Coronavirus InfectionsPhase 2NCT04414631
Conestat Alfa in the Prevention of Severe SARS-CoV-2 Infection in Hospitalized Patients With COVID-19
A Phase 2 study testing Conestat alfa in people with Coronavirus Infections, run by University Hospital, Basel, Switzerland at 5 sites in 3 countries.
Trial summary
The aim of this study is to analyze if administration of conestat alfa for 72 hours in addition to standard of care (SOC) in patients hospitalized with non-critical SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia (WHO Ordinal Scale Score 3 or 4) reduces the risk of disease progression to Acute Lung Injury (ALI) and Acute Respiratory Distress… Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 to 85 years
- Conditions the study is for
- Coronavirus Infections
- What is being tested?
- Conestat alfa
- Type of treatment
- Injection or infusion
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 80 participants
- Where
- 5 sitesin 3 countries
- Study dates
- 6 Aug 2020to 15 Sep 2021
- Phase
- Phase 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 18 to 85 years
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- Informed Consent as documented by signature
- admitted to the hospital because of confirmed (by a positive SARS-CoV-2 PCR result) COVID-19 infection
- evidence of pulmonary involvement on CT scan or X-ray of the chest (e.g. ground glass opacities)
- symptom onset within the previous 10 days OR shortness of breath within the previous 5 days. Symptoms include fever or one respiratory symptom (patients presenting later may have already progressed to an inflammatory state that is potentially not amenable to C1INH treatment). Respiratory symptoms include cough, sore throat, hemoptysis, shortness of breath, runny nose, or chest pain.
- expected to remain an inpatient over the next three calender days from time of enrolment
- at least one additional risk factor for progression to mechanical ventilation: 1) arterial hypertension, 2) >50 years, 3) obesity (BMI>30.0 kg/m2), 4) cardiovascular disease, 5) chronic pulmonary disease, 7) chronic renal disease, 6) C-reactive protein of >35mg/L, 7) oxygen saturation at rest in ambient air of <94%. Cardiovascular disease includes a history of coronary artery disease, cerebrovascular disease, peripheral artery disease, rheumatic heart disease, congenital heart disease and of recent (< 3 months) deep vein thrombosis or pulmonary embolism. Chronic pulmonary disease includes a history of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma, occupational lung disease, interstitial lung disease or of pulmonary hypertension. Chronic renal disease is defined as a history of an estimated glomerular filtration rate (according to the Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiology Collaboration equation) < 60ml/min/1.73 m2 for at least three months.
Who cannot join
- Contraindications to the class of drugs under study (C1 esterase inhibitor), e.g. known hypersensitivity or allergy to class of drugs or the investigational product
- Treatment with tocilizumab or another Il-6R or Il-6 inhibitor before enrolment
- History or suspicion of allergy to rabbits
- Women who are pregnant or breast feeding
- Active or planned treatment with any other complement inhibitor
- Liver cirrhosis (any Child-Pugh score)
Show all 14Show fewer
- Incapacity or inability to provide informed consent
- Currently admitted to an ICU or expected admission within the next 24 hours
- Currently receiving invasive or non-invasive ventilation (with the exception of high-flow oxygen therapy).
- In the opinion of the treating time, death is deemed to be imminent and inevitable within the next 24 hours
- Participation in another study with investigational drug within the 30 days preceding and during the present study with the following exemptions: 1) participation in COVID-19 drug trials started at least 48 hours before admission (e.g. postexposure prophylaxis with hydroxychloroquine) and 2) participation in COVID-19 drug trials during ICU admission
- Previous enrolment into the current study
- Enrolment of the investigator, his/her family members, employees and other dependent persons
- Any uncontrolled or significant concurrent illness that would put the patient at a greater risk or limit compliance with the study requirements
Trial locations and contacts
5 sites in 3 countries.
5 sites in 3 countries
Switzerland3 sites
University Hospital Basel, Division of Internal Medicine
Basel, 4031
Kantonsspital St. Gallen, Klinik für Infektiologie/Spitalhygiene
Sankt Gallen, 9007
Stadtspital Triemli, Departement Innere Medizin
Zurich, 8063
Mexico1 site
Hospital Universitario "Dr. José Eleiterio González", Colinia Mitras Centro
Monterrey, Nuevo Leon Mexico, C.P 64460
About this study
Official title: Recombinant Human C1 Esterase Inhibitor (Conestat Alfa) in the Prevention of Severe SARS-CoV-2 Infection in Hospitalized Patients With COVID-19: a Randomized, Parallel-group, Open-label, Multi-center Pilot Trial (PROTECT-COVID-19).
