Withdrawal Study Details Effects of Levoketoconazole in Cushing’s Syndrome

Posted on May 30, 2022 by MaryO

Data presented at AACE 2022 detail levoketoconazole-specific effects observed among patients with endogenous Cushing’s syndrome from the phase 3 LOGICS trial.

New research presented at the American Academy of Clinical Endocrinology (AACE) annual meeting provides insight into the effects of treatment with levoketoconazole (Osilodrostat) among patients with endogenous Cushing’s syndrome.

An analysis of data from a double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized withdrawal study, results of the study demonstrate levoketoconazole provided benefits across a range of etiologies and provide evidence of levoketoconazole-specific effects through the withdrawal and reintroduction of therapy during the trial.

“This LOGICS study showed that treatment with levoketoconazole benefitted patients with Cushing’s syndrome of different etiologies and a wide range in UFC elevations at baseline by frequent normalization of mUFC and concurrent improvements in serum cholesterol,” said Maria Fleseriu, MD, professor of medicine and neurological surgery and director of the Northwest Pituitary Center at Oregon Health and Science University, during her presentation. “The benefits observed were established as levoketoconazole-specific via the loss of therapeutic effect upon withdrawal to placebo and restoration upon reintroduction of levoketoconazole.”

An orally administered cortisol synthesis inhibitor approved by the US FDA for treatment of endogenous hypercortisolemia in adult patients with Cushing’s syndrome considered ineligible for surgery, levoketoconazole received approval based on results of the phase 3 open-label SONICS trial, which demonstrated . Launched on the heels of SONICS, the current trial, LOGICS, was designed as phase 3, double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized withdrawal study aimed at assessing the drug-specificity of cortisol normalization in adult patients with Cushing’s syndrome through a comparison of the effects of withdrawing levoketoconazole to placebo against continuing treatment.

The trial began with an open-label titration maintenance phase followed by a double-blind randomized withdrawal phase and a subsequent restoration phase, with the randomized withdrawal and restoration phase both lasting 8 weeks. A total of 89 patients with Cushing’s syndrome received levoketoconazole to normalize mUFC. Of these, 39 patients on a stable dose for 4 weeks or more were included in the randomized withdrawal stage of the study. These 39, along with 5 completers of the SONICS trial, were randomized in a 1:1 ratio to continue therapy with levoketoconazole or placebo therapy, with 22 patients randomized to each arm.

The primary outcome of interest in the study was the proportion of patients with loss of mean urinary free cortisol response during the randomized withdrawal phase of the study, which was defined as an mUFC 1.5 times the upper limit of normal or greater or an mUFC 40% or more above baseline. Secondary outcomes of interest included mUFC normalization at the end of the randomized withdrawal phase of the study and changes in comorbidity biomarkers.

Overall, 21 of the 22 patients randomized to placebo during the withdrawal stage met the primary endpoint of loss of mUFC compared to just 9 of 22 among the levoketoconazole arm of the trial (treatment difference: -54.5% [95% CI, -75.7 to -27.4]; P=.0002). Additionally, at the conclusion of the randomization phase, mUFC normalization was observed among 11 patients in the levoketoconazole arm of the trial compared to 1 patient receiving placebo (treatment difference: 45.5% [95% CI, 19.2 to 67.9]; P=.0015).

Further analysis indicated the restoration of levoketoconazole therapy was associated with a. Reversal of loss of contrail control in most patients who had been randomized to placebo. Investigators pointed out the mean change from randomized withdrawal baseline to the end of the randomized withdrawal period in total cholesterol was -0.04 mmol/L for levoketoconazole and 0.9 mmol/L for placebo (P=.0004) and the mean change in LDL-C was -0.006 mmol/L and 0.6 mmol/L, respectively (P=0.0056), with the mean increases in cholesterol observed among the placebo arm reversed during the restoration phase.

In safety analyses, results suggest the most commonly reported adverse events seen with levoketoconazole treatment, during all study phases combined were nausea and hypokalemia, which occurred among 29% and 26% of patients, respectively. Investigators also pointed out liver-related events, QT interval prolongation, and adrenal insufficiency, which were respecified adverse events of special interest occurred among 10.7%, 10.7%, and 9.5% of patients receiving levoketoconazole, respectively.

This study, “Levoketoconazole in the Treatment of Endogenous Cushing’s Syndrome: A Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled, Randomized Withdrawal Study,” was presented at AACE 2022.

