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LoiasisPhase 2NCT01111305

Reslizumab to Prevent Post-treatment Eosinophilia in Loiasis

A Phase 2 study testing Reslizumab and Diethylcarbamazine in people with Loiasis, run by National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) 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

Diethylcarbamazine citrate (DEC) treatment of Loa loa infection is complicated by the development of severe adverse reactions that are correlated with the number of circulating microfilariae in the blood. Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 18 to 65 years
Conditions the study is for
Loiasis
What is being tested?
Reslizumab and Diethylcarbamazine
Type of treatment
Injection or infusion
Could I receive a placebo?
Yes, some participants may receive a placebo
How many people
31 participants
Where
1 siteUnited States
Study dates
Apr 2010to Sep 2017
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 to 65 years
  • All sexes
  • No healthy volunteers
  • Adult, Older adult

Who may be able to join

  • A subject will be eligible for participation in the screening portion of this protocol if all of the following criteria apply:
  • Between 18 and 65 years of age
  • Residence in or travel to a Loa-endemic region for greater than 1 month
  • A subject will be eligible for participation in the interventional portion of the study only if all of the following criteria apply:
  • The subject has documented loiasis with 0-5000 microfilariae/mL blood.
  • The subject agrees to storage of samples for study
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  • A female subject is eligible for this study if she is any of the following:
  • Not pregnant or breast-feeding.
  • Of non-childbearing potential (i.e., women who have had a hysterectomy or tubal ligation or are post-menopausal, as defined by no menses in greater than or equal to 1 year)
  • Of childbearing potential but agrees to practice effective contraception* or abstinence for 3 months after administration of the investigational study drug (reslizumab or placebo)
  • NOTE: Acceptable methods of contraception may include one or more of the following: 1) male partner who is sterile prior to the female subject s entry into the study and is the sole sexual partner for the female subject; 2) implants of levonorgestrel; 3) injectable progestogen, an intrauterine device with a documented failure rate of less than 1percent; 4) oral contraceptives; and 5) double barrier methods including diaphragm or condom with a spermicide.

Who cannot join

  • A subject will not be eligible for participation in the screening portion of this study if any of the following conditions apply:
  • Known to be pregnant
  • Known to be HIV-positive
  • A subject will not be eligible to participate in the interventional portion of the study if any of the following conditions are fulfilled at the time of enrollment:
  • The subject tests positive for HIV infection or has any other known immunodeficiency.
  • The subject has a concomitant active infection with Onchocerca volvulus.
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  • The subject has used any other investigational agent within the past 30 days.
  • The subject has used immunosuppressive agents (as listed in section 8.1) within the past 30 days.
  • The subject has a history of allergic reaction to any antibody therapy or to DEC.
  • The subject has chronic kidney or liver disease.
  • The subject has any condition that, in the Investigator s opinion, places the subject at undue risk by participating in the study.

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: A Randomized, Placebo-controlled, Double-Blind Pilot Study of Single-Dose Humanized Anti-IL5 Antibody (Reslizumab) for the Reduction of Eosinophilia Following Diethylcarbamazine Treatment of Loa Loa Infection

Diethylcarbamazine citrate (DEC) treatment of Loa loa infection is complicated by the development of severe adverse reactions that are correlated with the number of circulating microfilariae in the blood. The cause of these reactions is unknown, but they are accompanied by a dramatic interleukin-5 (IL-5)-dependent increase in eosinophilia and evidence of eosinophil activation. This randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind pilot study (conducted at the NIH Clinical Center) will assess whether and to what extent the administration of reslizumab (Cinquil ), a humanized monoclonal antibody directed against IL-5, given 3 to 7 days before administration of the anthelminthic drug DEC (at 3 mg/kg 3 times daily for 21 days), prevents the development of eosinophilia in 10 adult subjects with Loa loa infection and 0-5000 microfilariae/mL. Secondary outcomes will include the severity of post-treatment effects, markers of eosinophil activation, and effects of reslizumab on microfilarial clearance.

Read the detailed description

Background:

Loa loa is a parasitic worm that infects people in West and Central Africa and is spread by the bite of a deerfly. Adult worms (macrofilariae) live under the skin and cause symptoms such as swellings, itching, and hives. Smaller worms (microfilariae) are found in the bloodstream. Diethylcarbamazine (DEC), the recommended medication for Loa loa infection, can produce very serious side effects, especially in people with high numbers of parasites in the blood. Researchers are investigating new treatments for Loa loa that have fewer or less serious side effects. Researchers believe that a certain kind of blood cells called eosinophils, which increase in the blood after DEC treatment, may be one of the causes of the side effects seen with DEC treatment. Reslizumab is a drug that lowers eosinophils in the blood. Giving reslizumab before DEC treatment might prevent the eosinophils from increasing and reduce some of the side effects from DEC.

Objectives:

  • To determine whether reslizumab can prevent or reduce the side effects of treatment with DEC for Loa loa infection.

