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Myelodysplastic Syndrome (MDS)Phase 1/2NCT01224496

Traditional Chinese Medicine in the Supportive Management of Anaemic and Cytopenic (Leukopenia, Thrombocytopenia) Haematological Disorders

A Phase 1/2 study testing Chinese herbal concoction twice a day for 6 months in people with Myelodysplastic Syndrome (MDS) and Aplastic Anaemia (AA), run by Singapore General Hospital at 1 site in Singapore.

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 study the efficacy of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) on anaemic and cytopenic haematological disorders including myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), aplastic anaemia (AA), myelofibrosis (MF) and thalassemia intermedia who do not have or did not respond to available treatment options. Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 13 to 85 years
What is being tested?
Chinese herbal concoction twice a day for 6 months
Could I receive a placebo?
No, everyone receives an active treatment
How many people
38 participants
Where
1 siteSingapore
Study dates
Jul 2009to Aug 2011
Phase
Phase 1/2
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 13 to 85 years
  • All sexes
  • No healthy volunteers
  • Child, Adult, Older adult

Who may be able to join

  • A diagnosis of MDS, AA, MF or thal based on currently recognized diagnostic criteria.
  • Explored or undergone established therapies eg haemopoietic stem cell transplant, immunosuppressive therapy, chemotherapy, growth factors, thalidomide, hypomethylating agent or androgens, and (a) are deemed not suitable, or (b) refuse or (c) have failed therapy
  • A preceding follow up period (without or with treatment) of 2-4 months as baseline (depending on the severity of cytopenia) before being enrolled into this study
  • Understand the trial nature of this treatment, agree to be compliant to medication, do not self medicate and have signed informed consent
  • Agreeable to regular blood tests and follow up marrow study as listed in schedule

Who cannot join

  • Life expectancy of shorter than one year
  • Significant organ failure including the following
  • Renal impairment with Cr above 200umol/L
  • Liver impairment with serum bilirubin > 2x upper limits or transaminase >3x upper limits
  • Escalation of treatment of introduction of new agents including growth factors, thalidomide, hypomethylating agents, immunosuppressive therapy or androgens once started on treatment with TCM is not allowed. Continuation of current therapy at same or lower doses is allowed
  • Women during pregnancy or lactation.

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country.

Singapore1 site
  • Singapore General Hospital

    Singapore, Singapore, 169608

Other trials in Singapore

About this study

The purpose of this study is to study the efficacy of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) on anaemic and cytopenic haematological disorders including myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), aplastic anaemia (AA), myelofibrosis (MF) and thalassemia intermedia who do not have or did not respond to available treatment options.

Being tested
Chinese herbal concoction twice a day for 6 months
Keywords
Chronic cytopenic haematological diseases, Chinese herbal concoction, Supportive management
Medical subject headings
Myelodysplastic Syndromes, Anemia, Aplastic, Primary Myelofibrosis, beta-Thalassemia

What participants receive

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

  • Chinese herbal concoction twice a day for 6 monthsDrug

    Definition of each TCM syndrome is based on TCM theory. Formulation composition is based on each defined TCM syndrome with addition or removal of herbs as indicated by the patient's manifestation

Study groups in NCT01224496
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
Treatment with Chinese herbal concoctionExperimentalPatients must have a marrow study to confirm diagnosis of MDS, AA or MF. MDS is classified according to the WHO criteria and scored according to IPSS. The AA group is further classified into AA, SAA or VSAA . MF is defined by the Italian criteria and risk stratified by the Lilles Scoring system. Diagnosis of thal intermedia and major is based on previously done Hb electrophoresis and severity of disease is assessed by degree of anaemia.and frequency of blood transfusions TCM diagnosis: Syndrome differentiation according to TCM theory will be assessed as a baseline by experienced TCM collaborators and classified into one of the few defined syndromes as follows 1. Yin deficiency of spleen and kidney 2. Yang deficiency of spleen and kidney 3. Deficiency of both Yin and Yang 4. Stagnation of dampness and poison in the blood 5. Excessive heat and poison
Receives: Drug: Chinese herbal concoction twice a day for 6 months

What is being measured

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

  1. Number of Participants with Adverse Events as a Measure of Safety and Tolerability

    The following parameters will be monitored serially

    1. symptoms : ie reflection of any subjective symptoms that may be due to the treatment
    2. Serial biochemistry ( urea, electrolyte, creatinine, liver function test ) will be done at baseline, one week into the study and then every 7-8 weekly till end of the 6 months. This will monitor for any organ toxicity

    Measured: 6 months

Secondary outcomes (2)
  1. Quality of life

    Quality of life (QOL) will be measured based on the EORTC QLQ C30. THis will be taken at enrolment and at 2 monthly intervals

    Measured: 6 months

  2. Haematological improvement

    The haematological response crietria is based on those published as follows

    For MDS : Report of an international working group to standardize response criteria for myelodysplastic syndromes. Blood 2000 Dec 1;96(12):3671-4.

    For MF : Response criteria for myelofibrosis with myeloid metaplasia: results of an initiative of the European Myelofibrosis Network (EUMNET). Blood 2005 Oct 15;106(8):2849-53.

    For AA : Aplastic Anemia, Pathophysiology and Treatment. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press; 2000.

    Measured: 6 months

Timeline

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

  1. First posted20 Oct 2010 (estimated)
  2. Study startJul 2009
  3. Primary completionAug 2011
  4. Study completionAug 2011

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 1/2
Primary purpose
Supportive care
Allocation
Not applicable
Intervention model
Single group
Masking
None (open label)
Enrolment
38 participants (actual)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT01224496
Sponsor's protocol ID
SHF/TCM002/2008
Status last verified
Feb 2017
First submitted
3 Oct 2010
Last updated
10 Feb 2017
Results posted
No
Data monitoring committee
Yes

Publications

  • Linn YC, Lu J, Lim LC, Sun H, Sun J, Zhou Y. Traditional Chinese herbal medicine in the supportive management of patients with chronic cytopaenic marrow diseases -- a phase I/II clinical study. Complement Ther Clin Pract. 2011 Aug;17(3):152-6. doi: 10.1016/j.ctcp.2011.01.004. Epub 2011 Feb 17.

    PubMed 21742281

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A Phase 1/2 study testing Chinese herbal concoction twice a day for 6 months in people with Myelodysplastic Syndrome (MDS) and Aplastic Anaemia (AA), run by Singapore General Hospital at 1 site in Singapore.

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 6 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 10 Feb 2017. 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 Singapore. 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 combined phase mean?

Phase 1 studies test a treatment in a small group of people for the first time or in a new way, mainly to check safety and find the right dose.

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?

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?

Number of Participants with Adverse Events as a Measure of Safety and Tolerability (time frame: 6 months). 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 NCT01224496, which also lists 1 linked publication.

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 10 Feb 2017.

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