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Patients with gout and cardiovascular disease were assigned to receive febuxostat or allopurinol. At 32 months, there was no significant between-group difference in a composite cardiovascular end point, but all-cause and cardiovascular mortality were higher with febuxostat.

In this randomized trial of patients with elevated uric acid levels and gout, febuxostat, a new nonpurine selective inhibitor of xanthine oxidase, was compared with allopurinol. The incidence of gout flares was similar in patients treated with allopurinol and febuxostat. Both doses of febuxostat (80 and 120 mg) were more effective than 300 mg of allopurinol in lowering uric acid levels. In patients with elevated uric acid levels and gout, febuxostat was compared with allopurinol. The incidence of gout flares was similar, but febuxostat was more effective than allopurinol in lowering uric acid levels. Hyperuricemia, defined as a serum urate concentration exceeding the limit of solubility (about 6.8 mg per deciliter [400 μmol per liter]), is a common biochemical abnormality that reflects supersaturation of the extracellular fluid with urate and predisposes affected persons to gout. The clinical manifestations of gout (acute gouty arthritis, gouty arthropathy, chronic tophaceous gout, uric acid urolithiasis, and gouty nephropathy) result from deposition of monosodium urate or uric acid crystals from supersaturated body fluids. 1 The solubility of monosodium urate in extracellular fluids is influenced by a variety of factors, including pH, temperature, and sodium ion and protein concentrations 2 – 9 ; . . .

Febuxostat and allopurinol are urate-lowering therapies used to treat patients with gout. Following concerns about the cardiovascular safety of febuxostat, the European Medicines Agency recommended a post-licensing study assessing the cardiovascular safety of febuxostat compared with allopurinol. We did a prospective, randomised, open-label, blinded-endpoint, non-inferiority trial of febuxostat versus allopurinol in patients with gout in the UK, Denmark, and Sweden. Eligible patients were 60 years or older, already receiving allopurinol, and had at least one additional cardiovascular risk factor. Those who had myocardial infarction or stroke in the previous 6 months or who had severe congestive heart failure or severe renal impairment were excluded. After a lead-in phase in which allopurinol dose was optimised towards achieving a serum urate concentration of less than 0·357 mmol/L (<6 mg/dL), patients were randomly assigned (1:1, with stratification according to previous cardiovascular events) to continue allopurinol (at the optimised dose) or start febuxostat at 80 mg/day, increasing to 120 mg/day if necessary to achieve the target serum urate concentration. The primary outcome was a composite of hospitalisation for non-fatal myocardial infarction or biomarker-positive acute coronary syndrome; non-fatal stroke; or cardiovascular death. The hazard ratio (HR) for febuxostat versus allopurinol in a Cox proportional hazards model (adjusted for the stratification variable and country) was assessed for non-inferiority (HR limit 1·3) in an on-treatment analysis. This study is registered with the EU Clinical Trials Register (EudraCT 2011-001883-23) and ISRCTN (ISRCTN72443728) and is now closed. From Dec 20, 2011, to Jan 26, 2018, 6128 patients (mean age 71·0 years [SD 6·4], 5225 [85·3%] men, 903 [14·7%] women, 2046 [33·4%] with previous cardiovascular disease) were enrolled and randomly allocated to receive allopurinol (n=3065) or febuxostat (n=3063). By the study end date (Dec 31, 2019), 189 (6·2%) patients in the febuxostat group and 169 (5·5%) in the allopurinol group withdrew from all follow-up. Median follow-up time was 1467 days (IQR 1029–2052) and median on-treatment follow-up was 1324 days (IQR 870–1919). For incidence of the primary endpoint, on-treatment, febuxostat (172 patients [1·72 events per 100 patient-years]) was non-inferior to allopurinol (241 patients [2·05 events per 100 patient-years]; adjusted HR 0·85 [95% CI 0·70–1·03], p<0·0001). In the febuxostat group, 222 (7·2%) of 3063 patients died and 1720 (57·3%) of 3001 in the safety analysis set had at least one serious adverse event (with 23 events in 19 [0·6%] patients related to treatment). In the allopurinol group, 263 (8·6%) of 3065 patients died and 1812 (59·4%) of 3050 had one or more serious adverse events (with five events in five [0·2%] patients related to treatment). Randomised therapy was discontinued in 973 (32·4%) patients in the febuxostat group and 503 (16·5%) patients in the allopurinol group. Febuxostat is non-inferior to allopurinol therapy with respect to the primary cardiovascular endpoint, and its long-term use is not associated with an increased risk of death or serious adverse events compared with allopurinol. Menarini, Ipsen, and Teijin Pharma Ltd.

