eritoran and Sepsis

Sepsis continues to be a leading cause of intensive care unit (ICU) death. Gram-negative bacteria are among the most important pathogens of sepsis and their LPS content is regarded to be an important stimulator that elicits the systemic inflammatory reaction. MD-2 is a small secreted glycoprotein that can bind to both the hydrophobic portion of LPS and to the extracellular domain of TLR4. The interaction between MD-2 and LPS bridges the two TLR4 molecules and induces the dimerization of LPS-MD-2-TLR4, which forms the structural basis for biological functions of TLR4/MD-2 complex. Due to its essential role in mediating the interaction between LPS and TLR4, MD-2 has been extensively explored as a therapeutic target for treatment of inflammatory disorders such as sepsis. Eritoran is a synthetic tetraacylated lipid A that binds directly to MD-2 and antagonizes LPS binding to the same site. Although eritoran showed positive results in phase I and phase II clinical trials of severe sepsis, a phase III clinical study for severe sepsis has failed. More effective therapeutic strategies are in need to treat this devastating clinical disorder.

Topics: Disaccharides; Humans; Lipopolysaccharides; Lymphocyte Antigen 96; Models, Biological; Molecular Targeted Therapy; Protein Binding; Sepsis; Signal Transduction; Sugar Phosphates; Toll-Like Receptor 4

Sepsis remains a leading cause of death worldwide. Despite years of extensive research, effective drugs that inhibit the pro-inflammatory effects of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and improve outcome when added to conventional sepsis treatments are lacking. Eritoran tetrasodium (E5564) is a promising candidate therapy for sepsis belonging to a new class of such drugs which inhibit LPS-induced inflammation by blocking toll-like receptor 4.. This review focuses on the rationale for the use of eritoran tetrasodium in sepsis as well as on its pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, efficacy and safety. Preclinical and clinical studies from a MEDLINE/PubMed literature search in August 2010 with the search terms 'eritoran' and 'E5564' are discussed.. Preclinical in vitro and in vivo studies of eritoran tetrasodium indicate it can limit excessive inflammatory mediator release associated with LPS and improve survival in sepsis models. While early clinical results are promising, its efficacy and safety for treating patients with sepsis are currently under investigation. Even if the ongoing Phase III clinical trial enrolling patients with severe sepsis and increased risk of death shows benefit from eritoran, questions remain and confirmatory studies would be necessary to define its clinical usage.

Topics: Animals; Anti-Inflammatory Agents; Clinical Trials as Topic; Disaccharides; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Drug Evaluation, Preclinical; Drug-Related Side Effects and Adverse Reactions; Humans; Lipopolysaccharides; Sepsis; Sugar Phosphates; Toll-Like Receptor 4

The human innate immune system initiates inflammation in response to bacterial molecules, particularly Gram-negative bacterial endotoxin. The steps by which endotoxin exposure leads to systemic inflammation include binding to Toll-like receptor-4 that specifically recognizes endotoxin and subsequently triggers cellular and molecular inflammatory responses. Severe sepsis is a systemic inflammatory response to infection that induces organ dysfunction and threatens a person's survival. Severe sepsis is frequently associated with increased blood levels of endotoxin. It is a significant medical problem that effects approximately 700,000 patients every year in the USA, resulting in 250,000 deaths. Eritoran tetrasodium is a nonpathogenic analog of bacterial endotoxin that antagonizes inflammatory signaling by the immune receptor Toll-like receptor-4. Eritoran is being evaluated for the treatment of patients with severe sepsis.

