Relationship Between Time From Diagnosis and Morbidity/Mortality in Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension
Seán Gaine, Olivier Sitbon, Richard N. Channick, Kelly Chin, Rafael Sauter, Nazzareno Galiè, Marius M. Hoeper, Vallerie V. McLaughlin, Ralph Preiss, Lewis J. Rubin, Gérald Simonneau, Victor F. Tapson, Hossein-Ardeschir Ghofrani, Iréne Lang
Abstract
BackgroundEarly initiation of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) therapies is associated with improved long-term outcomes, yet data on the early use of prostacyclin pathway agents are limited. In these post hoc analyses of the Prostacyclin (PGI2) Receptor Agonist In Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension (GRIPHON) study, the largest randomized controlled trial for PAH to date, the prognostic value of time from diagnosis and its impact on treatment response were examined.Research QuestionHow does time from diagnosis impact morbidity/mortality events and response to selexipag treatment in patients with PAH?Study Design and MethodsThe GRIPHON study randomly assigned 1,156 patients with PAH to selexipag or placebo treatment. Patients were categorized post hoc into a time from diagnosis of ≤ 6 months and > 6 months at randomization. Hazard ratios (selexipag vs placebo) were calculated for the primary end point of morbidity/mortality by time from diagnosis using Cox proportional hazard models.ResultsTime from diagnosis was ≤ 6 months in 34.9% and > 6 months in 65.1% of patients. Time from diagnosis was prognostic of morbidity/mortality, with newly diagnosed patients having a poorer long-term outcome than patients diagnosed for longer. Compared with placebo, selexipag reduced the risk of morbidity/mortality in patients with a time from diagnosis of ≤ 6 months and > 6 months, with a more pronounced effect in newly diagnosed patients (hazard ratio, 0.45 [95% CI, 0.33-0.63] and 0.74 [95% CI, 0.57-0.96], respectively; P = .0219 for interaction).InterpretationIn the GRIPHON study, newly diagnosed PAH patients had a worse prognosis than patients with a longer time from diagnosis. The benefit of selexipag treatment on disease progression was more pronounced in patients treated earlier than in patients treated later.Trial RegistryClinicalTrials.gov; No.: NCT01106014; URL: www.clinicaltrials.gov Early initiation of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) therapies is associated with improved long-term outcomes, yet data on the early use of prostacyclin pathway agents are limited. In these post hoc analyses of the Prostacyclin (PGI2) Receptor Agonist In Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension (GRIPHON) study, the largest randomized controlled trial for PAH to date, the prognostic value of time from diagnosis and its impact on treatment response were examined. How does time from diagnosis impact morbidity/mortality events and response to selexipag treatment in patients with PAH? The GRIPHON study randomly assigned 1,156 patients with PAH to selexipag or placebo treatment. Patients were categorized post hoc into a time from diagnosis of ≤ 6 months and > 6 months at randomization. Hazard ratios (selexipag vs placebo) were calculated for the primary end point of morbidity/mortality by time from diagnosis using Cox proportional hazard models. Time from diagnosis was ≤ 6 months in 34.9% and > 6 months in 65.1% of patients. Time from diagnosis was prognostic of morbidity/mortality, with newly diagnosed patients having a poorer long-term outcome than patients diagnosed for longer. Compared with placebo, selexipag reduced the risk of morbidity/mortality in patients with a time from diagnosis of ≤ 6 months and > 6 months, with a more pronounced effect in newly diagnosed patients (hazard ratio, 0.45 [95% CI, 0.33-0.63] and 0.74 [95% CI, 0.57-0.96], respectively; P = .0219 for interaction). In the GRIPHON study, newly diagnosed PAH patients had a worse prognosis than patients with a longer time from diagnosis. The benefit of selexipag treatment on disease progression was more pronounced in patients treated earlier than in patients treated later. ClinicalTrials.gov; No.: NCT01106014; URL: www.clinicaltrials.gov FOR EDITORIAL COMMENT, SEE PAGE 25Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a progressive disease with no available cure.1Humbert M. Guignabert C. Bonnet S. et al.Pathology and pathobiology of pulmonary hypertension: state of the art and research perspectives.Eur Respir J. 2019; 53: 1801887Crossref PubMed Scopus (373) Google Scholar Currently, therapies for PAH target 3 well-characterized pathways implicated in disease pathogenesis: the endothelin, nitric oxide, and prostacyclin pathways.2Galiè N. Humbert M. Vachiery J.L. et al.2015 ESC/ERS Guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of pulmonary hypertension: the Joint Task Force for the Diagnosis and Treatment of Pulmonary Hypertension of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) and the European Respiratory Society (ERS): Endorsed by: Association for European Paediatric and Congenital Cardiology (AEPC), International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation (ISHLT).Eur Respir J. 2015; 46: 903-975Crossref PubMed Scopus (1735) Google Scholar Initiation of combination therapy, with an endothelin receptor antagonist and a phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitor, is recommended by the European Society of Cardiology/European Respiratory Society guidelines2Galiè N. Humbert M. Vachiery J.L. et al.2015 ESC/ERS Guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of pulmonary hypertension: the Joint Task Force for the Diagnosis and Treatment of Pulmonary Hypertension of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) and the European Respiratory Society (ERS): Endorsed by: Association for European Paediatric and Congenital Cardiology (AEPC), International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation (ISHLT).Eur Respir J. 2015; 46: 903-975Crossref PubMed Scopus (1735) Google Scholar,3Galiè N. Humbert M. Vachiéry J.L. et al.2015 ESC/ERS Guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of pulmonary hypertension: the Joint Task Force for the Diagnosis and Treatment of Pulmonary Hypertension of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) and the European Respiratory Society (ERS): Endorsed by: Association for European Paediatric and Congenital Cardiology (AEPC), International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation (ISHLT).Eur Heart J. 2016; 37: 67-119Crossref PubMed Scopus (3365) Google Scholar and the proceedings from the 6th World Symposium on Pulmonary Hypertension4Galiè N. Channick R.N. Frantz R.P. et al.Risk stratification and medical therapy of pulmonary arterial hypertension.Eur Respir J. 2019; 53: 1801889Crossref PubMed Scopus (307) Google Scholar for patients with a low- or intermediate-risk status at diagnosis. Initial use of IV prostacyclin is recommended for high-risk patients with severe disease.2Galiè N. Humbert M. Vachiery J.L. et al.2015 ESC/ERS Guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of pulmonary hypertension: the Joint Task Force for the Diagnosis and Treatment of Pulmonary Hypertension of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) and the European Respiratory Society (ERS): Endorsed by: Association for European Paediatric and Congenital Cardiology (AEPC), International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation (ISHLT).Eur Respir J. 2015; 46: 903-975Crossref PubMed Scopus (1735) Google Scholar, 3Galiè N. Humbert M. Vachiéry J.L. et al.2015 ESC/ERS Guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of pulmonary hypertension: the Joint Task Force for the Diagnosis and Treatment of Pulmonary Hypertension of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) and the European Respiratory Society (ERS): Endorsed by: Association for European Paediatric and Congenital Cardiology (AEPC), International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation (ISHLT).Eur Heart J. 2016; 37: 67-119Crossref PubMed Scopus (3365) Google Scholar, 4Galiè N. Channick R.N. Frantz R.P. et al.Risk stratification and medical therapy of pulmonary arterial hypertension.Eur Respir J. 2019; 53: 1801889Crossref PubMed Scopus (307) Google Scholar FOR EDITORIAL COMMENT, SEE PAGE 25 The benefits of prostacyclin pathway agents5Simonneau G. Barst R.J. Galiè N. et al.Continuous subcutaneous infusion of treprostinil, a prostacyclin analogue, in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension: a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial.Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2002; 165: 800-804Crossref PubMed Scopus (1190) Google Scholar, 6Olsson K.M. Richter M.J. Kamp J.C. et al.Intravenous treprostinil as an add-on therapy in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension.J Heart Lung Transplant. 2019; 38: 748-756Abstract Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (14) Google Scholar, 7Sitbon O. Channick R. Chin K.M. et al.Selexipag for the treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension.N Engl J Med. 2015; 373: 2522-2533Crossref PubMed Scopus (503) Google Scholar are well documented, yet administration often is delayed, and a significant proportion of patients never receive a drug targeting this pathway.8Del Pozo R. Hernandez Gonzalez I. Escribano-Subías P. The prostacyclin pathway in pulmonary arterial hypertension: a clinical review.Expert Rev Respir Med. 2017; 11: 491-503Crossref PubMed Scopus (34) Google Scholar,9Farber H.W. Miller D.P. Meltzer L.A. et al.Treatment of patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension at the time of death or deterioration to functional class IV: insights from the REVEAL Registry.J Heart Lung Transplant. 2013; 32: 1114-1122Abstract Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (68) Google Scholar Key factors delaying the use of prostacyclin and prostacyclin analogs include their adverse event profile, the need for titration to an individualized dose, and for some agents, the complexity of their administration.8Del Pozo R. Hernandez Gonzalez I. Escribano-Subías P. The prostacyclin pathway in pulmonary arterial hypertension: a clinical review.Expert Rev Respir Med. 2017; 11: 491-503Crossref PubMed Scopus (34) Google Scholar In addition, studies examining early treatment with these therapies are limited.6Olsson K.M. Richter M.J. Kamp J.C. et al.Intravenous treprostinil as an add-on therapy in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension.J Heart Lung Transplant. 2019; 38: 748-756Abstract Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (14) Google Scholar,10Sitbon O. Jaïs X. Savale L. et al.Upfront triple combination therapy in pulmonary arterial hypertension: a pilot study.Eur Respir J. 2014; 43: 1691-1697Crossref PubMed Scopus (234) Google Scholar,11Badagliacca R. Pezzuto B. Poscia R. et al.Prognostic factors in severe pulmonary hypertension patients who need parenteral prostanoid therapy: the impact of late referral.J Heart Lung Transplant. 