The aim of this study is to analyze if administration of conestat alfa for 72 hours in addition to standard of care (SOC) in patients hospitalized with non-critical SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia (WHO Ordinal Scale Score 3 or 4) reduces the risk of disease progression to Acute Lung Injury (ALI) and Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS).
Read the detailed description
Systemic hyperinflammation is a hallmark of more severe stages of COVID-19 leading to acute respiratory distress syndrome, mechanical ventilation and ultimately death. In this stage, COVID-19 is associated with a decrease in suppressor and regulatory T cell counts and an extensive release of proinflammatory cytokines and biomarkers called a cytokine storm, which is thought to be the major driver of severe pneumonia caused by SARS-CoV-2. C1 esterase inhibitor (C1INH) is a member of the serpin superfamily of serine-protease inhibitors and is a strong inhibitor of the complement System (CS) and the kinin-kallikrein (KK) System. Conestat alfa is a recombinant human C1INH, that shares an identical protein structure with plasma-derived C1INH. The rationale of the current trial is based upon the following assumptions: In the context of COVID-19, conestat alfa treatment may 1) dampen uncontrolled complement activation and collateral lung damage and 2) reduce capillary leakage and subsequent pulmonary edema by direct inhibition of KK system. The aim of this study is to analyze administration of conestat alfa for 72 hours in addition to standard of care in patients hospitalized with non-critical SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia (WHO Ordinal Scale Score 3 or 4) and its association with clinical severity on day 7 after inclusion and the risk of disease progression to Acute Lung Injury (ALI) and Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS).
- Conditions
- Coronavirus Infections
- Being tested
- Conestat alfa
- Keywords
- Systemic hyperinflammation, cytokine storm, complement system, kinin-kallikrein system, C1 esterase inhibitor, Conestat alfa, Coronavirus Disease 19 (COVID-19), Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)
- Medical subject headings
- Coronavirus Infections, Cytokine Release Syndrome, Angioedemas, Hereditary, COVID-19
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Conestat alfaDrug
Conestat alfa (8400 Units (U) followed by 4200 U every 8 hours, 9 administrations in total) will be administered as a slow intravenous injection (5-10 minutes) over a 72 hour period.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| active treatment arm | Active comparator | treatment with conestat alfa in addition to standarf of care Receives: Drug: Conestat alfa |
| Standard of care treatment arm | No intervention | Standard of care treatment established at the centers |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Disease severity
Disease severity on the 7-point Ordinal World Health Organization (WHO) scale (for the current study, score 0 will be omitted and score 6 and 7 will be combined). The ordinal scale measures illness severity over time. This endpoint has been suggested by WHO for clinical trials in patients with COVID-19.
Measured: on day 7
Secondary outcomes (3)
Time to clinical improvement
Time to clinical improvement (time from randomisation to an improvement of two points on the seven-category WHO ordinal scale or live discharge from hospital, whichever came first)
Measured: within 14 days after enrolment
Proportion of participants alive and not having required invasive or non-invasive ventilation
Proportion of participants alive and not having required invasive or non-invasive ventilation
Measured: at 14 days after enrolment
Proportion of subjects with an ALI (defined by PaO2/FiO2 ratio of <300mmHg)
Proportion of subjects with an ALI (defined by PaO2/FiO2 ratio of <300mmHg)
Measured: within 14 days after enrolment
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted4 Jun 2020
- Study start6 Aug 2020
- Primary completion15 Sep 2021
- Study completion15 Sep 2021
Why it stopped: Aim to enroll 120 patients deemed not sufficient to show a difference in the primary outcome measure. Standard of care treatment recently changed in Switzerland adding further heterogeneity to trial population when including future participants.
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Publications (2)Papers the sponsor has linked to this study.
- Other trials for Coronavirus InfectionsStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- More trials run by University Hospital, Basel, SwitzerlandThe sponsor's other registered studies.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
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
- Model description
- Randomized, open-label, parallel-group, controlled, multi-center clinical trial
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Enrolment
- 80 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- University Hospital, Basel, Switzerland
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- Pharming Technologies B.V.