Topics: Antibodies, Neutralizing; Clinical Trials as Topic; Disaccharides; Female; Gram-Negative Bacteria; Gram-Positive Bacteria; Humans; Lipopolysaccharides; Male; Phospholipids; Renal Dialysis; Sepsis; Signal Transduction; Sugar Phosphates; Toll-Like Receptor 4; United States

Despite a decrease in mortality over the last decade, sepsis remains the tenth leading causes of death in western countries and one of the most common cause of death in intensive care units. The recent discovery of Toll-like receptors and their downstream signalling pathways allowed us to better understand the pathophysiology of sepsis-related disorders. Particular attention has been paid to Toll-like receptor 4, the receptor for Gram-negative bacteria outer membrane lipopolysaccharide or endotoxin. Since most of the clinical trial targeting single inflammatory cytokine in the treatment of sepsis failed, therapeutic targeting of Toll-like receptor 4, because of its central role, looks promising. The purpose of this paper is to focus on the recent data of various drugs targeting TLR4 expression and pathway and their potential role as adjunctive therapy in severe sepsis and septic shock.

Topics: Analgesics; Analgesics, Opioid; Animals; Antibodies; Antirheumatic Agents; Chloroquine; Cholecalciferol; Disaccharides; Ganglionic Stimulants; Humans; Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors; Ketamine; Lymphocyte Antigen 96; Nicotine; Sepsis; Sugar Phosphates; Sulfonamides; Toll-Like Receptor 4

To describe the quality of life among sepsis survivors.. Secondary analyses of two international, randomized clinical trials (A Controlled Comparison of Eritoran and placebo in patients with Severe Sepsis [derivation cohort] and PROWESS-SHOCK [validation cohort]).. ICUs in North and South America, Europe, Africa, Asia, and Australia.. Adults with severe sepsis. We analyzed only patients who were functional and living at home without help before sepsis hospitalization (n = 1,143 and 987 from A Controlled Comparison of Eritoran and placebo in patients with Severe Sepsis and PROWESS-SHOCK, respectively).. None.. In A Controlled Comparison of Eritoran and placebo in patients with Severe Sepsis and PROWESS-SHOCK, the average age of patients living at home independently was 63 and 61 years; 400 (34.9%) and 298 (30.2%) died by 6 months. In A Controlled Comparison of Eritoran and placebo in patients with Severe Sepsis, 580 patients had a quality of life measured using EQ-5D at 6 months. Of these, 41.6% could not live independently (22.7% were home but required help, 5.1% were in nursing home or rehabilitation facilities, and 5.3% were in acute care hospitals). Poor quality of life at 6 months, as evidenced by problems in mobility, usual activities, and self-care domains were reported in 37.4%, 43.7%, and 20.5%, respectively, and the high incidence of poor quality of life was also seen in patients in PROWESS-SHOCK. Over 45% of patients with mobility and self-care problems at 6 months in A Controlled Comparison of Eritoran and placebo in patients with Severe Sepsis died or reported persistent problems at 1 year.. Among individuals enrolled in a clinical trial who lived independently prior to severe sepsis, one third had died and of those who survived, a further one third had not returned to independent living by 6 months. Both mortality and quality of life should be considered when designing new interventions and considering endpoints for sepsis trials.

Topics: Activities of Daily Living; Adult; Aged; Comorbidity; Disaccharides; Female; Humans; Length of Stay; Logistic Models; Male; Middle Aged; Mobility Limitation; Quality of Life; Sepsis; Severity of Illness Index; Sugar Phosphates; Survivors