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Osilodrostat Improves Physical Manifestations of Hypercortisolism for Most Adults

Posted on May 28, 2022 by MaryO

Osilodrostat is associated with improvements in physical manifestations of hypercortisolism and reductions in mean body weight and BMI in adults with Cushing’s syndrome, according to a speaker.

As Healio previously reported, in findings from the LINC 4 phase 3 trial, osilodrostat (Isturisa, Recordati) normalized mean urinary free cortisol level at 12 weeks in more than 75% of adults with Cushing’s disease. In new findings presented at the AACE Annual Scientific and Clinical Conference, most adults with Cushing’s syndrome participating in the LINC 3 phase 3 trial had improvements in physical manifestations of hypercortisolism 72 weeks after initiating osilodrostat, with more than 50% having no dorsal fat pad, supraclavicular fat pad, facial rubor, proximal muscle atrophy, striae, ecchymoses and hirsutism for women at 72 weeks.

Adrenal transparent _Adobe
Source: Adobe Stock

“Many patients with Cushing’s syndrome suffer from clinical manifestations related to hypercortisolism,” Albert M. Pedroncelli, MD, PhD, head of clinical development and medical affairs for Recordati AG in Basel, Switzerland, told Healio. “The treatment with osilodrostat induced a rapid normalization of cortisol secretion, and improvements in physical manifestations associated with hypercortisolism were observed soon after initiation of osilodrostat and were sustained throughout the study.”

Albert M. Pedroncelli

Pedroncelli and colleagues analyzed changes in the physical manifestations of hypercortisolism in 137 adults with Cushing’s syndrome (median age, 40 years; 77.4% women) assigned osilodrostat. Dose titration took place from baseline to 12 weeks, and therapeutic doses were administered from 12 to 48 weeks, with some participants randomly assigned to withdrawal between 26 and 34 weeks. An extension phase of the trial took place from 48 to 72 weeks. Investigators subjectively rated physical manifestations of hypercortisolism in participants as none, mild, moderate or severe. Participants were evaluated at baseline and 12, 24, 34, 48 and 72 weeks.

At baseline, the majority of the study cohort had mild, moderate or severe physical manifestations of hypercortisolism in most individual categories, including dorsal fat pad, central obesity, supraclavicular fat pad, facial rubor, hirsutism in women and striae. Central obesity was the most frequent physical manifestation rated as severe.

The percentage of participants with improvements in physical manifestations of hypercortisolism increased from week 12 on for all individual manifestations evaluated in the study, and improvements were maintained through week 72. At 72 weeks, the percentage of participants who had no individual physical manifestations was higher than 50% for each category except central obesity, where 30.6% of participants had no physical manifestations.

In addition to improvement in physical manifestations, the study cohort had decreases in body weight, BMI and waist circumference at weeks 48 and 72 compared with baseline.

“The main goal of treating patients with Cushing’s syndrome is to normalize cortisol secretion,” Pedroncelli said. “The rapid reduction and normalization of cortisol levels is accompanied by improvement in the associated clinical manifestations. This represents an important objective for patients.”

From https://www.healio.com/news/endocrinology/20220512/osilodrostat-improves-physical-manifestations-of-hypercortisolism-for-most-adults

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Osilodrostat Resolves Most Physical Signs of Cushing’s Disease

Posted on May 18, 2022 by MaryO

— More than half of patients saw physical manifestations fully resolve by week 72

by Kristen Monaco, Staff Writer, MedPage Today May 16, 2022

SAN DIEGO — Osilodrostat (Isturisa) improved many physical features associated with Cushing’s disease, according to additional findings from the phase III LINC-3 study.

Among 137 adults with Cushing’s disease, a 39.5% improvement in central obesity scores was observed from baseline to week 72 with osilodrostat, reported Alberto Pedroncelli, MD, PhD, of Recordati AG in Basel, Switzerland.

Not only was central obesity the most common physical manifestation associated with hypercortisolism among these Cushing’s disease patients, but it was also more frequently rated as severe at baseline, Pedroncelli explained during the American Association of Clinical Endocrinology (AACE) annual meeting.

Osilodrostat treatment also led to a 34.9% improvement in proximal muscle atrophy at week 72, along with a 34.4% improvement in hirsutism scores.

