All posts by Mary Jo Strobel

2022 Annual Meeting of AAAAI

APFED Blog, What's New

AAAAI represents allergists, asthma specialists, clinical immunologists, allied health professionals and others with a special interest in the research and treatment of allergic and immunologic diseases. AAAAI has more than 7,000 members around the globe.

APFED attended the AAAAI 2022 annual meeting held in Phoenix, AZ, Feb. 25-28 as an invited speaker. We also awarded two awards for the best research abstracts for EGID, attended advocacy meetings, and had a booth in the exhibit hall where we could share patient friendly material with clinicians.

Breakthroughs in Understanding and Treating EGID

An all-day symposium to present EGID information and research was held on February 24. The program was organized by the Consortium of Eosinophilic Gastrointestinal Disease Researchers (CEGIR) and the International Gastrointestinal Eosinophil Researchers (TIGERS).

Attendees learned information about the diagnosis, epidemiology, and the role of the allergy in EGID, and pipeline treatments. There was also discussion on research that is shedding light onto cellular and molecular processes with these conditions, monitoring the progression of EGID through time, dietary aspects, the patient experience, and new therapies and treatments on the horizon.

As an active member of CEGIR, APFED’s Executive Director, Mary Jo Strobel, gave a presentation during this symposium to highlight ways that doctors and patients can work in partnership with one another to advance education, awareness, advocacy and research, as well as resources available to help people who have EGID.

There were presentations and discussions regarding EGIDs and associations with allergic disease.  EoE is highly associated with allergic diseases and elimination diets seem to work for many with EoE. On the other hand, there are differences at the cellular and molecular level between EoE and other EGID, which may make dietary therapy less successful.

Attendees were also informed of recent international consensus surrounding what subsets of eosinophilic gastrointestinal diseases are called for both clinical and research purposes.

Throughout AAAAI sessions, scientists discussed current knowledge and research of the etiology, pathology, and genetic and environmental factors that might affect the development of EoE, as well as data related to therapies in various stages of clinical trial for eosinophil-associated disease.

Dr. Benjamin Wright, an APFED HOPE Pilot Grant recipient who is studying the association of environmental factors and its impact on cells involved in EoE, presented his latest findings in the “Featured Poster Session” at AAAAI. His poster presentation was “Oral Detergent Exposure Induces Eosinophilic Inflammation in the Esophagus.” These early findings show that an ingredient in detergents, called SDS, reduces the functionality of epithelial cells and may be a factor to the development of EoE.

Special Committees

APFED attended special interest EGID Task Force committee meeting to participate in discussions on ways the medical community can support those with eosinophil-associated disease, and also met with patient advocacy organizations serving people with allergic conditions to discuss advocacy and policy work, and aligning initiatives to help our communities, including the Medical Nutrition Equity Act and communicating patient needs and perspectives to the FDA.

2022 AAAAI/APFED Best Abstract on EGIDs Awards

APFED offered two $750 awards to recognize outstanding research abstracts on eosinophilic gastrointestinal disease presented at the AAAAI meeting this year. The awards are intended to help defray travel costs to the meeting so that the researchers may present their findings to their peers. Abstract award winners may go on to successfully compete for grants from APFED or from other funding mechanisms.

  • Marc E. Rothenberg, MD PhD FAAAAI Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center “Dupilumab Improves Clinical and Histologic Aspects of Disease in Adult and Adolescent Patients with Eosinophilic Esophagitis at Week 24: Results from Part B of the 3-Part LIBERTY EoE TREET Study”
  • Gencer Kurt, MD Aarhus University Hospital “Perinatal Factors Increase Risk of Eosinophilic Esophagitis – A Nationwide Case Control Study”

The awards were made possible thanks to the generous community donations to APFED’s HOPE on the Horizon Research Program.

Additional highlights surrounding presentations and research presented at AAAAI will be published in the Spring 2022 issue of EoSolutions newsletters for APFED subscribers.

International Consensus Recommendations EGID Nomenclature

APFED Blog, Research, What's New

International consensus surrounding what subsets of eosinophilic gastrointestinal diseases (EGIDs) should now be called for both clinical and research purposes was recently published in the Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology.

Eosinophilic gastrointestinal disease (EGID) will continue be the umbrella term for eosinophilic inflammation in the GI tract when there is not another known cause.

The consensus indicated more specific terms should be used to describe has previously been called “eosinophilic gastroenteritis.”

These changes to the terms used to describe subsets of patients and conditions help characterize the specific areas of the GI tract that are affected. These include:

  • Eosinophilic Gastritis (EoG) = stomach
  • Eosinophilic Enteritis (EoN) = small bowel
  • Eosinophilic Colitis (EoC) = colon

“Eosinophilic Gastroenteritis” was previously used as a “catch-all” term for eosinophilia that was found in the stomach and/or small intestine, and should not be primarily used, with the terms above being used instead. The new international consensus also more granularly identifies areas of the GI tract that are affected:

  • Eosinophilic Duodenitis (EoD) = duodenum
  • Eosinophilic Jejunitis (EoJ) = jejunum
  • Eosinophilic Ileitis (EoI)  = ileum

This groundbreaking publication was spearheaded by CEGIR, a federally-funded research consortia in which APFED is a member.

