Rituximab to Treat Moderate Aplastic Anemia, Pure Red Cell Aplasia, or Diamond Blackfan Anemia

Anemia, Aplastic Clinical Trial

Official title:

A Pilot Study of Recombinant Humanized Anti- Cluster of Differentiation Antigen 20 (Anti-CD20) Antibody (Rituximab) in Patients With Moderate Aplastic Anemia, Pure Red Cell Aplasia, or Diamond Blackfan Anemia

Clinical Trial Details — Status: Completed

Administrative data

• NCT number: NCT00229619
• Other study ID #: 050244
• Secondary ID: 05-H-0244
• Status: Completed
• Phase: Phase 2
• Start date: September 2005
• Est. completion date: June 2010

Study information

• Verified date: August 2018
• Source: National Institutes of Health Clinical Center (CC)
• Contact: n/a
• Is FDA regulated: No
• Study type: Interventional

Clinical Trial Summary

This study will test whether the immune-suppressing drug rituximab can increase blood counts and reduce the need for transfusions in patients with moderate aplastic anemia, pure red cell aplasia, or Diamond Blackfan anemia. These are rare and serious blood disorders in which the immune system turns against bone marrow cells, causing the bone marrow to stop producing red blood cells in patients with pure red cell aplasia and Diamond Blackfan anemia, and red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets in patients with aplastic anemia. Rituximab is a laboratory-made monoclonal antibody that recognizes and destroys white blood cells called lymphocytes that are responsible for destroying bone marrow cells in these diseases. The drug is currently approved by the Food and Drug Administration for treating patients with B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma, a disease of white blood cells.

Description:

This study will test whether the immune-suppressing drug rituximab can increase blood counts and reduce the need for transfusions in patients with moderate aplastic anemia, pure red cell aplasia, or Diamond Blackfan anemia. These are rare and serious blood disorders in which the immune system turns against bone marrow cells, causing the bone marrow to stop producing red blood cells in patients with pure red cell aplasia and Diamond Blackfan anemia, and red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets in patients with aplastic anemia. Rituximab is a laboratory-made monoclonal antibody that recognizes and destroys white blood cells called lymphocytes that are responsible for destroying bone marrow cells in these diseases. The drug is currently approved by the Food and Drug Administration for treating patients with B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma, a disease of white blood cells.

Participants receive four doses of rituximab, once a week for 4 weeks through a needle in an arm vein. The infusion rate depends on how well the patient tolerates the drug. The first infusion usually takes 4 to 6 hours and the rest take 3 to 4 hours. The first and fourth infusions are given at NIH; the second and third may be given at NIH or by a patient's referring doctor. Patients who respond to rituximab but then relapse may receive one additional course of four doses. Patients may continue with transfusions and their current medications, including growth factors (e.g., Epogen and Neupogen) while on study, but may have to stop taking immunosuppressive drugs, such as prednisone or cyclosporine. Patients who must start another immunosuppressive medication are taken off rituximab and followed for safety with clinic visits one week and then once a month for 6 months after the first dose of rituximab.

Patients have a blood test once a week while receiving rituximab to evaluate blood counts. After treatment is completed, patients are evaluated once a month until 6 months, then once a year until 3 years to monitor the response to treatment and any drug side effects. Patients are evaluated at NIH for the 3- and 6-month visits and the annual visits. They may be seen at NIH or by their referring doctors for the 1-, 2-, 4- and 5-month visits. A blood test is done at every visit, and a bone marrow aspiration and biopsy are done at the 3-month visit (and when clinically needed to evaluate the effect of rituximab on bone marrow cells).

Recruitment information / eligibility

• Status: Completed
• Enrollment: 11
• Est. completion date: June 2010
• Est. primary completion date: June 2010
• Accepts healthy volunteers: No
• Gender: All
• Age group: 2 Years and older

Eligibility

• INCLUSION CRITERIA:

Diagnosis of acquired moderate aplastic anemia defined as aplastic anemia (hypocellular bone marrow) and no evidence for an underlying disease process and depression of at least two out of three blood counts below these values:

• Absolute neutrophil count (ANC) equal to or less than l200/mm(3)

• platelet count equal to or less than 70,000/mm(3)

• anemia with hemoglobin equal to or less than 8.5 g/dl or absolute reticulocyte count equal to or less than 60,000/mm(3) in transfusion-dependent patients but not fulfilling the criteria for severe disease defined by bone marrow cellularity less than 30% (excluding lymphocytes) and depression of at least two of the three peripheral counts:

• ANC equal to or less than 500/ul

• platelet count equal to or less than 20,000/ul

• reticulocyte count less than 60,000/ul

Or

Diagnosis of pure red cell aplasia or Diamond Blackfan anemia requiring red blood cell (RBC) transfusions

Pure red cell aplasia is defined by

• anemia,

• reticulocytopenia (reticulocyte count equal to or less than 50,000/ mm(3))

• and absent or decreased marrow erythroid precursors

Diamond Blackfan anemia is defined by

• anemia,

• reticulocytopenia (reticulocyte count equal to or less than 50,000/ mm(3))

• and absent or decreased marrow erythroid precursors diagnosed at an early age

Because this population is prone to dry bone marrow aspirates, subjects from whom sufficient bone marrow cannot be collected for the evaluation of cellularity will not be excluded provided they meet all other inclusion criteria based on peripheral blood counts.

