Efficacy and Safety of IncobotulinumtoxinA in Subjects Previously Treated with Botulinum Toxin Versus Toxin-Naïve Subjects with Cervical Dystonia.

BACKGROUND: To determine whether botulinum toxin treatment history affected the outcomes of a study comparing the safety and efficacy of incobotulinumtoxinA with placebo in subjects with cervical dystonia (CD).
METHODS: This was a prospective, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, multicenter trial in botulinum toxin-treated or toxin-naïve CD subjects. Subjects received a fixed dose of either 120 U or 240 U of incobotulinumtoxinA or placebo. The primary outcome measure was change from baseline to Week 4 in the Toronto Western Spasmodic Torticollis Rating Scale (TWSTRS) total score. Treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs) were also evaluated. This report represents a subgroup analysis of botulinum toxin-treated or toxin-naïve subjects. RESULTS: Participants (N = 233; 38.6% toxin-naïve) had a mean age of 52.8 years. IncobotulinumtoxinA significantly improved TWSTRS total scores from baseline to Week 4 in both dose groups versus placebo, and the improvement persisted through the end of the study (≤20 weeks). Both the previously toxin-treated and toxin-naïve subjects demonstrated significant improvements in TWSTRS total scores at Week 4 compared to baseline. The most frequent TEAEs in the incobotulinumtoxinA groups were dysphagia, neck pain, and muscular weakness, which were generally mild. TEAEs were more common in the 240 U group and toxin-naïve subjects.
DISCUSSION: Overall, incobotulinumtoxinA was safe and effective in CD, regardless of toxin therapy history. A lower starting dose may be better tolerated among toxin-naïve subjects without sacrificing efficacy.