Cited by 131interferon and immune responsesRespiratory viral infections researchPediatric health and respiratory diseases

The DOI matches its Crossref record; 20 of the 21 references it cites were found in a registry or an index; 16 of the 21 sources its claims cite were checked for support.

Targeting the biology of ageing with mTOR inhibitors to improve immune function in older adults: phase 2b and phase 3 randomised trials

Open access
Mannick, Joan B, Teo, Grace, Bernardo, Patti, Quinn, Dean, Russell, Kerry, Klickstein, Lloyd, Marshall, William, Shergill, Sarb·2021·The Lancet Healthy Longevity

Abstract

Background The COVID-19 pandemic highlights the need for therapies that improve immune function in older adults, including interferon (IFN)-induced antiviral immunity that declines with age. In a previous phase 2a trial, RTB101 (previously known as BEZ235), an oral mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) inhibitor, was observed to increase IFN-induced antiviral gene expression and decrease the incidence of respiratory tract infections (RTIs) in older adults. Therefore, we aimed to investigate whether oral RTB101 upregulated IFN-induced antiviral responses and decreased the incidence of viral RTIs when given once daily for 16 weeks during winter cold and flu season. Methods We did a phase 2b and a phase 3 double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled trial in adults aged at least 65 years enrolled in New Zealand, Australia, and the USA at 54 sites. In the phase 2b trial, patients were aged 65–85 years, with asthma, type 2 diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), congestive heart failure, were current smokers, or had an emergency room or hospitalisation for an RTI within the past 12 months. In the phase 3 trial, patients were aged at least 65 years, did not have COPD, and were not current smokers. In the phase 2b trial, patients were randomly assigned to using a validated automated randomisation system to oral RTB101 5 mg, RTB101 10 mg once daily, or placebo in part 1 and RTB101 10 mg once daily, RTB101 10 mg twice daily, RTB101 10 mg plus everolimus once daily, or matching placebo in part 2. In the phase 3 trial, patients were randomly assigned to RTB101 10mg once daily or matching placebo. The phase 2b primary outcome was the incidence of laboratory-confirmed RTIs during 16 weeks of winter cold and influenza season and the phase 3 primary outcome was the incidence of clinically symptomatic respiratory illness defined as symptoms consistent with an RTI, irrespective of whether an infection was laboratory-confirmed. Patients, investigators, and sponsor were masked to treatment assignments. All patients who received at least part of one dose of study drug were included in the primary and safety analyses. The phase 2b trial was registered with ANZCTR, ACTRN12617000468325, ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03373903, and the phase 3 trial was registered with ANZCTR, ACTRN12619000628145. Findings In the phase 2b trial, we recruited 652 participants in total between May 16, 2017, and Jan 10, 2018, 179 participants to part 1 of the study (randomly assigned 1:1:1 to RTB101 5 mg once daily [61 participants], RTB101 10 mg once daily [58 participants], or matching placebo [60 participants]) and 473 patients to part 2 (randomly assigned 1:1:1:1 to RTB101 10 mg once daily [118 participants], RTB101 10 mg twice daily [120 participants], RTB101 10 mg in combination with everolimus 0·1 mg daily [115 participants] or matching placebo [120 participants]). In our first prespecified statistical analysis of the primary efficacy endpoint for part 2 of the phase 2b trial efficacy of RTB101 10 mg in combination with everolimus 0·1 mg once daily compared with placebo did not meet statistical significance but, in our second prespecified analysis, which included data from part 1 and part 2, we found a statistically significant reduction in the proportion of patients who had one or more laboratory-confirmed RTIs in the RTB101 10 mg once daily treatment group (34 [19%] of 176) compared with the pooled placebo group (50 [28%] of 180; odds ratio [OR] 0·601 [90% CI 0·391–0·922]; p=0·02). In the phase 3 trial, we enrolled 1024 patients between May 7, 2018, and July 19, 2019. 513 (50·1%) participants were randomly assigned to RTB101 10 mg once daily and 510 (49·9%) to placebo. In the full analysis set of the phase 3 trial, RTB101 did not reduce the proportion of patients with clinically symptomatic respiratory illness (134 [26%] of 511 patients in the RTB101 treatment group vs 125 [25%] 510 patients in the placebo treatment group; OR 1·07 [90% CI 0·80–1·42]; p=0·65). In both trials, significantly more IFN-induced antiviral genes were upregulated in patients treated with RTB101 as compared with placebo. The study drug was found to be safe and well-tolerated across trials and treatment groups. Only one patient in the placebo group in the phase 3 trial had serious adverse events (nausea, fatigue, hyponatraemia, and arthralgia) which were considered related to study drug treatment. Three patients died in the phase 2b trial and one in the phase 3 trial but no deaths were considered related to study treatment. Interpretation The combined results indicate that low doses of the mTOR inhibitor RTB101 are well tolerated and upregulate IFN-induced antiviral responses in older adults. Further refinement of clinical trial endpoints and patient populations might be required to identify whether upregulation of IFN responses by mTOR inhibitors consistently decreases the incidence or severity of viral infections in older adults. Funding resTORbio and the Na