Pure Red cell Aplasia and Diamond Blackfan patients must be age greater than or equal to 2 years old and weight greater than 12 kg; Moderate Aplastic anemia patients must be age greater than or equal to 18.

Refractory to at least 1 course of immunosuppressive therapy or relapsed disease after prior immunosuppressive therapy (PRCA/DBA patients only).

Patients or their parent(s)/responsible guardian(s) must be able to comprehend and be willing to sign an informed consent.

EXCLUSION CRITERIA:

Current diagnosis of Fanconi's anemia or other congenital bone marrow failure syndromes except for DBA

History of a cytogenetic abnormality indicating myelodysplasia (MDS)

Active infection not adequately responding to appropriate therapy

HIV positivity

Positive anti- hepatitis B core antibody (antiHBc) or HBsAG

History of clinically significant arrhythmia

Known anaphylaxis or immunoglobulin E (IgE) mediated hypersensitivity to murine proteins or to any component of this product.

Moribund status or concurrent hepatic, renal, cardiac, neurologic, pulmonary, infectious, or metabolic disease of such severity that it would preclude the patient's ability to tolerate protocol therapy, or that death within the next month is likely

Potential subjects with cancer who are on active chemotherapeutic treatment or who take drugs with hematological effects will not be eligible.

History of recent or ongoing B19 parvovirus infection

Psychiatric, affective, or other disorder that may compromise the ability to give informed consent or to cooperate in a research study.

Pregnancy or lactation or unwillingness to take contraceptives

Participation in any other investigational drug trial or exposure to other investigational agents (other than hematopoietic growth factors) within 30 days of study entry. Use of low dose immunosuppressive agents may continue at the PIs discretion provided that the patient has been taking this drug for at least 3 months.

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Anemia
• Anemia, Aplastic
• Anemia, Diamond-Blackfan
• Red-Cell Aplasia, Pure

Intervention

Drug:
• Rituximab
Rituximab (Rituxan) 375mg/m2 intravenous infusion. The infusion will be once every week for a total of 4 doses.

Locations

Country	Name	City	State
United States	National Institutes of Health Clinical Center, 9000 Rockville Pike	Bethesda	Maryland

Sponsors (1)

Lead Sponsor	Collaborator
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI)

Country where clinical trial is conducted

United States, 

References & Publications (3)

Edwards JC, Szczepanski L, Szechinski J, Filipowicz-Sosnowska A, Emery P, Close DR, Stevens RM, Shaw T. Efficacy of B-cell-targeted therapy with rituximab in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. N Engl J Med. 2004 Jun 17;350(25):2572-81. — View Citation

Gottenberg JE, Guillevin L, Lambotte O, Combe B, Allanore Y, Cantagrel A, Larroche C, Soubrier M, Bouillet L, Dougados M, Fain O, Farge D, Kyndt X, Lortholary O, Masson C, Moura B, Remy P, Thomas T, Wendling D, Anaya JM, Sibilia J, Mariette X; Club Rheumatismes et Inflammation (CRI). Tolerance and short term efficacy of rituximab in 43 patients with systemic autoimmune diseases. Ann Rheum Dis. 2005 Jun;64(6):913-20. Epub 2004 Nov 18. — View Citation

Wang J, Wiley JM, Luddy R, Greenberg J, Feuerstein MA, Bussel JB. Chronic immune thrombocytopenic purpura in children: assessment of rituximab treatment. J Pediatr. 2005 Feb;146(2):217-21. — View Citation

Outcome

Type	Measure	Description	Time frame	Safety issue
Primary	Response to Rituximab	Rituximab will be given to moderate aplastic anemia (MAA), pure red cell aplasia or Diamond Blackfan anemia subjects. Rituxmiab will be given to evaluate if these bone marrow failure syndrome subjects will have an immune response to the intervention. The subjects will receive 375 mg/ meters squared of rituximab which will be infused intravenously once evey week for a total of 4 doses.; Primary endpoint will determine immune response by evaluating changes in peripheral blood counts (platelets, absolute neutrophil count, reticulocyte count, hemoglobin) and transfusion requirements at 6 months. The response wil be will be categorized as complete, partial or no response. Subjects will be categorized as complete responders if their blood counts return to normal. Subjects will categorized as partial responders if there is an improvement in 2 or 3 of the depressed baseline blood counts.	6 months
Secondary	Response Assessment at 3 Months		3 months
Secondary	Response Rates at 12 Months (After the First Dose of Study Med)		12 months

External Links

•   NIH Clinical Center Detailed Web Page