By week 72, nearly all physical manifestations of hypercortisolism saw significant improvement — marked by more than 50% of patients scoring these physical traits as nonexistent:

  • Dorsal fat pat: 50.6%
  • Central obesity: 30.6%
  • Supraclavicular fat pad: 51.8%
  • Facial rubor: 64.7%
  • Hirsutism in women: 53.1%
  • Proximal muscle atrophy: 61.2%
  • Striae: 63.5%
  • Ecchymoses: 87.1%

Most of these physical manifestation improvements were notable soon after treatment initiation with osilodrostat, Pedroncelli pointed out.

When stratified according to testosterone levels, hirsutism scores remained either stable or improved in the majority of patients who had normal or above normal testosterone levels. More women with normal testosterone levels over time experienced improvements in hirsutism versus those with levels above the upper limit of normal, who mostly remained stable.

Osilodrostat is an oral agent that was first FDA approved in March 2020 for adults with Cushing’s disease who either cannot undergo pituitary gland surgery or have undergone the surgery but still have the disease. Available in 1 mg, 5 mg, and 10 mg film-coated tablets, the drug acts as a potent oral 11-beta-hydroxylase inhibitor — the enzyme involved in the last step of cortisol synthesis.

Osilodrostat is taken orally twice daily, once in the morning and once in the evening.

Approval was based upon findings from the LINC-3 and LINC-4 trials, which found osilodrostat was able to normalize cortisol levels in 53% of patients, based on mean 24-hour urinary free cortisol (UFC) concentrations. During an initial 10-week randomization phase, 86% of patients maintained their complete cortisol response if they remained on osilodrostat versus only 29% of those who were switched to placebo.

As expected, 77.4% of the 137 adults included in the trial were women. The median participant age was 40 and about 47 months had passed since their initial diagnosis. A total of 87.6% underwent previous pituitary surgery and 16.1% underwent previous pituitary irradiation. At baseline, median and mean 24-hour UFC levels were 3.5 nmol and 7.3 nmol, respectively, based on two or three urine samples.

Participants had an average body weight of 176.4 lb, body mass index (BMI) of 30, and 41 in waist circumference at baseline. Throughout the trial, all measures dropped, reaching the nadir at week 72: body weight of 165 lb, BMI of 27, and 37.8 in waist circumference.

The most common side effects reported with the agent include adrenal insufficiency, fatigue, nausea, headache, and edema.

  • author['full_name']

    Kristen Monaco is a staff writer, focusing on endocrinology, psychiatry, and nephrology news. Based out of the New York City office, she’s worked at the company since 2015.

Disclosures

The study was supported by Recordati AG.

Pedroncelli reported employment with Recordati.

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Osilodrostat Normalizes Urinary Free Cortisol in Most Adults with Cushing’s Disease

Posted on April 13, 2022 by MaryO

More than three-quarters of adults with Cushing’s disease assigned osilodrostat had a normalized mean urinary free cortisol level at 12 weeks and maintained a normal level at 36 weeks, according to data from the LINC 4 phase 3 trial.

In findings published in The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, 77% of adults with Cushing’s disease randomly assigned to osilodrostat (Isturisa, Recordati) had mean urinary free cortisol (UFC) levels reduced to below the upper limit of normal at 12 weeks compared with 8% of adults assigned to placebo.

Osilodrostat normalizes UFC in most people with Cushing's disease at 12 weeks
Most adults with Cushing’s disease taking 2 mg twice daily osilodrostat had normalized mean UFC levels at 12 weeks compared with placebo. Data were derived from Gadelha M, et al. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2022;doi:10.1210/clinem/dgac178.

“Osilodrostat is a highly effective treatment for Cushing’s disease, normalizing urinary free cortisol excretion in 77% of patients after 12 weeks’ treatment,” Mônica Gadelha, MD, professor of endocrinology at The Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, and colleagues wrote. “Cortisol reductions were maintained throughout 48 weeks of treatment and were accompanied by improvements in clinical signs of hypercortisolism and quality of life.”

Gadelha and colleagues enrolled 73 adults aged 18 to 75 years with Cushing’s disease from 40 centers in 14 countries into the LINC 4 phase 3 trial. Participants were randomly assigned to 2 mg osilodrostat twice daily (n = 48) or placebo (n = 25) for 12 weeks. Urinary samples were collected at weeks 2, 5 and 8 to measure mean UFC, and dosage was adjusted based on efficacy and tolerability. After 12 weeks, participants from both groups received osilodrostat in a 36-week open-label treatment period. All participants restarted the open-label portion of the trial at 2 mg osilodrostat unless they were on a lower dose at week 12. Dose adjustments in the open-label phase were made using the same guidelines in the randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. The primary endpoint was the efficacy of osilodrostat at achieving a mean UFC below the upper limit of normal of 138 nmol per 24 hours at 12 weeks vs. placebo; the key secondary endpoint was the percentage of participants achieving a normal mean UFC at 36 weeks.

