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FibrosisPhase 2NCT00001959

Pirfenidone to Treat Kidney Disease (Focal Segmental Glomerulosclerosis)

A Phase 2 study testing Pirfenidone in people with Fibrosis and Focal Glomerulosclerosis, run by National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) at 1 site in United States.

Completed

Finished. The study has ended and is not enrolling. Results may be posted on the official record.

Official record
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Trial summary

This study will examine the effectiveness of the drug pirfenidone in treating focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS). Patients with this disease have kidney fibrosis (scarring) and proteinuria (excessive excretion of protein in the urine). Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 18 years and older
Conditions the study is for
Fibrosis, Focal Glomerulosclerosis, Kidney Failure
What is being tested?
Pirfenidone
Type of treatment
Pill or oral medicine
How many people
21 participants
Where
1 siteUnited States
Study dates
Dec 1999to Oct 2008
Phase
Phase 2
Are there results?
Yes, posted in the registrySummary in the doctors' view

Key requirements

Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.

  • Ages 18 years and older
  • All sexes
  • No healthy volunteers
  • Adult, Older adult

Who may be able to join

  • Adults greater than or equal to 18 years of age.
  • Patients will provide informed consent.
  • Biopsy proven FSGS.
  • Glomerular filtration rate of at least 25 and no more than 80 ml/minute as assessed by the 4 variable Modification of diet in renal disease GFR equation.
  • At least 6 months of renal function data must be available prior to the patient's receiving pirfenidone, and renal function must show a rate of decline of greater than or equal to 0.4 ml/min/month during this baseline period.
  • Patients must have received no glucocorticoids, cyclophosphamide, mycophenolate or other immunosuppressive drugs for at least 2 months prior to the study period.
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  • Patients must have received no cyclosporin for at least 6 months prior to the study period.
  • Patients must have been taking an angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor (ACEI) or angiotensin receptor blocker (ARB) at a stable dose for at least 6 months, unless intolerant of both classes of medication.
  • Patients who are HIV seropositive will receive standard care for HIV disease (patients receiving immune-modulating therapy will be excluded).
  • Women with child-bearing potential must maintain an effective birth control regimen (oral contraceptive, intrauterine device, barrier plus spermicide).
  • Men will be advised that although Ames testing has been negative for any evidence of mutagenicity, they should consider use of contraceptives during the study period as well.

Who cannot join

  • Inability to give informed consent or cooperate with study.
  • Known intolerance to pirfenidone.
  • Evidence of FSGS associated with an additional primary or secondary glomerular disease (e.g. diabetes, membranous nephropathy, IgA nephropathy).
  • Recent (within 6 months) history of myocardial infarction.
  • History of peptic ulcer within 6 months.
  • History of cerebrovascular disease manifested by transient ischemic attack or cerebrovascular accident within 6 months.
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  • Pregnancy, breast feeding or inadequate birth control.
  • History of photosensitivity dermatitis.
  • Concurrent drug treatment with gemfibrozil, cyclosporin or erythromycin, potassium-sparing diuretics and other drugs which may potentiate hyperkalemia, or concurrent immunosuppresive medications.
  • Requirement for NSAID therapy.
  • Requirement for interleukin-2 therapy or other immune-modulating medication.
  • Existence of any other condition which would complicate the implementation or interpretation of the study.
  • Renal transplant.
  • Evidence of significant hepatic disease, as indicated by serum transaminases greater than 3 times upper limit of normal, protime greater than 2 seconds prolonged.

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country.

United States1 site
  • National Institutes of Health Clinical Center, 9000 Rockville Pike

    Bethesda, Maryland, 20892

Other trials in United States

About this study

Official title: Pirfenidone in Focal Segmental Glomerulosclerosis:Phase II Study

This study will examine the effectiveness of the drug pirfenidone in treating focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS). Patients with this disease have kidney fibrosis (scarring) and proteinuria (excessive excretion of protein in the urine). About half of patients with FSGS eventually require kidney dialysis or transplant. Steroids, which are currently used to treat the disease, are effective in only a minority of patients. Other drugs, such as cyclosporin and cyclophosphamide, improve proteinuria in a very small percentage of patients and have serious side effects.

Patients with FSGS who wish to participate in this study will undergo pre-study evaluation with blood and urine tests. Patients must be on a stable dose of an ACE inhibitor (a drug that lowers blood pressure and reduces proteinuria) for at list 6 months before starting pirfenidone therapy. (Patients who are not already taking an ACE inhibitor will be started on the drug; those who cannot tolerate ACE inhibitors will be given a different drug.) Patients with elevated cholesterol will take a cholesterol-lowering drug. A diet containing approximately 1 gram of protein per kilogram of body weight per day will be recommended.

Read more

Patients will take pirfenidone by mouth 3 times a day for 12 months. Blood and urine will be tested once a month, either at NIH or by the patient's local kidney specialist. They will collect two 24-hour urine samples at the beginning of the treatment period, at 2-month intervals throughout the study, and at a 6-month follow-up. Patients will also be asked to give three to five tubes of blood and urine samples for analysis during the study.

