The New England journal of medicine
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Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study
Ponsegromab for the Treatment of Cancer Cachexia.
Cachexia is a common complication of cancer and is associated with an increased risk of death. The level of growth differentiation factor 15 (GDF-15), a circulating cytokine, is elevated in cancer cachexia. In a small, open-label, phase 1b study involving patients with cancer cachexia, ponsegromab, a humanized monoclonal antibody inhibiting GDF-15, was associated with improved weight, appetite, and physical activity, along with suppressed serum GDF-15 levels. ⋯ Among patients with cancer cachexia and elevated GDF-15 levels, the inhibition of GDF-15 with ponsegromab resulted in increased weight gain and overall activity level and reduced cachexia symptoms, findings that confirmed the role of GDF-15 as a driver of cachexia. (Funded by Pfizer; ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT05546476.).
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Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study
Levofloxacin Preventive Treatment in Children Exposed to MDR Tuberculosis.
Worldwide, approximately 2 million children younger than 15 years of age are infected with multidrug-resistant (MDR) Mycobacterium tuberculosis, with MDR tuberculosis developing in approximately 30,000 annually. Evidence from randomized, controlled trials on tuberculosis preventive treatment in persons exposed to MDR tuberculosis is lacking. ⋯ Although preventive treatment with levofloxacin led to a lower incidence of tuberculosis than placebo among children with household exposure to MDR tuberculosis, the difference was not significant. (Supported by Unitaid and others; TB-CHAMP ISRCTN Registry number, ISRCTN92634082.).