At 12 weeks, the percentage of adults with a normalized mean UFC level was higher in the osilodrostat group compared with placebo (77.1% vs. 8%; P < .0001).

At 36 weeks, 80.8% of all participants had a normal mean UFC level. The overall response rate was 79.5% at 48 weeks.

Median time to first controlled mean UFC response was 35 days for those randomly assigned to osilodrostat as well as those randomly assigned to placebo who crossed over to osilodrostat for the open-label phase. At 48 weeks, 84% of participants were receiving 10 mg or less of osilodrostat per day, including 56% receiving 4 mg or less daily.

At 12 weeks, the osilodrostat group had several cardiovascular and metabolic-related improvements, including systolic and diastolic blood pressure, HbA1c, HDL cholesterol, body weight and waist circumference. No changes were observed in the placebo group.

“The improvements in cardiovascular and metabolic parameters were sustained throughout osilodrostat treatment and have the potential to alleviate the burden of comorbidities in many patients with Cushing’s disease,” the researchers wrote.

At 12 weeks, 52.5% of those receiving osilodrostat had a reduction in supraclavicular fat pad and 50% had a reduction in dorsal fat pad. At least 25% of participants also had improvements in facial redness, striae, proximal muscle atrophy and central obesity. Improvements were sustained through week 48.

During the placebo-controlled trial, grade 3 and 4 adverse events occurred for about 20% of participants in both groups. For the entire study, 38.4% of adults reported grade 3 and 4 adverse events, with the most common being hypertension. Eight participants discontinued the study due to adverse events.

From https://www.healio.com/news/endocrinology/20220408/osilodrostat-normalizes-urinary-free-cortisol-in-most-adults-with-cushings-disease

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Synergistic Cortisol Suppression by Ketoconazole–Osilodrostat Combination Therapy

Posted on January 31, 2022 by MaryO

Abstract

Summary

Here, we describe a case of a patient presenting with adrenocorticotrophic hormone-independent Cushing’s syndrome in a context of primary bilateral macronodular adrenocortical hyperplasia. While initial levels of cortisol were not very high, we could not manage to control hypercortisolism with ketoconazole monotherapy, and could not increase the dose due to side effects. The same result was observed with another steroidogenesis inhibitor, osilodrostat. The patient was finally successfully treated with a well-tolerated synergitic combination of ketoconazole and osilodrostat. We believe this case provides timely and original insights to physicians, who should be aware that this strategy could be considered for any patients with uncontrolled hypercortisolism and delayed or unsuccessful surgery, especially in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Learning points

  • Ketoconazole–osilodrostat combination therapy appears to be a safe, efficient and well-tolerated strategy to supress cortisol levels in Cushing syndrome.
  • Ketoconazole and osilodrostat appear to act in a synergistic manner.
  • This strategy could be considered for any patient with uncontrolled hypercortisolism and delayed or unsuccessful surgery, especially in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • Considering the current cost of newly-released drugs, such a strategy could lower the financial costs for patients and/or society.

Background

Untreated or inadequately treated Cushing’s syndrome (CS) is a morbid condition leading to numerous complications. The latter ultimately results in an increased mortality that is mainly due to cardiovascular events and infections. The goal of the treatment with steroidogenesis inhibitors is normalization of cortisol production allowing the improvement of comorbidities (1). Most studies dealing with currently available steroidogenesis inhibitors used as monotherapy reported an overall antisecretory efficacy of roughly 50% in CS. Steroidogenesis inhibitors can be combined to better control hypercortisolism. To the best of our knowledge, we report here for the first time a patient treated with a ketoconazole–osilodrostat combination therapy.

Case presentation

Here, we report the case of Mr D.M., 53-years old, diagnosed with adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH)-independent CS 6 months earlier. At diagnosis, he presented with resistant hypertension, hypokalemia, diabetes mellitus, easy bruising, purple abdominal striae and major oedema of the lower limbs.