Overview

AI snapshot

Written from the paper’s full text.

TL;DR

In two randomized placebo-controlled trials in adults aged ≥65 years, oral mTOR inhibitor RTB101 10 mg once daily upregulated IFN-induced antiviral gene expression and was well tolerated, but it reduced laboratory-confirmed RTIs in phase 2b while failing to reduce clinically symptomatic respiratory illness in phase 3. The authors conclude that endpoint and population refinement may be needed to determine whether mTOR inhibitors consistently decrease viral infections in older adults.

Key findings

  • In phase 2b (n=652), the second prespecified analysis including parts 1 and 2 found RTB101 10 mg once daily reduced the proportion with ≥1 laboratory-confirmed RTI versus pooled placebo: 34/176 (19%) vs 50/180 (28%); OR 0·601 (90% CI 0·391–0·922); p=0·02. The first prespecified part 2 analysis of RTB101 10 mg plus everolimus 0·1 mg did not meet statistical significance.
  • In phase 3 (n=1024), RTB101 10 mg once daily did not reduce clinically symptomatic respiratory illness: 134/511 (26%) vs 125/510 (25%); OR 1·07 (95% CI 0·80–1·42); p=0·65.
  • In both trials, significantly more IFN-induced antiviral genes were upregulated in RTB101-treated patients than in placebo-treated patients. Severe laboratory-confirmed RTIs were reduced in phase 2b: 8/176 (5%) vs 17/180 (9%); OR 0·44 (90% CI 0·21–0·92); p=0·034; in phase 3, severe laboratory-confirmed clinically symptomatic respiratory illness was 22/511 (4%) vs 31/510 (6%); OR 0·70 (95% CI 0·40–1·22); nominal p=0·21.
  • RTB101 was safe and well tolerated across trials and treatment groups; no deaths were considered related to study treatment.

Methods

  • Design: phase 2b and phase 3 double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled trials. Phase 2b enrolled adults aged 65–85 years with asthma, type 2 diabetes, COPD, congestive heart failure, current smoking, or recent RTI-related emergency room/hospitalisation at 10 New Zealand and 17 USA sites. Phase 3 enrolled adults aged ≥65 years without COPD and not current smokers at 16 New Zealand and 15 Australia sites.
  • Interventions: phase 2b part 1 randomised 1:1:1 to RTB101 5 mg, RTB101 10 mg once daily, or placebo; part 2 randomised 1:1:1:1 to RTB101 10 mg once daily, RTB101 10 mg twice daily, RTB101 10 mg plus everolimus 0·1 mg once daily, or placebo. Phase 3 randomised 1:1 to RTB101 10 mg once daily or placebo. Treatment lasted 16 weeks.
  • Outcomes and analysis: phase 2b primary outcome was incidence of laboratory-confirmed RTIs over 16 weeks; phase 3 primary outcome was clinically symptomatic respiratory illness. Primary analyses used the full analysis set and logistic regression to estimate ORs with CIs. IFN-induced antiviral gene expression was measured in whole blood by qPCR for 20 genes at baseline and week 16.