Eritoran is a synthetic lipid A antagonist that blocks lipopolysaccharide (LPS) from binding at the cell surface MD2-TLR4 receptor. LPS is a major component of the outer membrane of gram-negative bacteria and is a potent activator of the acute inflammatory response.. To determine if eritoran, a TLR4 antagonist, would significantly reduce sepsis-induced mortality.. We performed a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multinational phase 3 trial in 197 intensive care units. Patients were enrolled from June 2006 to September 2010 and final follow-up was completed in September 2011.. Patients with severe sepsis (n = 1961) were randomized and treated within 12 hours of onset of first organ dysfunction in a 2:1 ratio with a 6-day course of either eritoran tetrasodium (105 mg total) or placebo, with n = 1304 and n = 657 patients, respectively.. The primary end point was 28-day all-cause mortality. The secondary end points were all-cause mortality at 3, 6, and 12 months after beginning treatment.. Baseline characteristics of the 2 study groups were similar. In the modified intent-to-treat analysis (randomized patients who received at least 1 dose) there was no significant difference in the primary end point of 28-day all-cause mortality with 28.1% (366/1304) in the eritoran group vs 26.9% (177/657) in the placebo group (P = .59; hazard ratio, 1.05; 95% CI, 0.88-1.26; difference in mortality rate, -1.1; 95% CI, -5.3 to 3.1) or in the key secondary end point of 1-year all-cause mortality with 44.1% (290/657) in the eritoran group vs 43.3% (565/1304) in the placebo group, Kaplan-Meier analysis of time to death by 1 year, P = .79 (hazard ratio, 0.98; 0.85-1.13). No significant differences were observed in any of the prespecified subgroups. Adverse events, including secondary infection rates, did not differ between study groups.. Among patients with severe sepsis, the use of eritoran, compared with placebo, did not result in reduced 28-day mortality.. clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT00334828.

Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Disaccharides; Double-Blind Method; Female; Humans; Kaplan-Meier Estimate; Male; Middle Aged; Organ Dysfunction Scores; Sepsis; Severity of Illness Index; Sugar Phosphates; Toll-Like Receptor 4; Young Adult

Disease severity varies widely in patients with severe sepsis. Eritoran tetrasodium (E5564), a TLR4 antagonist, blocks the binding of endotoxin and is being evaluated as a novel therapy for severe sepsis. This analysis aimed to assess the efficacy of eritoran based on severity of illness and similar effects in other recent sepsis trials. Prospective covariates from a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, phase 2 trial were analyzed for treatment interaction measured by 28-day mortality. Five statistical interaction methodologies were used. The modified intent-to-treat population (n = 292), all-cause 28-day mortality was as follows: placebo, 33.3% (32/96); eritoran 45 mg/105 mg, 29.6% (58/196). Logistic regression analysis identified Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II scores, predicted-risk-of-mortality scores, IL-6, age, sex, race, and eritoran use as associated with survival. Significant treatment interactions were observed (eritoran vs. placebo) for baseline covariates: Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II (P = 0.035), predicted-risk-of-mortality scores (P = 0.008), number of organ failures (P = 0.079), international normalized ratio (P = 0.05), and acute physiology score (P = 0.039). I analysis showed that 38% of the total eritoran treatment variance was explained by the severity-of-illness heterogeneity rather than by chance. No interactions observed with other variables. Consistent with the finding in this eritoran trial, other sepsis trials (IL-1 receptor antagonist, TNFsr-p55, antithrombin, drotrecogin alfa-activated) also demonstrated significant treatment by severity interaction. Potential survival benefits of eritoran in severe sepsis patients were associated with high severity of illness. These findings were used to design a phase 3 trial. Similar treatment by severity-of-illness interaction was found in most recent sepsis trials.

Topics: Disaccharides; Double-Blind Method; Female; Humans; Interleukin-6; Male; Sepsis; Sugar Phosphates; Treatment Outcome