Investigations

A biological assessment was performed, and the serum cortisol levels are depicted in Table 1. ACTH levels were suppressed (mean levels 1 pg/mL). Mean late-night salivary cortisol showed a four-fold increase (Table 2), and mean 24 h-urinary cortisol showed a two-fold increase. Serum cortisol was 1000 nmol/L at 08:00 h after 1 mg dexamethasone dose at 23:00 h. The rest of the adrenal hormonal workup was within normal ranges (aldosterone: 275 pmol/L and renin: 15 mIU/L). An adrenal CT was performed (Fig. 1) and exhibited a 70-mm left adrenal mass (spontaneous density: 5 HU and relative washout: 65%) and a 45-mm right adrenal mass (spontaneous density: −2 HU and relative washout: 75%). The case was discussed in a multidisciplinary team meeting, which advised to perform 18F-FDG PET-CT and 123I-Iodocholesterol scintigraphy before considering surgery. A genetic screening was performed, testing for ARMC5 and PRKAR1A pathogenic variants.

Figure 1View Full Size
Figure 1
Adrenal CT depicting the bilateral macronodular adrenocortical hyperplasia.

Citation: Endocrinology, Diabetes & Metabolism Case Reports 2021, 1; 10.1530/EDM-21-0071

Table 1Serum cortisol levels at diagnosis (A), using ketoconazole monotherapy (B), using osilodrostat monotherapy (C) and using osilodrostat–ketoconazole combination therapy (D).

Serum cortisol (nmol/L) 08:00 h 24:00 h 16:00 h 20:00 h 12:00 h 16:00 h
A. At diagnosis 660 615 716 566 541 561
B. Ketoconazole monotherapy 741 545 502 224 242 508
C. Osilodrostat monotherapy 658 637 588 672 486 692
D. Osilodrostat–ketoconazole combination 436 172 154 103 135 274
Table 2Salivary cortisol levels at diagnosis (A), using ketoconazole monotherapy (B), using osilodrostat monotherapy (C) and using osilodrostat-ketoconazole combination therapy (D).

Salivary cortisol (nmol/L) 23:00 h 12:00 h 13:00 h Mean
A. At diagnosis 47 62 38 49
B. Ketoconazole monotherapy 20 15 21 18
C. Osilodrostat monotherapy 85 90 56 77
D. Osilodrostat–ketoconazole combination 10 14 9 11

Treatment

As this condition occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic, it was decided to first initiate steroidogenesis inhibitors to lower the patient’s cortisol levels. Initially, ketoconazole was initiated and uptitrated up to 1000 mg per day based on close serum cortisol monitoring, with a three-fold increase of liver enzymes and poor control of cortisol levels (Table 1). In the absence of biological efficacy, ketoconazole was replaced by osilodrostat, which was gradually increased up to 30 mg per day (10 mg at 08:00 h and 20 mg at 20:00 h) without reaching normal cortisol levels (Table 1) and with slightly increased blood pressure levels. Considering the lack of efficacy of anticortisolic drugs used as monotherapy, we combined osilodrostat (30 mg per day) to ketoconazole (600 mg per day), that is, at the last maximal tolerated dose as monotherapy of each drug.

Outcome

This combination of steroidogenesis inhibitors achieved a good control in cortisol levels, mimicking a physiological circadian rhythm (Table 1D). The patient did not exhibit any side effect and the control of cortisol levels resulted in a rapid improvement of hypertension, kalemia, diabetes control and disappearance of lower limbs oedema. The patient underwent a 18F-FDG PET-CT that did not exhibit any increased uptake in both adrenal masses and a 123I-Iodocholesterol scintigraphy exhibiting a highly increased uptake in both adrenal masses, predominating in the left adrenal mass (70 mm). Unilateral adrenalectomy of the larger mass was then performed, and as the immediate post-operative serum cortisol level was 50 nmol/L, hydrocortisone was administered at a dose of 30 mg per day, with a stepwise decrease to 10 mg per day over 3 months. Pathological examination exhibited macronodular adrenal hyperplasia with a 70-mm adreno cortical adenoma (WEISS score: 1 and Ki67: 1%). The genetic screening exhibited a c.1908del p.(Phe637Leufs*6) variant of ARMC5 (pathogenic), located in exon 5. The patient has no offspring and is no longer in contact with the rest of his family.

Discussion

The goal of the treatment with steroidogenesis inhibitors is normalization of cortisol production allowing the improvement of comorbidities (1). Most studies dealing with currently available steroidogenesis inhibitors used as monotherapy reported an overall antisecretory efficacy of roughly 50% in CS. This rate of efficacy was probably underestimated in retrospective studies due to the lack of adequate uptitration of the dose; For example, the median dose reported in the French retrospective study on ketoconazole was only 800 mg/day, while 50% of the patients were uncontrolled at the last follow-up (2).

