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AnemiaPhase 3NCT00270101

The Effect of Epoetin Alfa on the Anemia of Patients With Multiple Myeloma

A Phase 3 study testing epoetin alfa in people with Anemia and Multiple Myeloma, run by Johnson & Johnson Pharmaceutical Research & Development, L.L.C..

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

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of epoetin alfa versus placebo in reducing the transfusion requirements in anemic patients with multiple myeloma, and to investigate the quality-of-life benefits associated with the use of epoetin alfa. Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 40 to 80 years
Conditions the study is for
Anemia, Multiple Myeloma
What is being tested?
epoetin alfa
How many people
156 participants
Where
No sites listed yet
Study dates
Jan 1995to Sep 1996
Phase
Phase 3
Are there results?
None posted in the registry

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 40 to 80 years
  • All sexes
  • No healthy volunteers
  • Adult, Older adult

Who may be able to join

  • Patients with documented multiple myeloma defined by standard criteria, with at least 6 months having elapsed since beginning chemotherapy
  • having a self-care performance score of 0, 1, 2, or 3 (patients' ability to perform daily activities, a score ranging from 0 [fully active, no disease restriction] to 3 [capable of only limited self-care, confined to bed or chair more than 50% of waking hours])
  • having a life expectancy of at least 3 months
  • having a baseline hemoglobin <11 g/dL and baseline count of <100,000 microliter for developing red cells
  • with an ability to administer self-injections

Who cannot join

  • Patients having clinically significant disease other than cancer
  • having evidence of uncontrolled hypertension or a history of seizure
  • having untreated iron, folate, or Vitamin B12 deficiency
  • receiving a transfusion within 7 days of study entry, or androgen therapy within 1 month of study entry
  • receiving dialysis at baseline screening

About this study

Official title: A Placebo-Controlled Study on the Effect of r-huEPO in Patients With Multiple Myeloma Followed by an Open-Label Extension

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of epoetin alfa versus placebo in reducing the transfusion requirements in anemic patients with multiple myeloma, and to investigate the quality-of-life benefits associated with the use of epoetin alfa. Epoetin alfa is a genetically engineered protein that stimulates red blood cell production.

Read the detailed description

Cancer patients often experience anemia due to the disease itself, chemotherapy or both. Quality of life is also affected, in part because of the fatigue associated with anemia. Previous studies with epoetin alfa have suggested that achieving a higher hemoglobin level may improve quality of life and help patients live longer. This study is a 12-week randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicenter study (with an open-label extension) to assess the effectiveness of treatment with epoetin alfa in reducing the need for red cell transfusion by improving anemia in patients with multiple myeloma whose hemoglobin is less than 11 grams per deciliter. There will be 4 groups of patients in the study. Patients will first be placed into 2 groups according to whether or not they received at least 1 blood transfusion within the previous 3 months. Within each of these 2 groups, patients will then be randomly assigned to receive either epoetin alfa or placebo for 12 weeks. Dosing is initiated at 150 units per kilogram (U/kg) injected under the skin 3 times weekly for 4 weeks, then either continued at 150 U/kg or adjusted to 300 U/kg according to hemoglobin levels for the remaining 8 weeks. All patients who complete the 12-week double-blind period will be eligible to continue receiving epoetin alfa for an additional 12 weeks in an open-label extension of the study. The primary measures of effectiveness will be determined by the number of units of blood transfused, the proportion of patients requiring transfusion, and the number of units transfused relative to whether or not they received transfusions before the study. Additional effectiveness measures include the number of patients whose hemoglobin level reach at least 12 grams per deciliter (anemia considered "corrected") or who have an increase in hemoglobin of at least 2 grams per deciliter, and the change in the percentage of red blood cells and number of developing red blood cells in the blood. Changes in quality-of-life (Nottingham and visual analog scale) and performance scores will also be measured. Safety evaluations (incidence of adverse events, laboratory tests, and vital signs) and changes in underlying multiple myeloma will be assessed. The hypothesis of the study is that epoetin alfa will be superior to placebo in reducing the need for transfusions and improving anemia and quality of life. Double-blind: Epoetin alfa 150 units per kilogram (U/kg) injected under the skin 3 times weekly for 4 weeks; then either continued at 150 U/kg or adjusted to 300 U/kg according to hemoglobin levels for the remaining 8 weeks. Open-label: dose to maintain target hemoglobin range.

Being tested
epoetin alfa
Keywords
anemia, cancer, quality of life, chemotherapy, hemoglobin, multiple myeloma, transfusion, epoetin alfa, epoetin, erythropoietin
Medical subject headings
Anemia, Multiple Myeloma, Neoplasms

What participants receive

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

  • epoetin alfaDrug

What is being measured

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

  1. Proportion of patients requiring transfusion and number of units transfused relative to whether or not patients received transfusion(s) before the study.

Secondary outcomes (1)
  1. Increase in hemoglobin, hematocrit, developing red blood cells in the blood; Changes in quality-of-life; Safety evaluations (incidence of adverse events, laboratory tests, and vital signs) including changes in underlying multiple myeloma.

Timeline

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

  1. First posted26 Dec 2005 (estimated)
  2. Study startJan 1995
  3. Study completionSep 1996

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 3
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Randomised
Intervention model
Parallel groups
Masking
Double blind
Enrolment
156 participants (actual)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT00270101
Sponsor's protocol ID
CR005911
Status last verified
Jan 2011
First submitted
22 Dec 2005
Last updated
18 May 2011
Results posted
No

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A Phase 3 study testing epoetin alfa in people with Anemia and Multiple Myeloma, run by Johnson & Johnson Pharmaceutical Research & Development, L.L.C..

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 5 inclusion and 5 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 18 May 2011. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

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 3 studies compare the treatment with the current standard treatment or a placebo in a large group, to confirm how well it works and watch for side effects.

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

Are results available for this study?

The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.

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?

Proportion of patients requiring transfusion and number of units transfused relative to whether or not patients received transfusion(s) before the study.. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?
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 18 May 2011.

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