Background Gout is the most common inflammatory arthritis. Current urate-lowering therapies have limitations, such as adverse drug reactions or limited efficacy. Epaminurad is a novel selective human urate transporter 1 (hURAT1) inhibitor that has been shown to reduce serum urate (sUA) levels in healthy volunteers and patients with gout. The aims of the current study were to evaluate the urate-lowering efficacy and safety of epaminurad compared with placebo in patients with gout, and to determine the optimal dose. Methods This multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, dose-finding phase 2b clinical trial, which incorporated a standard-treatment reference arm, enrolled patients aged 19–70 years with gout and sUA level ≥ 0.42 mmol/L. Participants received gout prophylaxis and followed therapeutic lifestyle changes, and were randomized to receive epaminurad 3 mg, 6 mg or 9 mg, or febuxostat 80 mg, or matching placebo, once daily for 12 weeks. The primary efficacy endpoint was the proportion of patients with sUA level < 0.36 mmol/L at week 4 after initiation of study treatment. Statistical comparisons were performed between the epaminurad and placebo groups. Results Overall, 169 patients received study medication (99.40% male, mean ± SD age 48.26 ± 13.15 years, sUA level 0.53 ± 0.09 mmol/L). Mean adherence to treatment was > 90% in all groups. The proportion of patients with sUA < 0.36 mmol/L at week 4 was significantly higher in each epaminurad group (9 mg, 88.89%; 6 mg, 71.79%; 3 mg, 54.05%) compared with placebo (0.00%) (all p  < 0.0001). The response rate in the febuxostat group was 84.21%. The proportion of patients who achieved sUA < 0.30 mmol/L, and mean percent and absolute change in sUA, were also significantly greater in all epaminurad groups versus placebo at week 4. Outcomes were consistent at weeks 8 and 12. The adverse event rate did not differ between epaminurad groups and placebo, and most events were mild. There were no significant differences in mean serum creatinine levels or liver function parameters between the epaminurad groups and placebo. Conclusions Epaminurad was effective at reducing sUA levels in patients with gout. The study also confirmed the safety and tolerability profile during 12 weeks of treatment. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04804111 (registered on 15 November 2020).

Background Febuxostat immediate release (IR), a xanthine oxidase inhibitor, is indicated for the management of hyperuricemia in patients with gout by lowering urate levels. An extended release (XR) formulation of febuxostat was developed to provide equal or superior efficacy on urate lowering compared with the IR formulation and potentially lower the risk of treatment-initiated gout flares due to an altered pattern of drug exposure. The present study evaluated the efficacy and safety of febuxostat XR and IR formulations in patients with gout and moderate renal impairment (estimated glomerular filtrate rate ≥ 30 and < 60 ml/min). Methods This was an exploratory, 3-month, phase II, multicenter, placebo-controlled, double-blind proof-of-concept study. Patients ( n  = 189) were randomized 1:1:1:1:1 to receive placebo or febuxostat IR 40 mg, XR 40 mg, IR 80 mg, or XR 80 mg once daily. Endpoints included: proportion of patients with serum uric acid (sUA) < 5.0 mg/dl at month 3 (primary endpoint), proportion of patients with sUA < 6.0 mg/dl at month 3, and proportion of patients with ≥ 1 gout flare requiring treatment over 3 months. Results At month 3, all febuxostat treatment groups were associated with greater proportions of patients achieving sUA < 5.0 mg/dl ( p  < 0.05 vs placebo). A greater proportion of patients receiving XR 40 mg achieved sUA < 5.0 mg/dl versus those receiving IR 40 mg ( p  = 0.034); proportions were similar in the IR 80 mg and XR 80 mg groups. Higher proportions of febuxostat-treated patients achieved sUA < 6.0 mg/dl at month 3 ( p  < 0.05 vs placebo) and experienced ≥ 1 gout flare (significant for all comparisons, except XR 40 mg). Incidences of treatment-related adverse events were low across all treatment groups; the majority were mild or moderate with no apparent trends correlating with IR or XR doses. The most common treatment-emergent adverse event was hypertension. One death (unrelated to the study drug) was reported. Conclusions These exploratory data demonstrate that febuxostat (XR and IR) formulations were effective and well tolerated in patients with gout and moderate renal impairment. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT02128490 Registered on 29 April 2014.