Steroidogenesis inhibitors can be combined to better control hypercortisolism. Up to now, such combinations, mainly ketoconazole and metyrapone, were mainly reported in patients with severe CS (median urinary-free Cortisol (UFC) 30- to 40-fold upper-limit norm (ULN)) and life-threatening comorbidities (3, 4). Normal UFC was reported in up to 86% of these patients treated with high doses of ketoconazole and metyrapone. Expected side effects (such as increased liver enzymes for ketoconazole or worsened hypertension and hypokalemia for metyrapone) were reported in the majority of the patients. The fear of these side effects probably explains the lack of uptitration in previous reports. Combination of steroidogenesis inhibitors has previously been described by Daniel et al. in the largest study reported on the use of metyrapone in CS; 29 patients were treated with metyrapone and ketoconazole or mitotane, including 22 in whom the second drug was added to metyrapone monotherapy because of partial efficacy or adverse effects. The final median metyrapone dose in patients controlled with combination therapy was 1500 mg per day (5).

Combination of adrenal steroidogenesis inhibitors should not be reserved to patients with severe hypercortisolism. In the case shown here, the association was highly effective in terms of secretion, using lower doses than those applied as a single treatment, but without the side effects previously observed with higher doses of each treatment used as a monotherapy. To our knowledge, the association of ketoconazole and osilodrostat had never been reported. Ketoconazole blocks several enzymes of the adrenal steroidogenesis such as CYP11A1, CYP17, CYP11B2 (aldosterone synthase) and CYP11B1 (11-hydroxylase), leading to decreased cortisol and occasionally testosterone concentrations. Though liver enzymes increase is not dose-dependent, it usually happens at doses exceeding 400–600 mg per day (2). Osilodrostat blocks CYP11B1 and CYP11B2; a combination should thus allow for a complete blockade of these enzymes that are necessary for cortisol secretion. Short-term side effects such as hypokalemia and hypertension are similar to those observed with metyrapone, due to increased levels of the precursor deoxycorticosterone, correlated with the dose of osilodrostat (6). As for our patient, the occurrence of side effects should not lead to immediately switch to another drug, but rather to decrease the dose and add another cortisol-lowering drug. Moreover, considering the current cost of newly-released drugs such a strategy could lower financial costs for patients and/or society.

Another point to take into account is the current COVID-19 pandemic, for which, as recently detailed in experts’ opinion (7), the main aim is to reach eucortisolism, whatever the way. Indeed patients presenting with CS usually also present with comorbidities such as obesity, hypertension, diabetes mellitus and immunodeficiency (8). Surgery, which represents the gold standard strategy in the management of CS (1, 9), might be delayed to reduce the hospital-associated risk of COVID-19, with post-surgical immunodepression and thromboembolic risks (7). Because immunosuppression and thromboembolic diathesis are common CS features (9, 10), during the COVID-19 pandemic, the use of steroidogenesis inhibitors appears of great interest. In these patients, combing steroidogenesis inhibitors at intermediate doses might allow for a rapid control of hypercortisolism without risks of major side effects if a single uptitrated treatment is not sufficient. Obviously, the management of associated comorbidities would also be crucial in this situation (11).

To conclude, we report for the first time a case of CS, in the context of primary bilateral macronodular adrenocortical hyperplasia successfully treated with a well-tolerated combination of ketoconazole and osilodrostat. While initial levels of cortisol were not very high, we could not manage to control hypercortisolism with ketoconazole monotherapy, and could not increase the dose due to side effects. The same result was observed with another steroidogenesis inhibitor, osilodrostat. This strategy could be considered for any patient with uncontrolled hypercortisolism and delayed or unsuccessful surgery, especially in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Declaration of interest

F C and T B received research grants from Recordati Rare Disease and HRA Pharma Rare Diseases. Frederic Castinetti is on the editorial board of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism case reports. Frederic Castinetti was not involved in the review or editorial process for this paper, on which he is listed as an author.

Funding

This work did not receive any specific grant from any funding agency in the public, commercial or not-for-profit sector.

Patient consent

Informed written consent has been obtained from the patient for publication of the case report.

Author contribution statement

V A was the patient’s physician involved in the clinical care and collected the data. T B and F C supervised the management of the patient. F C proposed the original idea of this case report. V A drafted the manuscript. F C critically reviewed the manuscript. T B revised the manuscript into its final version.

References

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