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Warm Autoimmune Hemolytic AnemiaNCT05925023

Sirolimus in the Treatment of Refractory/Relapsed wAIHA

A study testing Sirolimus in people with Warm Autoimmune Hemolytic Anemia, run by Peking Union Medical College Hospital at 1 site in China.

Recruiting

Looking for participants now. Contact the study team or a site below to ask about taking part.

Sites and contacts
Official record
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Trial summary

Autoimmune hemolytic anemia (AIHA) is a rare and heterogeneous disorder characterized by the destruction of red blood cells through warm or cold antibodies. Glucocorticoid (combined with rituximab) is the first-line treatment. However, the recurrence rate is very high and some patients may not respond to steroids. Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 18 to 90 years
Conditions the study is for
Warm Autoimmune Hemolytic Anemia
What is being tested?
Sirolimus
Type of treatment
Pill or oral medicine
Could I receive a placebo?
No, everyone receives an active treatment
How many people
22 participants
Where
1 siteChina
Study dates
24 Jun 2023to Dec 2025
Phase
Interventional
Are there results?
Not yet: the study is under way

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 90 years
  • All sexes
  • No healthy volunteers
  • Adult, Older adult

Who may be able to join

  • Age ≥18 years old.
  • Diagnosed as primary warm autoimmune hemolytic anemia or Evans syndrome (primary or secondary). There is no treatment indication of other systemic involvement in the original disease if secondary.
  • No response to glucocorticoid therapy or recurrence.
  • Baseline liver (ALT, AST) was less than 2 times the normal value.
  • No active infection; Not pregnant or breastfeeding.
  • Agree to sign the consent form.

Who cannot join

  • Patients with connective tissue disease or other organs involvement
  • Infection or bleeding that cannot be controlled by standard treatment.
  • Active HIV, HCV or HBV infection or cirrhosis or portal hypertension.
  • Progressed uncontrolled malignant tumors and lymphoma
  • Cirrhosis or portal hypertension.
  • Pregnant or breastfeeding.

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.

China1 site, 1 recruiting
  • Peking Union Medical College Hospital

    Beijing, Beijing Municipality, 100730

    Miao Chen, +86 13520112578, chenm@pumch.cn

    Bing Han, +86 69155028, hanbingpumch@163.com

    Recruiting

Other trials in China

About this study

Official title: Sirolimus in the Treatment of Refractory/Relapsed Warm Autoimmune Hemolytic Anemia (AIHA): a Phase 2 Prospective Trial

Autoimmune hemolytic anemia (AIHA) is a rare and heterogeneous disorder characterized by the destruction of red blood cells through warm or cold antibodies. Glucocorticoid (combined with rituximab) is the first-line treatment. However, the recurrence rate is very high and some patients may not respond to steroids. Second-line therapies include cyclosporine A (CsA), cyclophosphamide, rituximab, azathioprine, and even splenectomy. Our previous study of sirolimus in refractory/relapsed AIHA and ES found an effective rate of 80%. Therefore, the investigators plan to explore the efficacy and safety of sirolimus in the treatment of refractory/relapsed wAIHA.

Read the detailed description

Based on the optimal autoantibody-RBC reactivity temperatures, AIHA is classified into warm type, cold type, and mixed type. AIHA can be further classified into primary or secondary in nature. Glucocorticoid (combined with rituximab) is the first-line treatment. However, the recurrence rate is very high and some patients may not respond to steroids. Second-line therapies include cyclosporine A (CsA), cyclophosphamide, rituximab, azathioprine, and even splenectomy. The refractory/relapsed wAIHA patients have increased cardiovascular events, increased opportunities for infections, decreased quality of life, and even death. A prospective multi-institutional trial in autoimmune cytopenia found that 8 of 10 patients with AIHA and Evans syndrome respond to sirolimus. Our previous study of sirolimus in refractory/relapsed AIHA and ES also found an effective rate of approximately 80%. Since sirolimus is cheap and accessible, our findings may reduce the economic burden of patients and be a guide on the selection of second-line treatment drugs in refractory/relapsed wAIHA and Evans syndrome.

Being tested
Sirolimus
Keywords
warm autoimmune hemolytic anemia, Evans syndrome, refractory/relapsed, sirolimus, efficacy
Medical subject headings
Evans Syndrome, Recurrence

What participants receive

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

  • SirolimusDrug

    Oral administration, 1-3 mg/d, sirolimus plasma concentration: 4-15 ng/mL

Study groups in NCT05925023
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
Sirolimus on refractory/relapsed wAIHAExperimentalA prospective research of the sirolimus efficiency on refractory/relapsed primary wAIHA patients. Sirolimus dosage: 1-3 mg/d with plasma concentration 4-15ng/mL. Medication time should last at least 6 months. After reaching the optimal response, responders continue to use sirolimus for 1 year, and then gradually reduce the dosage.
Receives: Drug: Sirolimus

What is being measured

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

  1. Overall response rate (ORR) and complete response rate (CRR)

    ORR defined as the proportion of patients who met the criteria of either complete response (CR) or partial response (PR).

    Measured: 3,6,12 months

Secondary outcomes (3)
  1. Number of participants with treatment-related adverse events and the number of relapses

    Number of participants with treatment-related adverse events and the number of relapses

    Measured: 12 months, end of the follow-up

  2. Adverse events

    Safety analyses include assessments of the incidence and severity of adverse events; all adverse events that occurred or worsened during the treatment period will be reported, as well as adverse events that occurred later but are considered by the investigator to be related to the trial drug.