- Responsible party
- Sponsor
- Investigators
- Michael Osthoff, PD Dr. med., Principal investigator, University Hospital Basel, Division of Internal Medicine
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT04414631
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- 2020-01252; me20Osthoff3
- Status last verified
- Nov 2021
- First submitted
- 19 May 2020
- Last updated
- 9 Nov 2021
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- Yes
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
Publications
Urwyler P, Leimbacher M, Charitos P, Moser S, Heijnen IAFM, Trendelenburg M, Thoma R, Sumer J, Camacho-Ortiz A, Bacci MR, Huber LC, Stussi-Helbling M, Albrich WC, Sendi P, Osthoff M. Recombinant C1 inhibitor in the prevention of severe COVID-19: a randomized, open-label, multi-center phase IIa trial. Front Immunol. 2023 Oct 27;14:1255292. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1255292. eCollection 2023.
PubMed 37965347Urwyler P, Charitos P, Moser S, Heijnen IAFM, Trendelenburg M, Thoma R, Sumer J, Camacho-Ortiz A, Bacci MR, Huber LC, Stussi-Helbling M, Albrich WC, Sendi P, Osthoff M. Recombinant human C1 esterase inhibitor (conestat alfa) in the prevention of severe SARS-CoV-2 infection in hospitalized patients with COVID-19: A structured summary of a study protocol for a randomized, parallel-group, open-label, multi-center pilot trial (PROTECT-COVID-19). Trials. 2021 Jan 4;22(1):1. doi: 10.1186/s13063-020-04976-x.
PubMed 33397449
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 9 Nov 2021. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Recombinant Human C1 Esterase Inhibitor (Conestat Alfa) in the Prevention of Severe SARS-CoV-2 Infection in Hospitalized Patients With COVID-19: a Randomized, Parallel-group, Open-label, Multi-center Pilot Trial (PROTECT-COVID-19).
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT04414631
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- 2020-01252; me20Osthoff3
- Conditions
- Coronavirus Infections
- Keywords
- Systemic hyperinflammation, cytokine storm, complement system, kinin-kallikrein system, C1 esterase inhibitor, Conestat alfa, Coronavirus Disease 19 (COVID-19), Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)
- Phase
- Phase 2
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- TerminatedReason stopped: Aim to enroll 120 patients deemed not sufficient to show a difference in the primary outcome measure. Standard of care treatment recently changed in Switzerland adding further heterogeneity to trial population when including future participants.
- Enrolment
- 80 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- University Hospital, Basel, SwitzerlandUniversity, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- Pharming Technologies B.V.
- Study start
- 6 Aug 2020 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 15 Sep 2021 (actual)
- Study completion
- 15 Sep 2021 (actual)
- First posted
- 4 Jun 2020 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
The aim of this study is to analyze if administration of conestat alfa for 72 hours in addition to standard of care (SOC) in patients hospitalized with non-critical SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia (WHO Ordinal Scale Score 3 or 4) reduces the risk of disease progression to Acute Lung Injury (ALI) and Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS).
Detailed description
Systemic hyperinflammation is a hallmark of more severe stages of COVID-19 leading to acute respiratory distress syndrome, mechanical ventilation and ultimately death. In this stage, COVID-19 is associated with a decrease in suppressor and regulatory T cell counts and an extensive release of proinflammatory cytokines and biomarkers called a cytokine storm, which is thought to be the major driver of severe pneumonia caused by SARS-CoV-2. C1 esterase inhibitor (C1INH) is a member of the serpin superfamily of serine-protease inhibitors and is a strong inhibitor of the complement System (CS) and the kinin-kallikrein (KK) System. Conestat alfa is a recombinant human C1INH, that shares an identical protein structure with plasma-derived C1INH. The rationale of the current trial is based upon the following assumptions: In the context of COVID-19, conestat alfa treatment may 1) dampen uncontrolled complement activation and collateral lung damage and 2) reduce capillary leakage and subsequent pulmonary edema by direct inhibition of KK system. The aim of this study is to analyze administration of conestat alfa for 72 hours in addition to standard of care in patients hospitalized with non-critical SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia (WHO Ordinal Scale Score 3 or 4) and its association with clinical severity on day 7 after inclusion and the risk of disease progression to Acute Lung Injury (ALI) and Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS).
