NEJM original articles

Background. The effectiveness and safety of statins for the primary prevention of cardiovascular events and the extension of disability-free survival among older adults remain uncertain.

Methods. We conducted a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial at general medical practices across Australia. Community-dwelling adults at least 70 years of age with no history of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, or dementia were randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to receive atorvastatin at a dose of 40 mg once daily or identical placebo. The two primary end points were a composite of death from cardiovascular causes, nonfatal myocardial infarction or stroke, or coronary revascularization (to assess effects on major cardiovascular events) and a composite of death from any cause, dementia, or persistent physical disability (to assess effects on disability-free survival). Analyses were performed according to a hierarchical testing plan.

Results. A total of 9971 participants were enrolled: 4984 were assigned to receive atorvastatin and 4987 to receive placebo. The mean (±SD) age of the participants was 74.7±4.5 years, and 51.9% were women. After a median of 5.9 years, a primary cardiovascular event had occurred in 297 participants (10.9 events per 1000 person-years) in the atorvastatin group and in 412 participants (15.5 events per 1000 person-years) in the placebo group (hazard ratio, 0.70; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.61 to 0.82; P<0.001). Death from any cause, dementia, or persistent physical disability occurred in 637 participants (21.6 events per 1000 person-years) in the atorvastatin group and in 676 participants (23.0 events per 1000 person-years) in the placebo group (hazard ratio, 0.94; 95% CI, 0.84 to 1.05; P = 0.25). Serious adverse events occurred in 131 participants (2.7%) in the atorvastatin group and in 129 (2.7%) in the placebo group, with musculoskeletal, hepatobiliary, and diabetes-related adverse events occurring more commonly in the atorvastatin group.

Conclusions. Treatment with atorvastatin led to a lower risk of major cardiovascular events than placebo at a median of 5.9 years but did not result in longer disability-free survival among community-dwelling older adults without clinical cardiovascular disease. (Funded by the National Health and Medical Research Council and others; STAREE ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT02099123.).

Background. IgG4-related disease is a chronic fibroinflammatory condition that can affect virtually any organ system. Glucocorticoid agents are a cornerstone of therapy but are limited by toxic effects, and relapse is common after discontinuation. Obexelimab is a bifunctional monoclonal antibody that inhibits B-cell activity through coengagement of CD19 and FcγRIIb without inducing B-cell depletion.

Methods. In this phase 3, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial, patients with active IgG4-related disease received subcutaneous obexelimab at a dose of 250 mg or placebo once weekly for 52 weeks. For patients in both groups, glucocorticoids were tapered in a standardized schedule to discontinuation at week 8. The primary end point was the time to the first flare of IgG4-related disease for which rescue therapy was required, as determined by both the investigator and the independent adjudication committee. Key secondary end points included complete remission at week 52 and the cumulative dose of glucocorticoid rescue therapy through week 52.

Results. From January 2023 through November 2024, a total of 194 patients underwent randomization (with 97 assigned to each group). The time to the first disease flare that required rescue therapy was significantly longer with obexelimab than with placebo (hazard ratio, 0.44; 95% confidence interval, 0.28 to 0.71; P<0.001); flares were reported in 26 patients (26.8%) in the obexelimab group and in 53 patients (54.6%) in the placebo group. Obexelimab showed a significant benefit over placebo with respect to all the key secondary end points, including complete remission (37.1% vs. 19.6%, P = 0.005) and the cumulative dose of glucocorticoid rescue therapy (329.5 mg vs. 929.8 mg, P = 0.004). Adverse events included arthralgias (in 19.6% of the patients in the obexelimab group vs. 11.3% of those in the placebo group), hypersensitivity (in 16.5% vs. 11.3%), and diarrhea (in 11.3% vs. 6.2%). Serious adverse events occurred in 10.3% of the patients in the obexelimab group and in 18.6% of those in the placebo group.

Conclusions. Among patients with active IgG4-related disease, weekly obexelimab treatment led to a significantly lower risk of disease flare and significantly less glucocorticoid exposure than placebo. (Funded by Zenas BioPharma; INDIGO ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT05662241.).

Background. Giredestrant and everolimus target the estrogen receptor (ER) pathway and the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)-protein kinase B (AKT)-mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway, respectively, which are implicated in endocrine-therapy resistance.