    Measured: 3,6,12 months

  3. Relapse rate

    Relapse rate defined as the proportion of patients whose response shift from PR or CR to no response (NR).

    Measured: 3,6,12 months

Timeline

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

  1. First posted29 Jun 2023
  2. Study start24 Jun 2023
  3. Primary completionDec 2025 (estimated)
  4. Study completionDec 2025 (estimated)

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 N/A
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Not applicable
Intervention model
Single group
Masking
None (open label)
Enrolment
22 participants (estimated)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT05925023
Sponsor's protocol ID
Sirolimus-1
Status last verified
Aug 2025
First submitted
21 Jun 2023
Last updated
8 Aug 2025
Results posted
No
Data monitoring committee
No
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
Individual data sharing
No

Publications

  • Jager U, Barcellini W, Broome CM, Gertz MA, Hill A, Hill QA, Jilma B, Kuter DJ, Michel M, Montillo M, Roth A, Zeerleder SS, Berentsen S. Diagnosis and treatment of autoimmune hemolytic anemia in adults: Recommendations from the First International Consensus Meeting. Blood Rev. 2020 May;41:100648. doi: 10.1016/j.blre.2019.100648. Epub 2019 Dec 5.

    PubMed 31839434
  • Bass GF, Tuscano ET, Tuscano JM. Diagnosis and classification of autoimmune hemolytic anemia. Autoimmun Rev. 2014 Apr-May;13(4-5):560-4. doi: 10.1016/j.autrev.2013.11.010. Epub 2014 Jan 11.

    PubMed 24418298
  • Hill QA, Stamps R, Massey E, Grainger JD, Provan D, Hill A; British Society for Haematology. The diagnosis and management of primary autoimmune haemolytic anaemia. Br J Haematol. 2017 Feb;176(3):395-411. doi: 10.1111/bjh.14478. Epub 2016 Dec 22. No abstract available.

    PubMed 28005293
  • Barcellini W, Fattizzo B. How I treat warm autoimmune hemolytic anemia. Blood. 2021 Mar 11;137(10):1283-1294. doi: 10.1182/blood.2019003808.

    PubMed 33512406
  • Birgens H, Frederiksen H, Hasselbalch HC, Rasmussen IH, Nielsen OJ, Kjeldsen L, Larsen H, Mourits-Andersen T, Plesner T, Ronnov-Jessen D, Vestergaard H, Klausen TW, Schollkopf C. A phase III randomized trial comparing glucocorticoid monotherapy versus glucocorticoid and rituximab in patients with autoimmune haemolytic anaemia. Br J Haematol. 2013 Nov;163(3):393-9. doi: 10.1111/bjh.12541. Epub 2013 Aug 24.

    PubMed 23981017
  • Barcellini W, Fattizzo B, Zaninoni A, Radice T, Nichele I, Di Bona E, Lunghi M, Tassinari C, Alfinito F, Ferrari A, Leporace AP, Niscola P, Carpenedo M, Boschetti C, Revelli N, Villa MA, Consonni D, Scaramucci L, De Fabritiis P, Tagariello G, Gaidano G, Rodeghiero F, Cortelezzi A, Zanella A. Clinical heterogeneity and predictors of outcome in primary autoimmune hemolytic anemia: a GIMEMA study of 308 patients. Blood. 2014 Nov 6;124(19):2930-6. doi: 10.1182/blood-2014-06-583021. Epub 2014 Sep 16.

    PubMed 25232059
  • Bride KL, Vincent T, Smith-Whitley K, Lambert MP, Bleesing JJ, Seif AE, Manno CS, Casper J, Grupp SA, Teachey DT. Sirolimus is effective in relapsed/refractory autoimmune cytopenias: results of a prospective multi-institutional trial. Blood. 2016 Jan 7;127(1):17-28. doi: 10.1182/blood-2015-07-657981. Epub 2015 Oct 26.

    PubMed 26504182
  • Li H, Ji J, Du Y, Huang Y, Gu H, Chen M, Wu R, Han B. Sirolimus is effective for primary relapsed/refractory autoimmune cytopenia: a multicenter study. Exp Hematol. 2020 Sep;89:87-95. doi: 10.1016/j.exphem.2020.08.001. Epub 2020 Aug 6.

    PubMed 32771553
  • Wang Q, Liu Z, Yang C, Li J, Chen M, Han B. Sirolimus for Refractory/relapsed Warm Autoimmune Hemolytic Anemia and Evans' syndrome: A Prospective Study. Blood Adv. 2026 Jun 9:bloodadvances.2026019844. doi: 10.1182/bloodadvances.2026019844. Online ahead of print.

    PubMed 42263666

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A study testing Sirolimus in people with Warm Autoimmune Hemolytic Anemia, run by Peking Union Medical College Hospital at 1 site in China.

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 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: looking for participants now, as of the sponsor's last update on 8 Aug 2025. 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 China. 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.

Are results available for this study?

This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.

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

Each site lists its own contact: choose the nearest one under Trial locations. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

Overall response rate (ORR) and complete response rate (CRR) (time frame: 3,6,12 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 NCT05925023, which also lists 9 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 8 Aug 2025.

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