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Number of arms
- 2
- Model description
- Randomized, open-label, parallel-group, controlled, multi-center clinical trial
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| active treatment arm | Active comparator | Drug: Conestat alfatreatment with conestat alfa in addition to standarf of care |
| Standard of care treatment arm | No intervention | –Standard of care treatment established at the centers |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 to 85 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (6 listed)
- Informed Consent as documented by signature
- admitted to the hospital because of confirmed (by a positive SARS-CoV-2 PCR result) COVID-19 infection
- evidence of pulmonary involvement on CT scan or X-ray of the chest (e.g. ground glass opacities)
- symptom onset within the previous 10 days OR shortness of breath within the previous 5 days. Symptoms include fever or one respiratory symptom (patients presenting later may have already progressed to an inflammatory state that is potentially not amenable to C1INH treatment). Respiratory symptoms include cough, sore throat, hemoptysis, shortness of breath, runny nose, or chest pain.
- expected to remain an inpatient over the next three calender days from time of enrolment
Key exclusion criteria (14 listed)
- Contraindications to the class of drugs under study (C1 esterase inhibitor), e.g. known hypersensitivity or allergy to class of drugs or the investigational product
- Treatment with tocilizumab or another Il-6R or Il-6 inhibitor before enrolment
- History or suspicion of allergy to rabbits
- Women who are pregnant or breast feeding
- Active or planned treatment with any other complement inhibitor
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| Conestat alfaConestat alfa (8400 Units (U) followed by 4200 U every 8 hours, 9 administrations in total) will be administered as a slow intravenous injection (5-10 minutes) over a 72 hour period. | Drug | active treatment arm |
Primary outcome
Disease severity
Time frame: on day 7
Disease severity on the 7-point Ordinal World Health Organization (WHO) scale (for the current study, score 0 will be omitted and score 6 and 7 will be combined). The ordinal scale measures illness severity over time. This endpoint has been suggested by WHO for clinical trials in patients with COVID-19.
3 secondary outcomes
Time to clinical improvement
Time frame: within 14 days after enrolment
Proportion of participants alive and not having required invasive or non-invasive ventilation
Time frame: at 14 days after enrolment
Proportion of subjects with an ALI (defined by PaO2/FiO2 ratio of <300mmHg)
Time frame: within 14 days after enrolment
Results and safety
The study was stopped early (reason given: Aim to enroll 120 patients deemed not sufficient to show a difference in the primary outcome measure. Standard of care treatment recently changed in Switzerland adding further heterogeneity to trial population when including future participants.). Results are not available in the source record.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 9 Nov 2021.
- Derived from this study: PubMed 37965347Urwyler P, Leimbacher M, Charitos P, Moser S, Heijnen IAFM, Trendelenburg M, Thoma R, Sumer J, Camacho-Ortiz A, Bacci MR, Huber LC, Stussi-Helbling M, Albrich WC, Sendi P, Osthoff M. Recombinant C1 inhibitor in the prevention of severe COVID-19: a randomized, open-label, multi-center phase IIa trial. Front Immunol. 2023 Oct 27;14:1255292. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1255292. eCollection 2023.
- Derived from this study: PubMed 33397449Urwyler P, Charitos P, Moser S, Heijnen IAFM, Trendelenburg M, Thoma R, Sumer J, Camacho-Ortiz A, Bacci MR, Huber LC, Stussi-Helbling M, Albrich WC, Sendi P, Osthoff M. Recombinant human C1 esterase inhibitor (conestat alfa) in the prevention of severe SARS-CoV-2 infection in hospitalized patients with COVID-19: A structured summary of a study protocol for a randomized, parallel-group, open-label, multi-center pilot trial (PROTECT-COVID-19). Trials. 2021 Jan 4;22(1):1. doi: 10.1186/s13063-020-04976-x.
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
Michael Osthoff, PD Dr. med. principal investigator
University Hospital Basel, Division of Internal Medicine
5 sites in 3 countries: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A Phase 2 study testing Conestat alfa in people with Coronavirus Infections, run by University Hospital, Basel, Switzerland at 5 sites in 3 countries.
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 6 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: stopped early, as of the sponsor's last update on 9 Nov 2021. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 5 sites in Switzerland, Brazil, Mexico. 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?
The study was stopped early (reason given: Aim to enroll 120 patients deemed not sufficient to show a difference in the primary outcome measure. Standard of care treatment recently changed in Switzerland adding further heterogeneity to trial population when including future participants.). Results are not available in the source record.
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?
Disease severity (time frame: on day 7). 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 NCT04414631, which also lists 2 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 9 Nov 2021.