Clinical efficacy and safety of topiroxostat in Japanese hyperuricemic patients with or without gout: a randomized, double-blinded, controlled phase 2b study

Topiroxostat, a selective xanthine oxidoreductase inhibitor, is used in Japan for the treatment of hyperuricemic patients with or without gout. In terms of the effectiveness of topiroxostat in lowering serum urate levels, the dose–response relationship has been evaluated; however, it remains to be verified. A randomized, multi-center, double-blinded study of topiroxostat was performed for Japanese hyperuricemic patients with or without gout. During the 16-week study, 157 Japanese hyperuricemic patients with or without gout were randomly assigned to receive a placebo, topiroxostat at 120 or 160 mg/day, or allopurinol at 200 mg/day. The primary endpoint of this study was to determine the lowering rate of serum uric acid levels compared to those of baseline at the end of administration. A dose–response relationship (regarding decreases in the serum urate levels) was confirmed for the placebo and topiroxostat at 120 and at 160 mg/day. Moreover, at the end of administration, the lowering rate of serum urate levels was determined to be −44.8% in the topiroxostat 160-mg/day group. No significant difference in the incidence of adverse events was observed among all groups, including the allopurinol group. The serum urate-lowering effect of topiroxostat was found to have a dose–response relationship in Japanese hyperuricemic patients with or without gout. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s10067-016-3474-8) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.