Response to FDA denial of topical oral viscous formulation of budesonide

Advocacy, What's New

In December 2021, APFED reported that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) denied the TAK-721 New Drug Application, indicating the drug – a budesonide oral suspension –  would not be approved in its present form. According to the drug developer, Takeda, the FDA had also recommended additional clinical study to address their feedback.

TAK-721 is a novel, topical oral viscous formulation of budesonide, specifically formulated to treat localized inflammation in the esophagus caused by EoE. The drug sponsor has not made public the Complete Response Letter generated by the FDA regarding its application for TAK-721.  Given the pathway laid out by FDA regarding drug approval for EoE, the fact that oral budesonide has good safety profile and is approved for use to treat EoE in other countries and approved in the U.S. to treat other GI inflammatory conditions, APFED, along with other patient advocacy groups, sent a joint communication to the FDA to express our disappointment and confusion regarding the denial, and requested the FDA reconsider their decision regarding TAK 721 and make public the explanation for its decision not to approve.

We will continue to advocate and share information as it becomes available. In the interim, we encourage you to continue to share with us your experiences with mixing budesonide slurry for treatment of eosinophilic esophagitis, so that we may share compiled feedback with the FDA.

 

Industry News: Drug Development

Announcements, In the News, Research, What's New

 

FDA denies approval of TAK-721 (budesonide oral suspension) for EoE

Takeda, the pharmaceutical company developing TAK-721 (budesonide oral suspension) for the treatment of EoE, announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) responded to the TAK-721 New Drug Application, indicating the drug cannot be approved in its present form.

Takeda reports that the FDA recommended an additional clinical study to help resolve their feedback.

“We are disappointed by the outcome of the FDA’s review of TAK-721, and that EoE patients will still be without a treatment option that the FDA has approved as safe and effective,” said Ramona Sequeira, President, U.S. Business Unit and Global Portfolio Commercialization, Takeda, in a press release issued by the company. “Takeda is assessing the details of the CRL and evaluating a regulatory path forward.”

 

Lirentelimab met histologic co-primary endpoints but missed symptomatic co-primary endpoints in both ENIGMA and KRYPTOS studies

Allakos Inc., a biotechnology company developing lirentelimab (AK002) for the treatment of eosinophil and mast cell-related diseases, reported Phase 3 data from ENIGMA 2 (a study of lirentelimab in patients with eosinophilic gastritis and/or eosinophilic duodenitis) and Phase 2/3 data from KRYPTOS (a study of lirentelimab in patients with eosinophilic esophagitis.

Both studies met their histologic endpoints, but did not achieve statistical significance on the patient reported symptoms endpoints.

In a company press release, Dr. Craig Paterson, MD, Chief Medical Officer of Allakos states, “Although the EGID results are surprising and disappointing, we will continue to analyze the data to understand the results and to determine the path forward for lirentelimab in EGIDs.”

 

Tezspire approved for severe asthma in ages 12+

Tezspire (tezepelumab) has been approved in the U.S. for people aged 12 years and older with severe asthma. Tezspire is the first biologic approved for severe asthma without phenotype (e.g., eosinophilic or allergic) or biomarker limitations. This therapy is also in development for other potential indications, including eosinophilic esophagitis. Learn more.

EGID Research at 2021 ACG Annual Scientific Meeting

Research, What's New

The annual scientific meeting of the American College of Gastroenterology (ACG) was held Oct. 22-27, 2021. The program featured lectures, posters, and case studies about a number of GI conditions, including EGIDs.

Several sessions were offered featuring experts that discussed pathophysiology, diagnostics and current management of EoE, as well as emerging treatments that may be the future of disease management. Experts also presented on the pathophysiology, diagnosis, and treatment of EGIDs below the esophagus, presenting the latest evidence for the efficacy of specialized diets and promising emerging pharmaceuticals that may soon alter the course of these diseases for many patients.  Other talks included special considerations for evaluating and treating EoE in children compared to adults, and predicting EoE treatment responses.

