Simvastatin With or Without Ezetimibe in Familial Hypercholesterolemia

1
Simvastatin With or Without Ezetimibe in Familial
Hypercholesterolemia

• The ENHANCE trial
• ClinicalTrials.gov number NCT00552097

John J.P. Kastelein, MD, PhD Department of
Vascular Medicine Academic Medical
Center Amsterdam, The Netherlands
On behalf of all ENHANCE investigators
Kastelein, et al, N Eng J Med 2008 In Press
Adapted from ACC 2008.
2
Presenter Disclosure Information

• John J.P. Kastelein, MD, PhD
• The following relationships exist related to this
  presentation
• Dr. Kastelein consults for Merck Schering
  Plough
• Dr. Kastelein is also a consultant for several
  other pharmaceutical companies with
  lipid-lowering agents.

Adapted from ACC 2008.
3
Although the authors allowed the sponsors to
review the manuscript and the presentation, all
data analyses and interpretation of the results
are those of the academic investigators.
Adapted from ACC 2008.
4
Background
Ezetimibe, a cholesterol-absorption inhibitor,
reduces levels of LDL-c when added to statin
treatment. However, the effect of
Ezetimibe on the progression of atherosclerosis
is unknown
Adapted from ACC 2008.
5
ENHANCE logical next step after ASAP
Timeline
1995
2000
2005
2010
ENHANCE
LIPID (pediatric)
ASAP
Simvastatin 80 mg Ezetimibe 10
mg Versus Simvastatin 80 mg
Atorvastatin 80 mg Versus Simvastatin 40 mg
Pravastatin 20-40 mg Versus Placebo
Wiegman et al, Efficacy and Safety of Statin
Therapy in Children With FH. JAMA 2004
292(3)331-7 Smilde et al, Atorvastatin versus
Simvastatin on Atherosclerotic Progression study.
Lancet 2001357577-81
Adapted from ACC 2008.
6
ENHANCE Study Design
Adapted from ACC 2008.
7
ENHANCE Study Population
Major inclusion criteria
Major exclusion criteria

• Age 30-75 years
• HeFH
• Genotyping
• Diagnostic criteria WHO
• Untreated LDL-C levels gt 210 mg/dL
• (5.43 mmol/l)
• Patients on lipid-lowering treatment
• LDL-c after wash out gt 210 mg/dL
• (5.43 mmol/l)

• High-grade carotid stenosis
• History carotid endarterectomy
• Carotid stenting
• Congestive heart failure III/IV

Adapted from ACC 2008.
8
ENHANCE cIMT Methodology Carotid Intima-Media
thickness (cIMT) measurements

• Measurements were made at a predefined angle of
  insonation
• Only the far-walls of all segments were imaged
• Images were stored in DICOM for offline image
  analyses

de Groot E, et al. Circulation. (2004) 109Suppl
IIIIII-33-III-38.
Adapted from ACC 2008.
9
Baseline Characteristics
Adapted from ACC 2008.
10
LDL-cholesterol
10
0
-10
-20
-30
Plt0.01
Percentage change from baseline
-40
-16.5 incremental reduction
-50
-60
-70
0
6
18
24
12
Months
Adapted from ACC 2008.
11
Other Lipids and Apolipoproteins
Adapted from ACC 2008.
12
hsCRP
Baseline 24
months
(mg/L) (mg/L) Simva
1.7(0.8-4.1) 1.2(0.6-2.4)
Eze-Simva 1.7(0.8-3-9)
0.9(0.5-1.9)
-26 incremental reduction
Adapted from ACC 2008.
13
Primary Efficacy Outcome
Adapted from ACC 2008.
14
No significant changes in 1 or 2 endpoints
consistent inferential results observed for
non-parametric (median) and parametric (mean)
analyses
Adapted from ACC 2008.
15
consistent inferential results observed for
non-parametric (median) and parametric (mean)
analyses
Adapted from ACC 2008.
16
Mean cIMT during 24 months of therapyLongitudinal
, repeated measures analysis
Mean IMT (mm)
Adapted from ACC 2008.
17
No Significant Changes Across any Subgroup
Progression
Change cIMT (mm)
Regression
Adapted from ACC 2008.
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Discussion
Adapted from ACC 2008.
19
Possible explanations for the absence of an
incremental reduction in cIMT
Measurement Technique Technique not accurate
enough to reflect changes in atherosclerotic
burden?
The Compound Ezetimibe lacks vascular benefit
despite the observed LDL-c and hsCRP reduction
The Population At too low a risk to detect
changes, which would limit the ability to detect
a differential response
Adapted from ACC 2008.
20
Quality of cIMT measurement
Intraclass correlation coefficient at baseline
0.93 Intraclass correlation coefficient at study
endpoint 0.95
Standard deviation between the paired measure at
baseline 0.053 mm Standard deviation between
the paired measure at 24 months 0.056 mm
Adapted from ACC 2008.
21
The CompoundEzetimibe no pleiotropic effects?
Landmesser et al, Circulation 2005 111(18)
2280-1
Adapted from ACC 2008.
22
Pleiotropic Effects of StatinsBenefit Beyond
Cholesterol Reduction?
Robinson et al, J Am Coll Cardiol 2005461855-62
Adapted from ACC 2008.
23
The Population
The treatment of patients with FH has witnessed
profound changes
Adapted from ACC 2008.
24
Baseline cIMT in LIPID (pediatric), ASAP and
ENHANCE
LIPID (pediatric)
Adapted from ACC 2008.
25
Safety Observations

• Both regimens well tolerated, with overall safety
  profiles generally similar and consistent with
  product labels
• One case of viral hepatitis A in the
  simvastatin-only arm
• One case of myopathy (defined as CPK gt 10 ULN,
  with associated muscle symptoms) in the
  simvastatin-only arm and 2 cases in the
  Ezetimibe-Simvastatin arm

Subjects with 2 consecutive measurements for ALT
and/or AST a single last measurement 3 ULN a
measurement 3 X ULN followed by lt 2 ULN that
was taken more than 2 days after the last dose of
study medication.
Adapted from ACC 2008.
26
Conclusion
The addition of Ezetimibe to Simvastatin did lead
to expected changes in LDL-c and hsCRP, but did
not reduce any cIMT parameter The reason(s) for
this discrepancy currently remains unknown
Adapted from ACC 2008.