ObjectivesTo determine whether febuxostat with stepwise dose increase is as useful as colchicine prophylaxis in reducing gout flares during the initial introduction of urate-lowering therapy in patients with gout in comparison with febuxostat with no dose titration.MethodsIn this prospective, multicentre, randomised open-label comparative study, patients were randomised to group A (stepwise dose increase of febuxostat from 10 to 40 mg/day), group B (fixed-dose febuxostat 40 mg/day plus colchicine 0.5 mg/day) or group C (fixed-dose febuxostat 40 mg/day) and observed for 12 weeks. Gout flare was defined as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug use for gout symptoms.ResultsA total of 255 patients were randomised, and 241 patients were treated. Among the treated patients, gout flares were experienced by 20/96 (20.8%) in group A, 18/95 (18.9%) in group B and 18/50 (36.0%) in group C. The incidence of flare was significantly lower in groups A and B than that in group C (P=0.047 and P=0.024, respectively), although the differences were not significant after correction for multiple comparisons. No significant difference was noted between the incidence of gout flare in groups A and B.ConclusionsOur data suggested that stepwise dose increase of febuxostat and low-dose colchicine prophylaxis effectively reduced gout flares in comparison with fixed-dose febuxostat alone. Stepwise dose increase of febuxostat may be an effective alternative to low-dose colchicine prophylaxis during the introduction of urate-lowering therapy.Trial registration numberUMIN 000008414.

ObjectivesDetermine the efficacy and safety of daily lesinurad (200 or 400 mg orally) added to allopurinol in patients with serum uric acid (sUA) above target in a 12-month, randomised, phase III trial.MethodsPatients on allopurinol ≥300 mg (≥200 mg in moderate renal impairment) had sUA level of ≥6.5 mg/dL (≥387 µmol/L) at screening and two or more gout flares in the prior year. Primary end point was the proportion of patients achieving sUA level of <6.0 mg/dL (<357 µmol/L) (month 6). Key secondary end points were mean gout flare rate requiring treatment (months 7 through 12) and proportions of patients with complete resolution of one or more target tophi (month 12). Safety assessments included adverse events and laboratory data.ResultsPatients (n=610) were predominantly male, with mean (±SD) age 51.2±10.90 years, gout duration 11.5±9.26 years and baseline sUA of 6.9±1.2 mg/dL (410±71 µmol/L). Lesinurad at 200 and 400 mg doses, added to allopurinol, significantly increased proportions of patients achieving sUA target versus allopurinol-alone therapy by month 6 (55.4%, 66.5% and 23.3%, respectively, p<0.0001 both lesinurad+allopurinol groups). In key secondary end points, there were no statistically significant treatment-group differences favouring lesinurad. Lesinurad was generally well tolerated; the 200 mg dose had a safety profile comparable with allopurinol-alone therapy. Renal-related adverse events occurred in 5.9% of lesinurad 200 mg+allopurinol, 15.0% of lesinurad 400 mg+allopurinol and 4.9% of allopurinol-alone groups, with serum creatinine elevation of ≥1.5× baseline in 5.9%, 15.0% and 3.4%, respectively. Serious treatment-emergent adverse events occurred in 4.4% of lesinurad 200 mg+allopurinol, in 9.5% of lesinurad 400 mg+allopurinol and in 3.9% of allopurinol-alone groups, respectively.ConclusionLesinurad added to allopurinol demonstrated superior sUA lowering versus allopurinol-alone therapy and lesinurad 200 mg was generally well tolerated in patients with gout warranting additional therapy.Trial registration numberNCT01493531.