Eligibility:

Screening: Individuals between 18 and 65 years of age who have lived in or traveled to a Loa-endemic region for at least 1 month

Treatment study: Individuals with Loa loa infection and low numbers of parasites in the blood

Design:

This study will last 24 months and will involve several visits to the National Institutes of Health Clinical Center. Participants will be screened with a blood test for Loa loa parasites. Those who have a low number of Loa loa parasites in the blood will be asked to return for a full medical evaluation and the start of the treatment phase. Those who do not have Loa loa parasites in the blood, or those who have a high number of Loa loa parasites in the blood, are not eligible for this study treatment but may be eligible for other parasitic disease studies conducted by the National Institutes of Health.

Participants will have an initial visit with a full physical evaluation, and blood and urine tests (including leukapheresis to provide sufficient numbers of blood cells for testing). Within 1 month of the first visit, participants will have a single infusion of either reslizumab or a placebo. The infusion visit is estimated to last approximately 5 hours. Three to 7 days after the infusion, participants will begin a 21-day course of DEC (taken by mouth) to treat the infection. Participants will stay overnight at the Clinical Center during the first 3 days of treatment with DEC to be monitored for side effects, and will continue to take the DEC at home after the inpatient treatment. A study coordinator will call participants each day to ask about any symptoms or side effects. Participants will be seen for an additional eight outpatient follow-up visits (at days 7, 14, and 28, and months 3, 6, 12, 18, and 24) for evaluation of signs and symptoms of infection.

Conditions
Loiasis
Being tested
Reslizumab, Diethylcarbamazine, Placebo
Keywords
Filariasis, Post-Treatment Reactions, Monoclonal Antibody, Loa Loa, Loiasis
Medical subject headings
Loiasis, Filariasis

What participants receive

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

  • ReslizumabDrug

    Also called Cinqair

  • DiethylcarbamazineDrug

    Also called Hetrazan, Banocide

  • PlaceboOther

Study groups in NCT01111305
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
Reslizumab + DECActive comparatorReslizumab 1 mg/kg iv single dose followed by diethylcarbamazine 9 mg/kg/day po for 21 days
Receives: Drug: Reslizumab; Drug: Diethylcarbamazine
Placebo + DECPlacebo comparatorPlacebo iv single dose followed by diethylcarbamazine 9 mg/kg/day po for 21 days
Receives: Drug: Diethylcarbamazine; Other: Placebo

What is being measured

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

  1. Peak Eosinophil Count Post-treatment

    Peak eosinophil count during the first 7 days of treatment as a percent of the baseline count

    Measured: during the first 7 days of DEC treatment

Secondary outcomes (3)
  1. Frequency of AE's

    Adverse events during the first week of DEC treatment

    Measured: 7 days following initiation of DEC treatment

  2. Markers of Eosinophil Activation

    serum eosinophil granule protein levels on day 7 measured as % baseline

    Measured: one week

  3. Proportion of Subjects Who Clear Blood Microfilariae

    Measured: 3, 7, and 28 days after initiation of treatment with DEC

Timeline

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

  1. First posted27 Apr 2010 (estimated)
  2. Study startApr 2010
  3. Primary completionJan 2016
  4. Study completionSep 2017

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
Randomised
Intervention model
Parallel groups
Masking
Triple blind
Who is masked
Participant, Care provider, Investigator
Enrolment
31 participants (actual)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT01111305
Sponsor's protocol ID
10-I-0101
Other IDs
100101
Status last verified
Oct 2017
First submitted
24 Apr 2010
Last updated
27 Jan 2022
Data monitoring committee
Yes
FDA-regulated drug
Yes
FDA-regulated device
No
Individual data sharing
No

Publications

  • Limaye AP, Abrams JS, Silver JE, Ottesen EA, Nutman TB. Regulation of parasite-induced eosinophilia: selectively increased interleukin 5 production in helminth-infected patients. J Exp Med. 1990 Jul 1;172(1):399-402. doi: 10.1084/jem.172.1.399.

    PubMed 2193099
  • Klion AD, Massougbodji A, Sadeler BC, Ottesen EA, Nutman TB. Loiasis in endemic and nonendemic populations: immunologically mediated differences in clinical presentation. J Infect Dis. 1991 Jun;163(6):1318-25. doi: 10.1093/infdis/163.6.1318.

    PubMed 2037798
  • Klion AD, Ottesen EA, Nutman TB. Effectiveness of diethylcarbamazine in treating loiasis acquired by expatriate visitors to endemic regions: long-term follow-up. J Infect Dis. 1994 Mar;169(3):604-10. doi: 10.1093/infdis/169.3.604.

    PubMed 8158033

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A Phase 2 study testing Reslizumab and Diethylcarbamazine in people with Loiasis, run by National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) 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 11 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 27 Jan 2022. 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. Some participants in this study may receive a placebo. 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 2017). 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?

Peak Eosinophil Count Post-treatment (time frame: during the first 7 days of DEC treatment). 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 NCT01111305, 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 27 Jan 2022.

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