Limitations

  • Stated by the authors: possible explanations for divergent phase 2b and phase 3 results include the change in primary endpoint and symptom collection between trials; phase 3 eDiary symptoms may have included non-infectious causes such as allergies or underlying cardiopulmonary disease; phase 3 enrolled a healthier population with possibly less attenuated type 1 IFN responses; phase 3 was underpowered for the laboratory-confirmed secondary endpoint (placebo incidence 14%; 2494 patients would have been needed for 90% power to detect a 30% reduction); and the phase 2b positive result could have been type 1 error.
  • Stated by the authors: upregulation of antiviral gene expression by RTB101 might be insufficient to decrease the incidence of viral RTIs, and benefit may be limited to subsets of older adults or viruses.
  • Evident from the text: the phase 2b significant result came from a second prespecified analysis that did not adjust for multiplicity after the first prespecified analysis failed, and the negative phase 3 primary endpoint stopped formal statistical testing of subsequent endpoints.

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Crossref · 10.1016/s2666-7568(21)00062-3

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  • Probably not a substantial claim. 47
  • It may state two separate claims as one. 23
  • The quote only partly states this claim. 2
65 of 65
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    Type 1 IFNs are the first line of defense against viruses and induce the expression of hundreds of antiviral genes that inhibit the replication of many different viruses.

    “Type 1 IFNs are the first line of defense against viruses and induce the expression of hundreds of antiviral genes that inhibit the replication of many different viruses.”
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    Inhibition of mTOR has been shown to extend lifespan and improve the function of multiple ageing organ systems including the immune system in animal models.

    “Inhibition of mTOR has been shown to extend lifespan and improve the function of multiple ageing organ systems including the immune system in animal models.”
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    Older adults have deficient IFN-induced antiviral responses.

    “such as deficient IFN-induced antiviral responses”
  • The authors state this as an assumption.

    Once daily RTB101 dosing achieves intermittent inhibition of mTOR, and twice daily RTB101 dosing or combination dosing with everolimus achieves persistent inhibition of mTOR.

    “intermittent inhibition of mTOR (predicted to be achieved with with once daily RTB101 dosing) might be more effective than persistent inhibition (predicted to be achieved with twice daily RTB101 dosing or combination dosing with everolimus)”
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Metadata

Authors
Mannick, J. B., Teo, G., Bernardo, P., Quinn, D., Russell, K., Klickstein, L., Marshall, W., & Shergill, S.
Affiliations
  • Mersana Therapeutics (United States) (US)
  • Dicerna Pharmaceuticals (United States) (US)
Corresponding author
Mannick, Joan B
Venue
The Lancet Healthy Longevity
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2021-05
Volume
2
Issue
5
Pages
e250-e262
ISSN
2666-7568 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W3158211524
Cited by
131
References
21
Citations by year
2026: 34 · 2025: 33 · 2024: 20 · 2023: 25 · 2022: 13 · 2021: 6
FWCI
5.86
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • The Lancet Healthy Longevity (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
Funders
National Institutes of Health
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Immunology and Microbiology › Immunology › interferon and immune responses
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Epidemiology › Respiratory viral infections research
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Pediatrics, Perinatology and Child Health › Pediatric health and respiratory diseases
Keywords
mTOR inhibitors, BEZ235, everolimus, immunosenescence, respiratory infections, respiratory viral infections, influenza, COVID-19 pandemic, adverse events, drug safety
MeSH terms
Everolimus, COVID-19, MTOR Inhibitors, Aged, Aging, Antiviral Agents, Biology, Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2, Humans, Immunity, Respiratory Tract Infections, Treatment Outcome, Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive, TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases, Pandemics

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