There is a close cross-talk between complement, Toll-like receptors (TLRs) and coagulation. The role of the central complement component 5 (C5) in physiological and pathophysiological hemostasis has not, however, been fully elucidated. This study examined the effects of C5 in normal hemostasis and in Escherichia coli-induced coagulation and tissue factor (TF) up-regulation. Fresh whole blood obtained from six healthy donors and one C5-deficient individual (C5D) was anti-coagulated with the thrombin inhibitor lepirudin. Blood was incubated with or without E. coli in the presence of the C5 inhibitor eculizumab, a blocking anti-CD14 monoclonal antibody (anti-CD14) or the TLR-4 inhibitor eritoran. C5D blood was reconstituted with purified human C5. TF mRNA was measured by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) and monocyte TF and CD11b surface expression by flow cytometry. Prothrombin fragment 1+2 (PTF1·2) in plasma and microparticles exposing TF (TF-MP) was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Coagulation kinetics were analyzed by rotational thromboelastometry and platelet function by PFA-200. Normal blood with eculizumab as well as C5D blood with or without reconstitution with C5 displayed completely normal biochemical hemostatic patterns. In contrast, E. coli-induced TF mRNA and TF-MP were significantly reduced by C5 inhibition. C5 inhibition combined with anti-CD14 or eritoran completely inhibited the E. coli-induced monocyte TF, TF-MP and plasma PTF1·2. Addition of C5a alone did not induce TF expression on monocytes. In conclusion, C5 showed no impact on physiological hemostasis, but substantially contributed to E. coli-induced procoagulant events, which were abolished by the combined inhibition of C5 and CD14 or TLR-4.

Topics: Antibodies, Blocking; Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; Blood Cells; Blood Coagulation; Cells, Cultured; Complement C5; Disaccharides; Escherichia coli; Escherichia coli Infections; Female; Hemostasis; Hirudins; Humans; Lipopolysaccharide Receptors; Male; Platelet Function Tests; Receptor Cross-Talk; Recombinant Proteins; Sepsis; Sugar Phosphates; Thrombelastography; Thromboplastin; Toll-Like Receptor 4

Topics: Clinical Trials as Topic; Clinical Trials, Phase III as Topic; Disaccharides; Drug Discovery; Humans; Lipopolysaccharides; Research Design; Sepsis; Shock, Septic; Sugar Phosphates; Toll-Like Receptor 4

Severe sepsis and septic shock are often accompanied by acute cardiovascular depression. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) signaling via Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) can induce septic organ dysfunction. The aim of this study was to elucidate the in vivo impact of pharmacological TLR4 antagonism on LPS-induced cardiovascular depression using eritoran tetrasodium (E5564). To simulate sepsis, C3H/HeN mice were challenged i.p. with 2 mg/kg body weight LPS. With the intent to antagonize the LPS effects, eritoran was administered i.v. (4 mg/kg body weight). Physical activity, peripheral blood pressure, and heart frequency were recorded before and after LPS and eritoran injection. In addition, intracardiac hemodynamic parameters were analyzed with a pressure conductance catheter. After 2 and 6 h of LPS stimulation ± eritoran treatment, the hearts and aortae were harvested, and TLR as well as inflammatory mediator expression was measured using reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Lipopolysaccharide significantly decreased arterial blood pressure over time. Administration of eritoran partially prevented the LPS-dependent reduction in blood pressure and preserved cardiac function. In addition, LPS increased the expression of CD14 and TLR2 in cardiac and aortic tissue. In aortic tissue, eritoran attenuated this increase, whereas no significant reduction was observed in the heart. Furthermore, cardiac and aortic inducible nitric oxide synthetase mRNA levels were significantly increased 6 h after LPS application. This effect was reduced in the presence of eritoran. In summary, the beneficial influence of eritoran on cardiovascular function in vivo seems to rely mainly on reduction of LPS-induced inducible nitric oxide synthetase expression as well as on attenuated cytokine expression in the vascular wall.

Topics: Animals; Disaccharides; Endotoxemia; Female; Lipopolysaccharides; Male; Mice; Sepsis; Sugar Phosphates; Toll-Like Receptor 4

Topics: Animals; Disaccharides; Endotoxemia; Female; Male; Sepsis; Sugar Phosphates; Toll-Like Receptor 4

Topics: Animals; Anti-Infective Agents; Clinical Trials as Topic; Disaccharides; Drug Discovery; Humans; Immune Tolerance; Infections; Models, Animal; Patient Selection; Protein C; Recombinant Proteins; Sepsis; Sugar Phosphates; Toll-Like Receptor 4; Treatment Failure