorable in terms of prognosis (5-year overall survival rate of 100 %), compared to the least favorable TN status (5-year overall survival rate of 85 %). Conclusion. Mutations in the CALR gene were characterized by a more favorable prognosis in comparison with JAK2+ and TN, as well as a decrease in the risk and frequency of thrombosis, despite higher platelet counts. TN-status of ET was associated with unfavorable prognosis

Genetic Markers of Hereditary Thrombophilia and Risk of Thrombotic Complications in Patients with Polycythemia Vera

Background. Thrombotic complications are one of the main problems of polycythemia vera (PV) treatment. They significantly impair the quality of life of these patients and may lead to the lethal outcome. A thrombotic event often precedes the diagnosis of this hematological disease. The pathogenesis of thrombosis in myeloproliferative neoplasms, PV, in particular, is a complex one. Prescription of antiaggregants in the absence of thrombosis and anticoagulants after a thrombotic event requires special attention and development of corresponding recommendations. The prescription of anticoagulants is impossible without taking into account the risks of hemorrhagic complications, which are also typical for myeloproliferative neoplasms. Aim. Assessment of the impact of hereditary thrombophilia genetic markers on the risk of thrombotic complications in patients with PV. Methods. The study examined 116 patients with PV, who were screened for markers of hereditary thrombophilia: factor V (G1691A, FV Leiden), prothrombin, methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR), fibrinogen (FI), plasminogen activator inhibitor (PAI-1), and platelet fibrinogen receptor type IIIA (GPIIIA). The incidence of these markers and their role in thrombosis in such patients was investigated. Results. The study provided data on the incidence of hereditary thrombophilia markers in patients with PV. Statistically significant differences in the incidence of these markers and homocysteine level were found between patients with thrombosis and without them. Conclusion. The information about the hereditary thrombophilia markers presence may be useful for the prescription of adequate antiaggregant and anticoagulant therapy for PV patients. Further research in this field is justified and it will probably demonstrate the relevance of hereditary thrombophilia markers as prognostic factors for thrombotic complications risk assessment

Azimuthal anisotropy and correlations at large transverse momenta in p+pp+p and Au+Au collisions at sNN\sqrt{s_{_{NN}}}= 200 GeV

Results on high transverse momentum charged particle emission with respect to the reaction plane are presented for Au+Au collisions at $\sqrt{s_{_{NN}}}$= 200 GeV. Two- and four-particle correlations results are presented as well as a comparison of azimuthal correlations in Au+Au collisions to those in $p+p$ at the same energy. Elliptic anisotropy, $v_2$, is found to reach its maximum at $p_t \sim 3$ GeV/c, then decrease slowly and remain significant up to $p_t\approx 7$ -- 10 GeV/c. Stronger suppression is found in the back-to-back high-$p_t$ particle correlations for particles emitted out-of-plane compared to those emitted in-plane. The centrality dependence of $v_2$ at intermediate $p_t$ is compared to simple models based on jet quenching.Comment: 4 figures. Published version as PRL 93, 252301 (2004

Azimuthal anisotropy in Au+Au collisions at sqrtsNN = 200 GeV

The results from the STAR Collaboration on directed flow (v_1), elliptic flow (v_2), and the fourth harmonic (v_4) in the anisotropic azimuthal distribution of particles from Au+Au collisions at sqrtsNN = 200 GeV are summarized and compared with results from other experiments and theoretical models. Results for identified particles are presented and fit with a Blast Wave model. Different anisotropic flow analysis methods are compared and nonflow effects are extracted from the data. For v_2, scaling with the number of constituent quarks and parton coalescence is discussed. For v_4, scaling with v_2^2 and quark coalescence is discussed.Comment: 26 pages. As accepted by Phys. Rev. C. Text rearranged, figures modified, but data the same. However, in Fig. 35 the hydro calculations are corrected in this version. The data tables are available at http://www.star.bnl.gov/central/publications/ by searching for "flow" and then this pape

Rapidity and Centrality Dependence of Proton and Anti-proton Production from Au+Au Collisions at sqrt(sNN) = 130GeV

We report on the rapidity and centrality dependence of proton and anti-proton transverse mass distributions from Au+Au collisions at sqrt(sNN) = 130GeV as measured by the STAR experiment at RHIC. Our results are from the rapidity and transverse momentum range of |y|<0.5 and 0.35 <p_t<1.00GeV/c. For both protons and anti-protons, transverse mass distributions become more convex from peripheral to central collisions demonstrating characteristics of collective expansion. The measured rapidity distributions and the mean transverse momenta versus rapidity are flat within |y|<0.5. Comparisons of our data with results from model calculations indicate that in order to obtain a consistent picture of the proton(anti-proton) yields and transverse mass distributions the possibility of pre-hadronic collective expansion may have to be taken into account.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures, 1 table, submitted to PR