There were also many posters presented on EGIDs; below are are some highlights with links. For full details and poster access, visit acgmeetings.gi.org

Eosinophilic Esophagitis

  • Assessing the Influence of Tobacco, Alcohol, and Marijuana on the Development of Eosinophilic Esophagitis Access the poster.
  • Association Between Eosinophilic Esophagitis and Esophageal Dysmotility: A Systematic Review. Access the poster.
  • Development and Content Validity of the PROSE Daily Diary to Measure Dysphagia Episodes in Adults and Adolescents With Eosinophilic Esophagitis. Access the poster.
  • Development and Validation of a Simple Eosinophilic Esophagitis Severity Score That Is Predictive of Key Disease Parameters After Treatment With Topical Steroids. Access the poster.
  • Do Topical Corticosteroids Induce Histologic Remission and Improve Clinical Symptoms in Eosinophilic Esophagitis? A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials. Access the poster.
  • Duration of Symptoms Prior to Diagnosis Is Associated with Repeated Esophageal Dilations in Eosinophilic Esophagitis Access the poster.
  • Efficacy of Topical Corticosteroids in Achieving Histologic, Clinical, and Endoscopic Remission in Patients With Eosinophilic Esophagitis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials. Access the poster.
  • Eosinophilic Esophagitis: Have the U.S. Guidelines Made a Difference for Inpatient Outcomes? Access the poster.
  • Eosinophilic Esophagitis National Trends: 2004-2014 NIS Data Retrospective Cohort Analysis. Access the poster.
  • Estimating the Indirect and Intangible Costs Associated With Eosinophilic Esophagitis. Access the poster.
  • Esophageal Eosinophil Count Does Not Correlate With the Endoscopic Reference Score Remodeling Subscore in Placebo-Treated Eosinophilic Esophagitis Patients in the Phase 2 Proof-of-Concept and Phase 3 TREET Studies. Access the poster.
  • Health-Related Quality of Life in in Adolescents and Adults With Eosinophilic Esophagitis in a Real World Setting in the U.S. Access the poster.
  • Increasing Prevalence of Eosinophilic Esophagitis in the United States from 2015 to 2018. Access the poster.
  • Long-Term Safety of Budesonide Oral Suspension for Eosinophilic Esophagitis: An Integrated Safety Analysis of Phase 1–3 Clinical Trial Data.Access the poster.
  • Patient-Reported Symptom Improvement Following Treatment With APT-1011 in Patients with Eosinophilic Esophagitis as Measured by the PROSE: Results from FLUTE, A Phase 2b Clinical Trial. Access the poster.
  • Patient Satisfaction and Adherence to Corticosteroids in Adolescents and Adults With Eosinophilic Esophagitis in a Real-World Setting in the U.S. Access the poster.
  • Patients With Eosinophilic Esophagitis and Gastrointestinal Symptoms May Have Eosinophilic Gastritis and/or Duodenitis, Not Associated With Peak Esophageal Eosinophil Count. Access the poster.
  • Perceptions of Disease Stigma in Adolescents and Adults With Eosinophilic Esophagitis in the U.S. Access the poster.
  • Post-Treatment Gene Scores Support Histologic and Endoscopic Response Thresholds in Eosinophilic Esophagitis. Access the poster.
  • Predictors of Clinical Response and Efficacy of Esophageal Dilation in Eosinophilic Esophagitis Patients Access the poster.
  • Quantitative Analysis of the Tug Sign in Adults: An Endoscopic Finding of Eosinophilic Esophagitis Access the poster.
  • Steroid Exposure in Patients With Eosinophilic Esophagitis (EoE) From the United States. Access the poster.
  • The Histological Scoring System and Endoscopic Reference Score Are Complementary Assessments for Characterizing Fibrostenotic or Inflammatory Phenotypes in Patients with Eosinophilic Esophagitis. Access the poster.
  • Topical Steroids for Eosinophilic Esophagitis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Access the poster.

Subsets of EGID Below the Esophagus

  • Endoscopy and Systematic Biopsy of Patients With Moderate-Severe Unexplained Gastrointestinal Symptoms Compared With Healthy Controls: High Discovery Rate of Eosinophilic Gastritis and/or Eosinophilic Duodenitis. Access the poster.
  • Eosinophilic Colitis Accompanied by Synchronous Eosinophilic Esophagitis and Gastroenteritis. Access the poster.
  • Eosinophilic Esophagitis With Subsequent Eosinophilic Colitis: Keeping a High Index of Suspicion. Access the poster.
  • General Pathologists Do Not Routinely Evaluate Gastric or Duodenal Eosinophilia. Access the research.
  • Lymphocytic Variant of Hypereosinophilic Syndrome Presenting with Gastroenteritis. Access the poster.
  • Safety and Efficacy of Long-Term Treatment With Lirentelimab, A Monoclonal Antibody Against Siglec-8, in Patients With Eosinophilic Gastritis and/or Duodenitis. Access the poster.
  • Similar Efficacy of Lirentelimab in Patients With New vs Prior Diagnoses of Eosinophilic Gastritis and/or Duodenitis in a Randomized Trial. Access the poster.
  • Systematic Collection of Biopsies and Quantification of Eosinophils in Multiple High-Power Fields Is Required for Diagnosis of Eosinophilic Gastritis and/or Duodenitis. Access the poster.

 

>>> Learn more about the 2021 ACG Annual Scientific Meeting & Postgraduate Course at acgmeetings.gi.org.