Objectives:To compare the efficacy and tolerability of allopurinol 300–600 mg/day versus benzbromarone 100–200 mg/day used to attain a target serum urate concentration (sUr) ⩽0.30 mmol/l (5 mg/dl).Methods:A randomised, controlled, open-label, multicentre trial in gout patients with renal function defined as a calculated creatinine clearance ⩾50 ml/min. Patients were treated with 300 mg allopurinol or 100 mg benzbromarone once a day (stage 1). If sUr ⩽0.30 mmol/l was not attained after 2 months, the dose was doubled to allopurinol 300 mg twice a day or benzbromarone 200 mg once a day (stage 2). The primary end point was treatment success in either of the two stages, defined as clinical tolerability and attainment of biochemical target sUr.Results:Sixty-five patients were enrolled in stage 1; 36 received allopurinol and 29 received benzbromarone. Fifty-five patients (85%) were analysed at stage 1: the success rates were 8/31 (26%) and 13/25 (52%), respectively, and the difference was −0.26 (95% CI from −0.486 to −0.005), p = 0.049. At stage 2, the success rates were 21/27 (78%) and 18/23 (78%), respectively, and the difference was −0.005 (95% CI from −0.223 to 0.220), p = 1.00. Two patients stopped receiving allopurinol and three stopped receiving benzbromarone because of adverse drug reactions.Conclusions:Increasing the allopurinol dose from 300 to 600 mg/day and the benzbromarone dose from 100 to 200 mg/day according to the target sUr produced significantly higher success rates (both 78% successful in attaining sUr ⩽0.30 mmol/l). No significant differences in treatment success between benzbromarone and allopurinol were found after dose escalation.Trial registration number:ISRCTN49563848).

Background Pegloticase is a recombinant mammalian uricase conjugated to polyethylene glycol approved in the United States for treatment of chronic refractory gout. It can profoundly decrease serum urate to < 1 mg/dl. In patients receiving pegloticase who did not generate high-titer antidrug antibodies (responders), the serum urate remained low for the duration of therapy, 6 months in the phase III clinical trials plus the open-label extension. The objective of this study was to assess the velocity of tophus resolution in subjects treated with pegloticase. Methods Data from two randomized controlled trials of pegloticase in chronic refractory gout were analyzed. Tophi were assessed by computer-assisted measurements of standardized digital photographs. Subjects were designated as responders and nonresponders based on maintenance of serum urate < 6 mg/dl at months 3 and 6 of treatment. The projected time of complete resolution of all tophi was determined by linear regression analysis. Results The mean total tophus area at baseline was 585.8 mm 2 for responders, 661.5 mm 2 for nonresponders, and 674.4 mm 2 for placebo-treated patients. Complete resolution at 6 months of at least one tophus was achieved by 69.6% of 23 responders, 27.9% of 43 nonresponders, and 14.3% of 21 patients who received placebo. Complete resolution of all photographed tophi was achieved by 34.8% of biochemical responders, 11.6% of nonresponders, and 0% of placebo-treated patients. The mean velocity of resolution of all tophi was 60.1 mm 2 /month in responders with a mean projected time of complete resolution of 9.9 months (4.6–32.6 months). There was a significant inverse correlation between serum urate AUC and tophus resolution velocity ( r  = − 0.40, P  = 0.0002), although considerable heterogeneity in the velocity of resolution was noted. The only patient characteristic that correlated with the velocity of tophus resolution was the baseline tophus area. Conclusions Pegloticase treatment caused a rapid resolution of tophi in responders that correlated with the serum urate lowering associated with this therapy.