Methods. In this phase 3, open-label, randomized trial, we enrolled patients with ER-positive, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-negative locally advanced or metastatic breast cancer who had disease progression or recurrence after receipt of a cyclin-dependent kinase 4 and 6 (CDK4/6) inhibitor plus endocrine therapy. Patients were assigned, in a 1:1 ratio, to receive giredestrant plus everolimus (each given orally) or standard endocrine therapy (i.e., exemestane, fulvestrant, or tamoxifen) plus everolimus. The primary end point was investigator-assessed progression-free survival, evaluated first among patients with ESR1-mutated tumors and then in the overall trial population.

Results. Overall, 373 patients underwent randomization, with 183 assigned to the giredestrant-everolimus group and 190 to the standard therapy-everolimus group. Among 207 patients with ESR1-mutated tumors, the median progression-free survival was 10.0 months with giredestrant-everolimus and 5.5 months with standard therapy-everolimus (hazard ratio for disease progression or death, 0.38; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.27 to 0.54; P<0.001). In the overall population, the median progression-free survival was 8.8 months with giredestrant-everolimus and 5.5 months with standard therapy-everolimus (hazard ratio, 0.56; 95% CI, 0.44 to 0.71; P<0.001). Adverse events occurred in 98.9% of patients who received giredestrant-everolimus and in 96.8% of those who received standard therapy-everolimus. The most common adverse events were stomatitis (in 47.3% of giredestrant-everolimus recipients and 48.9% of standard therapy-everolimus recipients), diarrhea (in 26.9% and 22.6%, respectively), and anemia (in 23.6% and 21.0%).

Conclusions. An all-oral giredestrant-everolimus regimen led to significantly longer progression-free survival than standard endocrine therapy-everolimus among patients with ER-positive, HER2-negative advanced breast cancer who had received a CDK4/6 inhibitor previously, mainly in patients with ESR1-mutated tumors. The incidence of adverse events was similar in the two groups. (Funded by Genentech; evERA Breast Cancer ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT05306340.).

Background. Once-daily, single-tablet regimens have transformed care for persons living with human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1); however, challenges to adherence continue to limit effective treatment. Long-acting oral-drug combinations could offer new options with less frequent dose administration.

Methods. We conducted a phase 3, double-blind, randomized, active-controlled, noninferiority trial in 12 countries to evaluate the efficacy and safety of a switch to once-weekly oral islatravir-lenacapavir (ISL/LEN) from once-daily oral bictegravir-emtricitabine-tenofovir alafenamide (B/F/TAF) in adults in whom HIV-1 had been virologically suppressed for at least 6 months while they were receiving B/F/TAF. Participants were assigned in a 1:1 ratio to receive once-weekly ISL/LEN (2 mg/300 mg) or to continue once-daily B/F/TAF for 96 weeks; all received matched placebo for the alternative regimen. The primary end point was the percentage of participants with an HIV-1 RNA level of 50 copies per milliliter or higher at week 48, as determined by the Food and Drug Administration-defined snapshot algorithm. Noninferiority was determined at a margin of 4 percentage points.

Results. A total of 607 participants underwent randomization; 304 were assigned to the ISL/LEN group and 303 to the B/F/TAF group. A total of 21% of the participants were women, 31% were Black, 26% were Hispanic or Latine, and 15% were 65 years of age or older. At week 48, an HIV-1 RNA level of 50 copies per milliliter or higher was reported in no participants in the ISL/LEN group and 1 (0.3%) in the B/F/TAF group (difference, -0.3 percentage points; 95.002% confidence interval [CI], -1.4 to 0.8); an HIV-1 RNA level of less than 50 copies per milliliter was reported in 284 (93.4%) and 280 (92.4%), respectively (difference, 1.0 percentage point, 95% CI, -3.2 to 5.2). The mean change in the CD4+ T-cell count at week 48 was -10 cells per microliter with ISL/LEN and -18 cells per microliter with B/F/TAF (least-squares mean difference, 12 cells per microliter; 95% CI, -16 to 39). The trial regimen was discontinued owing to adverse events in 6 participants (2.0%) in the ISL/LEN group and 5 (1.7%) in the B/F/TAF group; serious adverse events occurred in 16 (5.3%) and 14 (4.6%), respectively.

Conclusions. Among persons with virologically suppressed HIV-1, once-weekly oral ISL/LEN was noninferior to once-daily B/F/TAF in maintaining HIV viral load suppression. (Funded by Gilead Sciences and Merck Sharp and Dohme; ISLEND-1 ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT06630286.).