In animal studies, pirfenidone improved kidney function and proteinuria and reduced kidney scarring in rats with a disease similar to FSGS. In human studies, pirfenidone improved breathing and survival in patients with lung fibrosis.

Read the detailed description

The objective of this pilot phase II trial is to evaluate the ability of pirfenidone, a novel anti-fibrotic agent, to reduce the proteinuria and slow the rate of progression of renal insufficiency in patients with focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS). We will enroll 25 patients with renal biopsy proven FSGS and evidence of impaired renal function (glomerular filtration rate, GFR, of 10-80 ml/min; after 1/02 must have GFR greater than 25 ml/min) as assessed by the 4 variable Modification of Diet in Renal Disease equation. As standard of care therapy, all patients will also receive angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor (ACEI) therapy, and will receive an HMG Co-A reductase inhibitor drug if hypercholesterolemic. Preliminary evaluation will assure that the patients meet the study requirements, and an evaluation period will be used to ensure that patients are on maximal conservative therapy prior to the baseline period. Patients will receive treatment with pirfenidone daily, with dose adjusted for body weight and level of kidney function. The primary end point will be the decrease glomerular filtration as a marker of glomerular injury; reduction in proteinuria will be a secondary end-point. If the pilot study suggests this drug delays progression of renal insufficiency or reduces proteinuria in patients with FSGS, we will proceed with a large scale randomized, placebo-controlled study.

Being tested
Pirfenidone
Keywords
Fibrosis, Nephrotic Syndrome, Proteinuria, Renal Failure, TGF-Beta, Focal Segmental Glomerulosclerosis, FSGS
Medical subject headings
Fibrosis, Glomerulosclerosis, Focal Segmental, Renal Insufficiency, Nephrotic Syndrome, Proteinuria, Camurati-Engelmann Syndrome

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

  • PirfenidoneDrug

    During the study drug period of 12 months, patients will receive oral pirfenidone daily. For patients whose initial renal function is 50-80 ml/min as assessed by the MDRD equation, the initial pirfenidone dosage will be calculated at 40 mg/kg/d, with a maximum dose of 800 mg TID. For patients whose initial renal function is 30-50 ml/min, the initial dose will be 30 mg/kg/d. For patients whose initial renal function is between 15 and 30 ml/min, the initial dose will be 20 mg/kg/d.

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

  1. Decrease in GFR During Treatment Period

    Measured: 12 months from baseline

Secondary outcomes (2)
  1. Proteinuria After Treatment

    Measured: 12 months from baseline

  2. Proportion of Patients With Positive Change in GFR

    Measured: 12 months from baseline

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

  1. First posted19 Jan 2000 (estimated)
  2. Study startDec 1999
  3. Primary completionOct 2008
  4. Study completionOct 2008

Resources

More details

For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.

Study design
Study type
Interventional
Phase
Phase 2
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Not applicable
Intervention model
Single group
Masking
None (open label)
Enrolment
21 participants (actual)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT00001959
Sponsor's protocol ID
000042
Other IDs
00-DK-0042
Status last verified
Apr 2012
First submitted
18 Jan 2000
Last updated
26 May 2014
Data monitoring committee
No

Publications

  • Abbate M, Zoja C, Rottoli D, Corna D, Perico N, Bertani T, Remuzzi G. Antiproteinuric therapy while preventing the abnormal protein traffic in proximal tubule abrogates protein- and complement-dependent interstitial inflammation in experimental renal disease. J Am Soc Nephrol. 1999 Apr;10(4):804-13. doi: 10.1681/ASN.V104804.

    PubMed 10203365
  • Bodi I, Kimmel PL, Abraham AA, Svetkey LP, Klotman PE, Kopp JB. Renal TGF-beta in HIV-associated kidney diseases. Kidney Int. 1997 May;51(5):1568-77. doi: 10.1038/ki.1997.215.

    PubMed 9150474
  • Border WA, Noble NA. Transforming growth factor beta in tissue fibrosis. N Engl J Med. 1994 Nov 10;331(19):1286-92. doi: 10.1056/NEJM199411103311907. No abstract available.

    PubMed 7935686

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A Phase 2 study testing Pirfenidone in people with Fibrosis and Focal Glomerulosclerosis, run by National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) at 1 site in United States.

The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.

Who may be eligible to take part?

The sponsor lists 11 inclusion and 14 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.

Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?

The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 26 May 2014. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 1 site in United States. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.

What are the possible benefits and risks?

They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.

What does this phase mean?

Phase 2 studies give the treatment to a larger group to see whether it has the intended effect and to keep checking safety.

Not every study follows the same path, and some studies (observational studies, device studies) have no phase.

Are results available for this study?

Yes. Results are posted in the registry (first posted 1 Jun 2012). A summary is in the For doctors view, and the full results are on ClinicalTrials.gov.

How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?

The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

Decrease in GFR During Treatment Period (time frame: 12 months from baseline). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?

On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT00001959, which also lists 3 linked publications.

Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?

No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.

How often is this information updated?

AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 26 May 2014.

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