2012; 31: 364-372Abstract Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (36) Google Scholar Selexipag, a selective prostacyclin receptor agonist,7Sitbon O. Channick R. Chin K.M. et al.Selexipag for the treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension.N Engl J Med. 2015; 373: 2522-2533Crossref PubMed Scopus (503) Google Scholar provides an opportunity for early targeting of the prostacyclin pathway with an orally available medication. Herein, we further evaluated its optimal use as part of the PAH treatment armamentarium. The Prostacyclin (PGI2) Receptor Agonist In Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension (GRIPHON) study was a long-term, event-driven, randomized, placebo-controlled, phase III trial evaluating selexipag use in 1,156 PAH patients.7Sitbon O. Channick R. Chin K.M. et al.Selexipag for the treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension.N Engl J Med. 2015; 373: 2522-2533Crossref PubMed Scopus (503) Google Scholar The study demonstrated a statistically significant 40% reduction in the risk of a primary composite outcome of morbidity and mortality (P < .001) with selexipag compared with placebo.7Sitbon O. Channick R. Chin K.M. et al.Selexipag for the treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension.N Engl J Med. 2015; 373: 2522-2533Crossref PubMed Scopus (503) Google Scholar These post hoc analyses of the GRIPHON study investigated associations of time from PAH diagnosis with morbidity/mortality and with the response to treatment with selexipag. The data sharing policy of the sponsor is available at https://www.janssen.com/clinical-trials/transparency. As noted on this website, requests for access to the study data can be submitted through the Yale Open Data Access Project site at https://yoda.yale.edu. PAH patients with a diagnosis confirmed by right heart catheterization 18 to 75 years of age and with a pulmonary vascular resistance of ≥ 400 dyn·s·cm-5 were eligible for inclusion in the GRIPHON study.7Sitbon O. Channick R. Chin K.M. et al.Selexipag for the treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension.N Engl J Med. 2015; 373: 2522-2533Crossref PubMed Scopus (503) Google Scholar At screening, patients were required to have a 6-min walk distance of 50 to 450 m and to be treatment naïve or receiving a phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitor, endothelin receptor antagonist, or both at stable doses for at least 3 months before randomization. Patients receiving a prostacyclin analog were not eligible. All patients provided written informed consent before participation. The GRIPHON study (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01106014) was a global, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, event-driven phase III study assessing the safety and efficacy of selexipag in patients with PAH. Patients were randomized 1:1 to receive selexipag or placebo twice daily. The study drug was titrated over a 12-week period, with patients reaching their individualized maintenance dose ranging between 200 and 1600 μg twice daily. Patients continued to receive double-blind treatment until a primary end point event was experienced, until of the study or until the end of the reaching the of primary end point events = the end of the study was The trial to the in the of with from or The primary composite end point in the GRIPHON study was the time from to the morbidity or mortality event to the end of the double-blind treatment events were as disease progression or of PAH in initiation of parenteral prostanoid therapy or long-term therapy, or the need for or progression was as a ≥ in 6-min walk distance from was confirmed by a on a with a in World functional class for patients in at or the need for PAH therapy patients in at All end point events were by a All randomized patients in the GRIPHON study were categorized post hoc to their time from PAH diagnosis to of study using a was on the in time from diagnosis was to vs PAH M. O. et in and of patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension.Eur Respir J. PubMed Scopus Google Scholar, G. Channick R.N. M. et and with pulmonary arterial hypertension: from Respir J. 2015; 46: PubMed Scopus Google Scholar, P. I. M. et in pulmonary hypertension in insights from the Respir J. 2012; PubMed Scopus Google Scholar, P. J. et and long-term of pulmonary arterial hypertension in the a of a Med. 2014; PubMed Scopus Google Scholar, Barst R.J. et in patients with primary pulmonary from a Med. PubMed Scopus Google Scholar and on the of the European Society of Cardiology/European Respiratory Society to have a to 6 months N. Humbert M. Vachiery J.L. et al.2015 ESC/ERS Guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of pulmonary hypertension: the Joint Task Force for the Diagnosis and Treatment of Pulmonary Hypertension of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) and the European Respiratory Society (ERS): Endorsed by: Association for European Paediatric and Congenital Cardiology (AEPC), International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation (ISHLT).Eur Respir J. 2015; 46: 903-975Crossref PubMed Scopus (1735) Google Scholar,3Galiè N. Humbert M. Vachiéry J.L. et al.2015 ESC/ERS Guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of pulmonary hypertension: the Joint Task Force for the Diagnosis and Treatment of Pulmonary Hypertension of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) and the European Respiratory Society (ERS): Endorsed by: Association for European Paediatric and Congenital Cardiology (AEPC), International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation (ISHLT).Eur Heart J. 2016; 37: 67-119Crossref PubMed Scopus (3365) Google Scholar Time from diagnosis was on the of the right heart time from diagnosis of ≤ 6 months was to newly diagnosed patients treated earlier with with treatment as patients with a time from diagnosis of > 6 months before selexipag hoc analyses of the GRIPHON study primary composite end point or mortality were for patients to time from diagnosis at of ≤ 6 months or > 6 were for were to the impact of time from diagnosis at on the risk of a primary end point event the treatment and Hazard ratios with were calculated using Cox proportional hazard models. 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